Topic: It seems like America is behind the rest of the world for OL

[Gabriel Grinstead]

I was thinking and it seems like America doesn't fair to well in the world events.  Maybe I am expecting to much of it? But I am curious if anyone has any ideas why.

I was thinking this is perhaps due to the relatively few lifters.  When you can only drain from a small pool, your potential is going to be less.  But then I thought, could it also be that most people have jobs and are unable to train optimally? For the most part, most Olympic Lifters I have met, have jobs and a family and train around them.  Is this also a possible reason why America doesn't fair to well?

Or, am I wrong and that America actually does extremely well?

I am just curious to know everyones opinion on this.  I havn't been around the block long (young age) and I just always see America competing very well on a world level in every other sport it seems, but weightlifting we seem to be behind in.

[Mike Wittmer]

There are several reasons why we don't fare well internationally.  As you said, I think the main one is the lack of lifters in the US.

[Paul LaDuke]

Here are several reasons I think you are right:

Americans love football.  Most football players do powerlifting to train for football.  A few athletes will do the clean, but usually the power clean from the hang with poor form catching the bar and poor range of motion and they rarely add the jerk.

Americans love powerlifting.  Most people can relate to the bench and the squat and the deadlift.  Anyone can walk into a gym and perform any of these 3 exercises with very little instruction.  They take little to learn as they are not technical, just brute force.

Most local gyms do not allow the O-lifts.  Or they don't have any equipment for them (bumpers, platforms).  And they certainly have no one to teach them.  Anyone who would have a casual interest in the sport has no where to go.

Few high schools and colleges have anybody who can teach the lifts.  Most strength coaches know what the clean is (usually the power clean) and will use it, but it usually ends there.  A few strength coaches will do the snatch, but usually in college.  Very few high schools have strength coaches and even fewer of them (college and high school) are USAW certified.  Most strength coaches will be a CSCS but there is no proficiency in both O-lifts to be a CSCS.

There are very few meets.  And when there is a meet, there is little interest.

[Matt Denslinger]

Yeah, there are several factors...

Money. It's an expensive sport. What's cheaper...getting a basketball going to a local park or buying a gym membership or getting the equipment?

The clubs. Few and far between in most places.

No fame involved. Poker players are more recognizable than championship calibre ahletes. But for this I guess we have to reprogram society.

But then I thought, could it also be that most people have jobs and are unable to train optimally?

Some may be great teenager lifters, but later life just gets in the way and their training takes a back seat.

Americans love powerlifting. Most people can relate to the bench and the squat and the deadlift. Anyone can walk into a gym and perform any of these 3 exercises with very little instruction. They take little to learn as they are not technical, just brute force.

True. Some people would think why spend months learning something when I can learn something else almost instantly. Another thing people can relate to is bodybuilding. Their vanity drives them to adopt weird routines sometimes.

Americans love football. Most football players do powerlifting to train for football. A few athletes will do the clean, but usually the power clean from the hang with poor form catching the bar and poor range of motion and they rarely add the jerk.

I don't know what is used more in football, a powerlifting type routine or a bodybuilding routine.

Few high schools and colleges have anybody who can teach the lifts. Most strength coaches know what the clean is (usually the power clean) and will use it, but it usually ends there. A few strength coaches will do the snatch, but usually in college. Very few high schools have strength coaches and even fewer of them (college and high school) are USAW certified. Most strength coaches will be a CSCS but there is no proficiency in both O-lifts to be a CSCS.

True. I don't know the qualifications of the coach here at ship, but I saw their program and the cleans and powerclean portion of the program is a joke. They will know the "powerclean" but sometimes when they perform it, it doesn't look like one.

There are very few meets. And when there is a meet, there is little interest.

True, but I feel weightlifting has a lot of potential. Personally I think olympic weightlifting would easily surpass powerlifting because of it's speed. I think the average american would rather watch a snatch/clean and jerk over a slow squat/bench/deadlift. Plus in powerlifting there are a lot of federations too.

Overall, it's not just getting more people to participate, it's also making the sport more accessible to the average american.