Weightlifting for young athletes
Abstract
Weightlifting is a competitive sport where the main goal is to lift the heaviest possible weight in the snatch and clean and jerk. As a sport, weightlifting requires athletes to demonstrate high levels of muscular strength, rates of force development, and the ability to produce high power outputs. Due to the very unique force and power characteristics associated with the weightlifting movements, many strength and conditioning programmes, for a variety of sports, utilise the sports training methods in order to enhance sports performance. One of the key aspects of weightlifting is the unique muscle-coactivation strategy that leads to enhanced jumping performance as well as reducing knee injury risk. Even though there are many benefits to weightlifting training, there is often a false perception that young athletes should not participate in or use weightlifting movements in their training. This chapter seeks to present current information on the sport of weightlifting and its benefits for young athletes. Particular attention will be paid to the safety of the sport as well as how to develop training programmes that can capitalise on the benefits of this unique training modality.
Keywords
weightlifting, youth athletes, strength training, power development, injury prevention, athletic performance
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
ISBN
[9781032779874, 9781040518168]
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
First Page
128
Last Page
155
Recommended Citation
Haff, G. G., Morris, S. J., & Haff, E. E. (2026). Weightlifting for young athletes. In R. Lloyd & J. Oliver (Eds.), Strength and conditioning for young athletes: Science and application. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003485742-10