Topic: Gathering Information On Weightlifting

[Rob Esposito]

Trying to gather as much information as I can about Olympic Weightlifting. If anybody has any full text articles, books they recommend, sample training programs, and really anything to do with the sport please email me or post up a link. Any input is much appreciated :D

[Matt Denslinger]

Two books that have helped me are

The Weightlifting Encyclopedia by Arthur Dreschsler
Weightlifting Olympic Style by Tommy Kono

As for articles, you can search google

[Jim Hooper]

Agree with Matt's recommendation of Art Drechsler's book.  Probably the best money I have ever spent on any strength training reference.    Treasure trove.  The companion  video is also well worth the money IMO.  If you only have $50 or so to spend, get the Drechsler material, I would say.

Another resource I consider essential is any or all of the Oly lifting videos, both competitions and training hall tapes, available from ironmind.com.  Many are available.  If your focus is training, I recommend the 1998 Bulgarian Training Hall tape, which covers several sessions of that team training just prior to major competition and gives you a sense of the Bulgarian approach, i.e., workouts structured much like competitions, emphasizing the competitive lifts and squats, working up to heavy singles, as well as the "Creating Champions" tape, which profiles two great lifters, Siemon Kolecki and Georgi Azanidze, working through series of more varied, "Soviet" style of training, mixing the comp lifts with various partial and assistance movements in high volume, low rep structure.   The competition and various other training tapes (many available) give you a resource where you can closely study and compare the technique of many different and great lifters.  Slow-mo'ing and frame-by-frame looks at those vids over and over I think has helped me identify where technique varies due to limb lengths or other individual factors, what the critical common denominators are (things like constant back angle during the first pull, explosion in the second, and how the body is arranged and rearranged in the critical pull-under -- which is essentially impossible to see in real time).  Plus they are great motivational material and will recalibrate one's concept of the possible.

Another good value is any of the coaching manuals and tapes put out by USAW and available on their website, including Jim Schmitz's manual and video (not high production value, but the content is super).  

After much searching I found copies of two Oly tapes, one on the snatch called "The Snatch:  World's Fastest Lift" and on the CJ called "The Clean and Jerk:  World's Strongest Lift."  I found them through Ricky Crain's web store (mostly powerlifting, but he had these tapes).  Very detailed exposition of both lifts and the training/teaching of them, produced by a super coach who has produced several national and international caliber lifters.  The technique and mechanics presented on these tapes is definitely of the Bulgarian school, which is different in some respects from the technique and mechanics taught by USAW and other sources.  

Its all good stuff to know.  Best of luck.