Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches

2018 Revised Edition

Since shortly after its original release in 2008, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches has been the most popular book on the sport of weightlifting in the world and has become the standard text for learning and teaching the snatch and clean & jerk.

This all new third edition has been expanded over 150 pages with revised and improved chapters, new chapters, improved organization, more tables and diagrams, over 600 photographs, improved readability, and improved reference functionality with an index, glossary and expanded table of contents.

The book presents a complete progression for athletes and coaches starting with foundational elements such as breath control and trunk stabilization, squatting, balance and weight distribution, warming-up, individual variation; working to complete learning and teaching progressions for the snatch, clean and jerk; covering training program design extensively, including assessment for recruiting and new lifters, and 16 sample training programs; technical error correction, nutrition, bodyweight manipulation, and mobility; and a thorough section on competition to prepare both lifters and coaches.

“Simply the best book available on Olympic weightlifting.” -Don Weideman, Vice President, Pacific Weightlifting Association

“Without a doubt the best book on the market today about Olympic-style weightlifting.” -Mike Burgener, USA Weightlifting senior international coach

“Outstanding, Accurate, and Concise! A must read for athletes and coaches involved in the movements.” -Daniel Camargo, USA Weightlifting International Coach

“Everett's Olympic Weightlifting text is one of the best instructional books for the sport to be published in years. This is a must have for every weightlifting/strength and conditioning coach's library shelf.” Bob Takano, Member USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame

“Everett's book is one of the most accessible and comprehensive weightlifting sources available for the coach and athlete today. I highly recommend this book for every serious strength coach or weightlifting practitioner.” -John Thrush, Head Coach Calpians Weightlifting

Table of Contents

Foundations
Understanding the Lifts
Learning & Teaching the Lifts
Individual Variation
Facility & Equipment
Warming Up
Breathing & Trunk Rigidity
The Squat
Foot Positions & Transition
The Hook Grip
The Double Knee Bend
Starting Position Principles

The Snatch
Introduction to the Snatch
The Receiving Position
Learning the Snatch
Pulling from the Floor
Understanding the Snatch

The Clean
Introduction to the Clean
The Receiving Position
Learning the Clean
Pulling from the Floor
Understanding the Clean

The Jerk
Introduction to the Jerk
The Receiving Position
Learning the Jerk
Understanding the Jerk
The Clean & Jerk

Error Correction
Introduction to Error Correction
Universal Errors
Snatch Errors
Clean Errors
Jerk Errors

Program Design & Training
Introduction to Program Design
Assessment
Training Variables
Jump Training
Assistance Work
The Bulgarian Method
Specific Populations
The Program Design Process
Restoration & Recovery
Training Practices
Sample Training Programs

Nutrition & Bodyweight
Introduction to Nutrition
Bodyweight
Supplements

Mobility & Flexibility
Introduction to Mobility
Stretches
Self-Myofascial Release

Competition

Greg Everett is the head coach of the USA Weightlifting National Champions Catalyst Athletics weightlifting team. He remains a competitive lifter at the senior national level with a top placement of fifth in the National Championships, and is the 2015 Masters National Champion and masters American record holder in the clean & jerk in the 105kg 35-39-year-old category. Everett is the primary content creator for Catalyst Athletics, known internationally as one of the top sources for weightlifting educational material and weightlifting training programs, and publisher of multiple books on weightlifting. Catalyst Athletics also offers coaching certification based on Everett’s methods and curriculum, and has been providing weightlifting seminars around the world for almost ten years. He has authored multiple popular books; Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches has been the most popular book on weightlifting available since shortly after its original release in 2008. He owns the Catalyst Athletics gym in Sunnyvale, California, where he coaches his competitive weightlifting team, and which also provides training for recreational weightlifters and athletes of other sports, and has published the monthly journal, The Performance Menu, for over ten years. In 2013, Everett released the first feature-length documentary film on the sport of weightlifting in the US, American Weightlifting, which he wrote, directed, produced, shot and edited on his own with no outside funding.