Barbell Olympic Weightlifting Levels 1-7

[watchnerd]

As I'm starting my summertime 12 week O-lifting GPP (competition prep cycle will start 3rd week of September), I thought I'd share this chart on Olympic weightlifting competency levels.

https://www.catalystathletics.com/articles/downloads/CatalystAthleticsWeightliftingLevels2018.pdf

These aren't adjusted for age; this is for all ages. Numbers for Masters lifters change dramatically.

Unadjusted for age, I'm currently a Level 2 109 kg-class lifter. I'll be in a new bracket this year, a "young" 50 in the 50-55 bracket. I'm getting a DEXA scan tomorrow to help me decide if I want to compete at 102 kg or 109 kg.

What some may find interesting is that the bodyweight / squat ratio doesn't start exceed to 2:1 until you get to the top tiers.

 

[godjira1]

quite a nice chart. i had a play with it - i am Lvl 1 in the O lifts total (snatch is weaker, C&J is stronger) and somewhere between Lvl 2-3 in strength. some motivation to perhaps one day devote 12-16 weeks to a coach and clean up my technique.

 

[watchnerd]

quite a nice chart. i had a play with it - i am Lvl 1 in the O lifts total (snatch is weaker, C&J is stronger) and somewhere between Lvl 2-3 in strength. some motivation to perhaps one day devote 12-16 weeks to a coach and clean up my technique.

That fits the description for level 1:

"They may also have a large disparity between strength and Olympic lift performance not shown here."

i.e. technique

If it makes you feel better, my front squat is bigger than my back squat.

(because I only front squat and overhead squat these days)

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

Yup, I'm a level 1 as expected. I'm okay with that as a masters (35-40) lifter with just over a year's experience in the sport.

My current limiting factor is definitely technique; I've not quite reached the limits of my strength yet but that will almost certainly have to improve considerably if I want to get to level 2. I haven't been able to squat heavy in ages now and I'm hoping all of the sub-maximal squatting I've been doing will lead to significant improvements in my efficiency (it worked for my deadlift). As a 5'9" 67kg lifter, 'efficiency' is my best bet at the moment.

Just noticed my numbers are much closer to (almost bang-on) the level 1 numbers for the next weight class up. That's kind of encouraging.

 

[Anna C]

Yeah I'm about Level 1 at 76kg. But I'd rather look at the Master's chart, haha. I'm sure I'd be a little higher.

My snatch and C&J are still lagging my strength because they are still less than my power snatch and power clean. I'm having a heck of a time with balance -- catching and stabilizing the load in a below parallel squat. The clean is getting closer to being able to catch it low and come back up. The snatch still feels like it has a ways to go. Very slowly making progress with it with snatch balance, overhead squats, SOTS press, etc. It is so incredibly hard, and nothing in any kettlebell training or barbell strength training has prepared me for this requirement. So, I'm still very much a beginner with that skill.

 

[watchnerd]

The snatch still feels like it has a ways to go. Very slowly making progress with it with snatch balance, overhead squats, SOTS press, etc. It is so incredibly hard, and nothing in any kettlebell training or barbell strength training has prepared me for this requirement. So, I'm still very much a beginner with that skill.

You can brute force your way through a C&J, but the full Snatch will make a b*tch out of you.

I made better progress when, in addition to the things you're already doing, I started doing hardcore mobility work.

Once I could sit in a deep squat (no weight) for 10 min, do a pike, and get halfway to a full pancake, things got better.

Many of the Russian and Chinese lifters have basic gymnastic-level flexibility.

Check out this video of Klokov's warmup routine at his peak in 2014, and he's a pretty big (105 kg class) guy:

 

[Anna C]

Wow, I never thought of mobility as a limiter for me, but I'm not as limber as that guy. And I have become a little stiffer the last couple of years... I'll add some more work on it. I bought @Pavel Macek's GGP program, but haven't had time to check it out yet. I'm sure that will help! Thanks for the motivation!

