WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU START OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING
So you've seen it on Instagram or YouTube. Dudes and chicks flinging obserdly heavy barbells over their heads with a rate of speed you didn't even know was possible. You get more interested, do some googling and decide to start your olympic weightlifting journey. Here's what you should know to start:
Get a coach and find a gym with a solid training culture. You can start by following online programs or trying to teach yourself, but Olympic lifting is a highly technical sport and it's way more enjoyable if someone teaches you how to do it correctly from the jump. The right coach will teach you proper positions, keep your body safe, and help you build strength and confidence over time. They'll save you a lot of frustration and potentially pain. I know this because I tried to do it and spent the first 3 months of my lifting career with a bruised pubic bone because I was snatching incorrectly. More importantly, a gym with a good training culture will keep you showing up. The environment matters—a lot. Surrounding yourself with athletes who care about doing things the right way will speed up your progress more than any spreadsheet can.
Get weightlifting shoes. I'm not a big gear guy but it is undeniable that your shoes matter in this sport. The elevated heel helps you stay more upright in the squat, gives you better positioning in the pull, and helps you catch the bar more cleanly. Also, everything just feels more secure and stable. If you're going to try to lift heavy weights, don't you want the most security and stability you can find? You wouldn't play basketball with a soccer ball. Don't lift in squishy running shoes. Go to Poshmark and spend $60 on a used pair if necessary.
Stay off your phone between sets. Use that rest time to observe. Watch the lifters around you. See how they set up. Watch their timing. Notice how they move through their empty bar warm-ups. The bar path. The rhythm. You’ll learn more from watching five good lifters in your gym than from 500 random Instagram reels. And trust me—no one’s impressed when you’re scrolling memes between sets of snatch pulls. Additionally, it's an opportunity to interact with other people and build relationships. Other lifters who know what they're doing might even be more inclined to give you some free coaching.
Take care of your hands. Calluses are part of the deal—but you DO NOT want them to tear. It makes the training after you tear them miserable and impacts future training sessions. File them down regularly not to remove them entirely, but just to eliminate any sharp edges. Typically I just keep a nail file next to my toilet and make good use of that time if you know what I mean. Use chalk to protect your hands while lifting. And moisturize at night. Clean, healthy hands = consistent training. Torn hands = annoying setbacks and missed lifts.
Don’t walk in front of someone while they’re lifting. This is the golden rule of the weightlifting gym. When someone is in the middle of a snatch or clean & jerk, they are fully locked in. Lifters are taught to find a focal point (somewhere to focus their gaze) to help stabilize their balance and keep them aware of where they are in space. Movement in their line of sight is distracting and dangerous. Give your training partners the same respect you’d want when you’re under a heavy bar. If you have to walk, go behind—not in front. Or hell, just stand still and encourage them.
Brush your bar after you lift. Chalk all over the knurling might seem like no big deal, but in weightlifting gyms, brushing the bar is just good etiquette. The whole point of chalk is to attract moisture so the bar doesn't get slippery from sweat. By the same token, chalk left on the bar can attract moisture and create rust - no bueno. Think of it like reracking your weights or wiping down a bench. It shows respect for the next lifter and for the space. Most gyms have a stiff-bristled brush near the platforms—use it.
Olympic weightlifting is a humbling sport, but that’s part of what makes it so rewarding. You’ll miss lifts, feel stuck, and question your progress—but if you stick with it, you’ll develop ridiculous strength, insane coordination, and a mindset that doesn’t break under pressure.
It’s not easy. It’s not supposed to be. But it’s worth it.
Best of luck with your training today!
With Thanks,