Weightlifting is one of the oldest and simplest sports of human endurance. As the name suggests, weightlifting is about how much weight a person can lift. With a lot of awareness about physical fitness in today's world, training with weights is becoming popular. At times, the terms weight training and weightlifting are used interchangeably. This is actually incorrect as they are two entirely different disciplines. In weightlifting events, the participant who lifts the heaviest weight in conformation with the stipulated rules and regulations is declared the winner. Weight training on the other hand is continuous physical exercise done with weights. Weightlifters have to cultivate several skills like endurance, power, determination, specific techniques and the like. As with any other sports, weightlifting enthusiasts put in several years of practice and adhere to strict rules regarding diet and exercise. As a sport, weightlifting has been popular for centuries, and has been one of the prime means of labeling human strength and stamina. Historical records show the inclusion of weightlifting in the first Olympics held in Greece, over 2000 years ago. In the nineteenth century, weightlifting used to be a crowd-pleasing event at circuses and fairgrounds. Even the first instance of the modern version of Olympics, the 1896 games, included the sport. The first world championship for weightlifting was held in 1891. However, weightlifting for women began only in the 1980s and was included in the Olympics games in the year 2000. At first glance, this sport is a simple one. All it involves is a non-slippery surface and the required weights. These weights are manufactured according to international standard specifications. Steel barbells with weights on each end are lifted by participants at events. These events are categorized according to the weights to be lifted. Participants specialize in their own category and train accordingly. The weights that are mounted on the steel barbells are given colored rubber coatings. Each color represents a particular weight and is used accordingly. Weightlifting events have two main categories. One is referred to as the snatch, which involves just one clean movement over the head. The other category is the clean and jerk, which has two steps. First the weight is held for a moment in front of the neck and then it is swept over the head. There are different divisions within each category, depending on the body mass of the participant. The International Weightlifting Federation, based in Budapest, is the controlling authority for this sport. |