 

[watchnerd]

Wow, I never thought of mobility as a limiter for me, but I'm not as limber as that guy. And I have become a little stiffer the last couple of years... I'll add some more work on it. I bought @Pavel Macek's GGP program, but haven't had time to check it out yet. I'm sure that will help! Thanks for the motivation!

Here's another that's more of a tutorial than a demonstration.

You'll see in this video that the female lifter can do a full pancake:



These weightlifters, instead of being musclebound, have far better flexibility than your normally-muscled average person.

It's important enough that I have 2 days per week dedicated to nothing but intensive mobility work for about 1 hour each time, and my cool down has about 15-20 minutes of post workout ab work and stretching.

That's the other thing:

Ab work is critical. As coach Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics says:

"“I don’t need to do ab work, I stabilize my midline during the lifts,” is something lazy people say when they need an excuse to not do more work. It’s not accessory work, it’s successory work."

Abs/Back: What Does it All Mean?

Greg Everett's approach to ab and back work for Olympic weightlifting

www.catalystathletics.com

 

[watchnerd]

Just noticed my numbers are much closer to (almost bang-on) the level 1 numbers for the next weight class up. That's kind of encouraging.

Yes, based on your height, statistically you have a lot of room to bulk up:

"Your height, bone size, and skeletal frame are what determine your power zone. The average height per weight class at the 2004 Olympics was: 56 kg—5' 2”/1.57 m; 62 kg—5' 3”/1.60 m; 69 kg—5' 5”/1.66 m; 77 kg—5' 7”/1.69 m; 85kg—5' 8”/1.73 m; 94 kg—5' 9”/1.75 m; 105 kg—5' 11”/1.80 m; +105 kg—6' 0”/1.84 m."

Your "Power Zone”

Weight training and Olympic weightlifting tips for strength athletes from expert and 3-time Olympic team coach Jim Schmitz, author of Olympic Style Weightlifting for the Beginning and Intermediate Weightlifter and regular MILO journal contributor from IronMind…

www.ironmind.com

At 5'9", you'd be shooting for 85+ kg bodyweight.

Full disclosure: the author was the coach who taught me the lifts, so I'm overly familiar with his work.

 

[Anna C]

successory work

Cool phrase

Do you mean Greg Everett? I never heard of Chris.

 

[watchnerd]

Cool phrase

Do you mean Greg Everett? I never heard of Chris.

Yes, typo. Pre-coffee state!

Fixed.

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

Yes, based on your height, statistically you have a lot of room to bulk up:

"Your height, bone size, and skeletal frame are what determine your power zone. The average height per weight class at the 2004 Olympics was: 56 kg—5' 2”/1.57 m; 62 kg—5' 3”/1.60 m; 69 kg—5' 5”/1.66 m; 77 kg—5' 7”/1.69 m; 85kg—5' 8”/1.73 m; 94 kg—5' 9”/1.75 m; 105 kg—5' 11”/1.80 m; +105 kg—6' 0”/1.84 m."

Your "Power Zone”

Weight training and Olympic weightlifting tips for strength athletes from expert and 3-time Olympic team coach Jim Schmitz, author of Olympic Style Weightlifting for the Beginning and Intermediate Weightlifter and regular MILO journal contributor from IronMind…

www.ironmind.com

At 5'9", you'd be shooting for 85+ kg bodyweight.

Full disclosure: the author was the coach who taught me the lifts, so I'm overly familiar with his work.

With my diet and metabolism I'd struggle enough going up to the 73kg class! I'm definitely not built for weightlifting but that's just another part of the challenge for me. In 2019 I was lucky enough to see Jaswant Shergill lift at the British championships. He was lifting in the 67kg class (he's usually a 62) and is very tall and skinny for that class. He managed to put 148kg(!) overhead in the clean & jerk. Total inspiration.

Here's a vid of him hitting some pretty solid numbers (107/130) at the British U23s in 2016. Talk about efficiency!

​

 

[watchnerd]

With my diet and metabolism I'd struggle enough going up to the 73kg class! I'm definitely not built for weightlifting but that's just another part of the challenge for me. In 2019 I was lucky enough to see Jaswant Shergill lift at the British championships. He was lifting in the 67kg class (he's usually a 62) and is very tall and skinny for that class. He managed to put 148kg(!) overhead in the clean & jerk. Total inspiration.

