USA Weightlifting

The USA Weightlifting National Championships is the pinnacle Olympic weightlifting competition held in the United States. Open to registered USAW athletes (US citizens only) of all ages that reach the qualifying total in their weight class.

Open to registered USAW athletes of all ages that reach the qualifying total in their weight class.

Open to registered USAW athletes (US citizenship not required) currently registered at accredited colleges throughout the United States, who reach the qualifying total in their weight class. Athletes competing at the National Collegiate Championships cannot be younger than 15 or older than 28, as of December 31 of the year in which they are competing at this event.

Open to registered USAW athletes (US citizens only) that reach the qualifying total in their weight class. Athletes competing at the National Juniors cannot be younger than 18 or older than 20, as of December 31 of the year in which they are competing at this event.

Open to registered USAW athletes (US citizens only) that reach the qualifying total in their weight class. Athletes competing at the National School Age Championships cannot be older than 17 years old, as of December 31 of the year in which they are competing at this event.

The USA Weightlifting Olympic Trials are by invitation only, according to athlete ranking and other factors. Anyone hoping to compete at the Olympic Trials must request to be in the Registered Drug Testing Pool at least one year prior to the first Olympic Trials qualifying event.

The Club Coach course is aimed at beginning coaches who will be working with competing weightlifters and who want to learn the basics of the Olympic lifts. Material learned covers the foundation of the snatch and the clean and jerk. Progression coaching is used as the tool for teaching the lifts, including push press, overhead squat, muscle lifts, and others.

This is the second formalized education course within USA Weightlifting's Coaching Education curriculum. The course accommodates the needs of coaches who have already qualified as Club Coaches. The facilitation of this course is over four days and may take place at USAW Headquarters, the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs or at a club location.

The aim of this course is at the developing Club Coach graduate who has progressed beyond coaching beginners. The course offers an expanding education for the coach, introducing many Sports Science elements. Instructors will provide candidates with a body of knowledge and practical expertise so that they can develop their lifters from Club standard to National standard and beyond. More emphasis is on programming of training and preparing athletes to compete on the international platform. A more comprehensive biomechanics chapter is included and a number of new topics are introduced such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, strength and power principles and general physical preparation.

This is the final formalized education course within USA Weightlifting's Coaching Education curriculum. The course caters to the needs of coaches who have already qualified as Club and Senior Coaches.

The main thrust and aim of the course is to progress the Senior Coach Graduate, who is by now, hopefully, coaching and developing national standard lifters, to a point where he/she can develop his/her lifters into international class competitors. The course will also prepare the coach to handle team coaching at international events.

The course is very open-ended and designed to provide the most up-to-date information on a variety of topics. The provision of this information will stimulate the candidates to develop their own coaching philosophies within USAW guidelines. Looking at the sport on an "international" rather than a national context should aid in this endeavor.

The Sports Performance Coach course focuses on the utilization and application of the Olympic lifts and their assistance exercises, plyometrics and medicine ball training to the realm of sport specific training, power development and injury prevention. The course is appropriate for high school, college and professional sports coaches who work with athletes from other sports besides weightlifting, such as football, track and field, wrestling, etc. It is also appropriate for personal trainers who work with private clients, incorporating weightlifting into their personal fitness routines. There are no prerequisites to take this course.

The Advanced Sports Performance Coach course is a secondary course to the standard Sports Performance Coaching Course. The course is aimed at coaches who would like advanced knowledge in hopes of bettering themselves and their athletes.