How to Start Weightlifting for Beginners: 5 Tips from a Top Athlete + Coach
Are you thinking about trying weightlifting?
Maybe you’ve been watching the Olympics and it’s got you fired up to try something new. You may have already watched a tonne of videos on Youtube and social media, read a few articles or followed a few athletes, but I’m here today to offer you some practical advice on getting started with the sport of Olympic weightlifting.
Before I continue, I want to make a clear distinction between ‘weightlifting’ - the sport, consisting of 2 lifts, the snatch and clean+jerk - and ‘weight lifting’ or ‘lifting weights’, which is a more general term for any form of weight training. Both are brilliant ways to get stronger, fitter and healthier, but this article is written with the former in mind (although many of these tips will also be helpful if you’re thinking of starting any type of strength training!).
Many people believe that they have to have some experience with sport or going to the gym to get started with weightlifting, or that finding a local weightlifting club is the only way to dip your toes in, but these beliefs may be holding you back!
If you're struggling with knowing where to start, this is the place for you.
Ready to dive into a CrossFitter-turned-weighlifter’s top 5 tips for starting your weightlifting journey?
Let’s go!
Tip #1: Prioritise technique…without chasing ‘perfection’
You might have heard it before - ‘technique before weight’ - essentially meaning:
“Don’t compromise good technique to be able to lift more weight”
This is absolutely TRUE - pushing weights too heavy with poor form will not only stunt your progress, but quickly lead to injury.
HOWEVER, one mistake that’s often made here, is that the fixation on achieving ‘perfect technique’ can hold you back from getting stronger and building confidence.
I often hear clients sell themselves short when they hit a PB, disqualifying their achievement with comments like…
‘I know it wasn’t a nice lift’
‘I know I’ve got loads to work on’
‘I didn’t go any heavier because my technique needs to be better’
Whilst technique IS important (more on this later), as a beginner, it’s important to understand that there’s no black and white standard for ‘perfect’ technique - we all lift differently, and every individual’s technique changes over time - hence even Olympians are continuously refining their technique, despite already being the best of the best.
A good coach will recognise that individual variance in technique DOES - and SHOULD - exist!
What you, as a beginner, do need to be mindful of, is SAFE technique - it’s possible to lift safely, with less-than perfect form.
A of the cornerstones of safe lifting are:
a thorough, specific warm up
maintaining a neutral spine
lifting with proper equipment and plenty of space
having proper guidance and coaching
knowing when NOT to go heavier
When I did my first British Weightlifting Championships, despite winning a bronze medal and rubbing shoulders with veteran weightlifters, I received some negative comments and messages on my ‘sub-optimal’ technique.
Guess what? I knew it wasn’t perfect, but it was safe, and I lifted effectively. I was working on technique then, and I’m working on it now. It’s an ever-evolving journey. Here’s the video of my final snatch for reference!
Tip #2: Stay on top of mobility
Olympic weightlifting requires excellent mobility of the ankles, hips, shoulders and spine in particular, in order to achieve the most efficient, strong positions.
Even your wrists need looking after in weightlifting!
You don’t need perfect mobility to lift, but the best time to start working on your mobility was yesterday…the second best time is now!
If you’re super stiff and un-flexible, don’t let this put you off - a good coach and/or programme will help you with your lifting as well as your mobility, PLUS weightlifting itself will massively improve your mobility as you work into new ranges of motion.
If on the other hand, you’re like me and you start off hyper-mobile, struggling more with stability - you’ll need to prioritise strengthening your large range of motion - so rather than static stretches, you’ll want to incorporate loaded mobility, such as cossack squats which help you maintain your range, but also have control in that range, preventing injury. Plus, if you don’t use it, you lose it - it’s easy to lose range of motion if you don’t keep working with it.
Tip #3: You can ALWAYS get stronger
Sometimes ‘technique over weight’ turns into neglecting lifting anything heavy enough to elicit strength and muscle gains. From the get-go, you should be working on your strength foundations - squats, pulling, pressing + core strength - alongside any technical focus on the snatch and clean and jerk.