Here's a vid of him hitting some pretty solid numbers (107/130) at the British U23s in 2016. Talk about efficiency!

​

Yeah...being above average height for a given weight is a tough combination, given the bar has to be lifted higher.

That being said, his form looks pretty good.

While suitable genetics are mandatory if one wants to make it to the big leagues, the reality is that (at least for men), no Western nation has consistency in producing internationally competitive winners, even if you do have the right genes. The culture to grab 10-12 year old boys with fast twitch muscles and the right frames and start turning them into weightlifters from a young age isn't there like it is in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Why Western women seem to do comparatively better is an interesting question.

Of course, at the recreational level, this matters about as much as me comparing my tennis game to Nidal.

 

[Antti]

Here's another that's more of a tutorial than a demonstration.

You'll see in this video that the female lifter can do a full pancake:



These weightlifters, instead of being musclebound, have far better flexibility than your normally-muscled average person.

It's important enough that I have 2 days per week dedicated to nothing but intensive mobility work for about 1 hour each time, and my cool down has about 15-20 minutes of post workout ab work and stretching.

That's the other thing:

Ab work is critical. As coach Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics says:

"“I don’t need to do ab work, I stabilize my midline during the lifts,” is something lazy people say when they need an excuse to not do more work. It’s not accessory work, it’s successory work."

Abs/Back: What Does it All Mean?

Greg Everett's approach to ab and back work for Olympic weightlifting

www.catalystathletics.com

How do you identify weak abs?

 

[watchnerd]

How do you identify weak abs?

How long can you do a hollow body rock?

How long can you hold an L-sit?

Basic bodyline gymnastic drills are common accessories in Chinese and Eastern Europe weightlifting training.

 

[Antti]

How long can you do a hollow body rock?

How long can you hold an L-sit?

Basic bodyline gymnastic drills are common accessories in Chinese and Eastern Europe weightlifting training.

I haven't really done those. The L-sit maybe never. I suppose I should do ok with the hollow body rock, at least for my body proportions.

What are some good or bad times for those?

Can't you identify the ab weakness in the competition lifts or close variants?

Interesting mention about the eastern European coaching. On my part, I have heard them be dismissive of typical specific ab training.

 

[Anna C]

Yeah I'm intrigued on the abdominal strength... I would call mine above average for a normal person and slightly below average for a person who regularly strength trains. Part of it is two abdominal surgeries (c-section age 27, open nephrectomy age 51) but mostly it's that I don't do direct abdominal training enough. I don't feel like it limits my lifts -- I feel like my isometric contraction ability is very strong, but my "crunching" ability like HLR is not very good at all.

 

[Glen]

You can brute force your way through a C&J, but the full Snatch will make a b*tch out of you.

I made better progress when, in addition to the things you're already doing, I started doing hardcore mobility work.

Once I could sit in a deep squat (no weight) for 10 min, do a pike, and get halfway to a full pancake, things got better.

Many of the Russian and Chinese lifters have basic gymnastic-level flexibility.

Check out this video of Klokov's warmup routine at his peak in 2014, and he's a pretty big (105 kg class) guy:

Hit the nail on the head for me, my best lifts would put me level 1 on snatch, 3 on C&J, 4 on FSQ and a shade under 5 for back squat (using high bar option).

So in other words a level 1

 

[watchnerd]

Can't you identify the ab weakness in the competition lifts or close variants?

Because the competition lifts have a huge technique component, it's harder to assess, so it's usually done by breaking down your strength training ratios.

What's your back squat : front squat ratio?

If you tell us that, and it's below the well-observed ratio for competition athletes, you probably need core work.

 

[watchnerd]

I don't feel like it limits my lifts

The full snatch is a good teacher for how true this is or isn't.

I thought my core was pretty decent, too, until I got to the point where I could catch snatches and hold them overhead, but not brace my core well enough to come out the hole of a full snatch with the same weight I could power snatch.