Sunday 3.08.15

Good luck to Ryan, Chris and Philip at your meet today!  

They will be competing in a USA Weightlifting Meet, the 2015 CTS Wine Country Classic, at CrossFit Napa Valley.

What is a weightlifting meet?

The sport of Olympic-style weightlifting is not new, but is not known the majority of people out there.  Amid judges, weights in kilos, singlets, judges, buzzers, lights, people taking turns in different orders, it essentially comes down to lifting weight.  You compete in two lifts, yes only two, lifts: the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk.  The goal is to get the highest total score of your Snatch and Clean and Jerk added together for your "Total".

The problem becomes strategy to get the highest total at the bodyweight division you are competing in.  And you only get three attempts at each lift.  And even if you make a lift, it may not be scored as a good lift.  There is no CrossFit lifting here, which is basically "ground to overhead anyway you can do it.  There is a myriad of rules you must follow.  All the rules can be found here:  IWF rulebook

The major requirements to remember are as follows:

SNATCH: The weight must start on the floor and move in one smooth motion to overhead – no pausing in the hang position. You can squat snatch, power snatch, or split snatch, but either way you must catch the bar overhead with elbows locked out (no pressing out allowed) AND you must stand up with the weight, come to full extension and show control overhead with the bar in the same plane as your feet. You CANNOT drop the weight until the center judge gives you a “down” signal. If you drop the weight before the down signal, lose it forward or behind you, or any part of your body touches the platform besides your feet (for example, taking a knee and standing back up as we sometimes see in training!) then it’s automatically a no lift.

CLEAN AND JERK: Again, weight must start on the floor and come in one smooth motion to your shoulders. Power cleaning or squat cleaning is fine, but your elbows cannot touch the knees when you catch the weight or it’s a no lift. Once you have it on your shoulders you can move the bar around slightly to adjust your grip if needed, and then you jerk overhead! Same rules apply – you must catch the bar with elbows fully locked out, come to full extension at the hips and knees, and show control at the top with the bar in the same plane as your feet, AND wait for the “down” signal.

Lastly, the competitors must wear a singlet.  Now I'm in no position to make fun, I wear a skirt for the majority of the year, but you may feel a little exposed.  Get used to it.  It also allows the judges to look for complete lockouts that can be hidden in baggier clothing.

Good luck guys.  And remember to have fun and learn from the more experience competitors!