Olympic Weightlifting & Training Body Weight
Olympic Weightlifting & Training Body Weight
By:- Khizer Hayat Raja
Olympic style weightlifting is a sport of strength and power. The beauty of this sport is the body weight division in both men and women categories. There are eight men body weight categories and 7 women categories. All the competitions scheduled under these body weight categories. Some time lifters control their body weight or reduce to take part in the competition as per their body weight.
Mostly lifters are not aware about their training body weight and they control their body weight all the times and this action impairs their performance at the time of competition. For example if a lifter's body weight is 56 kg and how much body weight he needs in training and how much body weight he needs at the time of weigh in to take part in the competition.If the lifter has to compete two times in a calendar year so this is very important for him to know that how much body weight should be in the daily training? There is a very strong link between training body weight and competition body weight.
How much training body weight should be of the lifter for good performance? How much body weight a lifter should reduce? These are all questions and for the high level training and competition there is need to know all the process and facts for good results. This is a scientific and methodological process to meet their requirement for the good performance. If a lifter lose more body weight at the time of weigh in, he or she will not be able to perform well on the platform.
We will discuss in details in this article that how much training body weight should be for lifter as per their competition categories.
We will discuss as per categories of men and women.
Men 56 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 58 kgs to 59 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 3.57 % to 5.35%
Men 62 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 64 kgs to 65 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 3.22 % to 4.83%
Men 69 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 72kgs to 72.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 4.34 % to 5.07%
Men 77 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 80 kgs to 80.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 3.89 % to 4.54%
Men 85 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 88.5 kgs to 89 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 4.11 % to 4.71%
Men 94 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 97.5 kgs to 98 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 3.72 % to 4.25%
Men 105 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 109 kgs to 109.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 3.66 % to 4.11%
Men + 105 Competition Category
Over 105 category is the highest category and there is no maximum body weight limits that's why we are unable to assess or calculate this category.
Now we will discus about women categories:
Women 48 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 50 kgs to 51 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 4.16 % to 6.25%
Women 53 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 55 kgs to 56 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 3.77 % to 5.66%
Women 58 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 61 kgs to 61.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 5.17 % to 6.03%
Women 63 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 66 kgs to 66.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category = 4.76 % to 5.55%
Women 63 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 66 kgs to 66.5 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 4.76 % to 5.55%
Women 69 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 72.5 kgs to 73 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 5.07 % to 5.79%
Women 75 Competition Category
Ideal training body weight = 78.5 kgs to 79 kgs
% age more than body weight Category= 4.66 % to 5.33%
Women + 75 Competition Category:
Over 75 category is the highest category and there is no maximum body weight limit that's why we are unable to assess or calculate this category.
Now we will move to our next stage that is about the reducing body weight for the competition category.
3 Weeks plan to reduce body weight
Three weeks before the competition a plan to reduce body weight can be designed. Through controlling the diet and one night before weigh in the body weight should be 800 to 900 grams more than competition category.
For example a lifter of 56kg category, weigh in time is 8:00 Am next morning, should be 800 grams more when going to bed. He will lose 800 to 900 grams within the night. At the time of weighing in his body weight will be 55.9 kgs.
Details of losing Body Weight in 3 Weeks for Competition
If 56 category lifter's body weight is 3 kg more then:
First 20 days he has to reduce 2.2 kg.
One night before competition 800 grams.
One hour before competition 50 to 100 grams.
After Weighi in Strategy
Exact after weighing in he can use some drinks or energy drinks to re hydrate and also can eat light carbohydrates and proteins mixed light meals. When he will go for the Snatch competition on the platform his body weight will be 57.5 kgs or 58 kgs and when he will go for the Clean & Jerk competition he might be 59 kg because he should continue to take some energy drink or liquid meals slowly during all the way to competition warm up.
Now it is clear that a 56 category lifter will perform his Clean and Jerk in his training body weight. There will be very minor chances of performance impairment after using this method.
How Much Body Weight Should be at Weigh in Time?
I have analyzed the 2009 and 2010 world weightlifting championships and found the following facts of the gold medalist of both genders in 2009 and 2010 world championships. At the time of weighing in the body weight were:
Category WWC 2009 WWC 2010
W 48 47.97 = 0.03kg 47.88 = 0.12kg
W 53 52.99 = 0.01kg 52.84 = 0.16kg
W 58 57.42 = 0.58kg 57.54 = 0.46kg
W 63 62.62 = 0.38kg 62.35 = 0.65kg
W 69 68.74 = 0.26kg 68.23 = 0.77kg
W 75 74.91 = 0.09kg 74.67 = 0.33kg
Average Difference = 0.225kg = 0.415kg
Category WWC 2009 WWC 2010
M 56 55.43 = 0.57kg 55.61 = 0.39kg
M 62 61.85 = 0.15kg 61.51 = 0.49kg
M 69 68.92 = 0.08kg 68.85 = 0.15kg
M 77 76.35 = 0.65kg 76.72 = 0.28kg
M 85 84.68 = 0.32kg 84.55 = 0.45kg
M 94 92.23 = 1.77kg 91.92 = 2.08kg
M 105 104.95 = 0.05kg 104.11 = 0.89kg
Average Difference = 0.502kg = 0.675kg
Conclusion
The above figures are clear to understand that at the time of weigh in body weight is not less than 700 grams in average. Above figures are taken only who won gold medal in 2009 and 2010 world championships. We have found two different things
A: Training Body weight
B: Competition Body weight
When we do not have competition lifter's body weight should be as the figures are given before the men and women categories. Having this training body weight will help lifter to improve in the performance and 3 weeks before competition lifter can control it as per designed plan. If lifter will keep body weight less than the margin, it mean at the time of weigh in losing more body weight will effect the performance.
By:-
Khizer Hayat Raja
Sr. Lecturer in Physical Education & Sports
International Weightlifting Coach & Expert
E mail: wlexpert@yahoo.com
Affiliated with Olympic style weightlifting since 1989. First as player and from 1998 as a coach. Author of a book and keen in research work.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