This will ensure continuous progression in your lifts - so you don’t hit a wall where you’re limited by how much you can squat, for example (this was my limitation for YEARS - my front squat wasn’t strong enough so I’d fail countless cleans).
This is one of the reasons we created our 8-week squat programme - perfect to add on alongside weightlifting, CrossFit, or other training styles, to build your back squat, front squat and overall leg strength.
I WISH I’d pushed my squats earlier in my training journey.
Even if you already have a big strength reserve from previous sports, more strength will always benefit your lifts, as well as your overall health and longevity - there’s no such thing as being ‘too strong!’
Tip #4: Nutrition matters
Most people only seek nutrition advice when they’re trying to lose weight - and whilst you can have weight loss goals whilst embarking on your weightlifting journey, there’s so much more to nutrition than using it to lower the number on the scale.
Your enjoyment or your training sessions, as well as your progress and recovery between sessions, will be hugely influenced by what you eat. Eating the right foods, at the right times, in the right quantities will mean you head into training sessions feeling strong and energised, and give your body the nutrients it needs to recover and grow stronger between sessions.
Lifting on an empty stomach, with not enough energy from carbohydrates throughout the day, or dehydrated is the perfect storm for a rubbish training session - which can be especially disheartening when you’re getting started.
Nutrition support isn’t just for elite athletes, nor is it just about weight loss. The sooner you start working on your diet, the better you’re going to feel in and out of the gym - which is why one of the pillars of the T.R.A.I.N. Assessment - my FREE 2-minute quiz designed to pinpoint exactly what areas of your health and fitness plan are holding you back - is nutrition. Click here to take the free quiz and get actionable insights to help you get better results, by working smarter, not harder!
Tip #5: Find a qualified coach
Now, I can hear you saying, “There’s no gym near me”, or, “It’s too expensive!”.
Hear me out. Whilst not having a local lifting club, and having a limited budget ARE real barriers, it doesn’t mean your weightlifting journey is hopeless!
In an ideal world, you’ll find a weightlifting coach to work with - with the matching credentials, such as a British Weightlifting Level 2 qualification or above (or equivalent, depending on your country).
This coach might be at a weightlifting club - in which case, your first step is to contact the club and ask about membership.
Often, coaches work out of CrossFit gyms or even commercial gyms. Be wary of working with a weightlifting coach without relevant credentials and experience - weightlifting movements are complex and need to be taught by a proper coach.
If an in-person coach is out of the question, due to your location or finances, there are PLENTY of online options available. You can even get in touch here if you’d like to find out more about working with me specifically, or check out my range of programming options here.
Bonus Tip: Go at your own pace
Weightlifting can be intimidating to start - lifting heavy weights, learning new positions and movements, dropping bars, failing lifts - especially if you put pressure and expectations on yourself.
Embrace learning something new, following YOUR path, and seeing where it takes you. Avoid comparing your progress to others’.
If, like me, you’re competitive by nature, you can quickly get caught up in chasing numbers. Be patient, listen to your coach, and focus on ALL areas of progress (not just one specific lift!) and you’ll have a much more positive outlook on training.
Competing at one of my first competitions (2016)
That’s a wrap!
I hope this post has given you some practical steps to get started in your weightlifting journey.
If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, remember that when I first started training, I had NO idea where it would take me. I didn’t know anyone at the gym, and I’d never lifted before and I mostly just wanted to ‘tone up’. CrossFit and lifting looked fun, so I took a leap of faith, and now look at me: CrossFit Games athlete and Team England weightlifter, with a silver medal at this year’s British Championships…but more importantly, I’m ENJOYING my training, feeling healthy and strong, not obsessed with looking a certain way anymore.
Want some help with your lifting?
Whether you’re a beginner or already into your training - as a qualified weightlifting coach, nutritionist and physiotherapist - I’m here to teach you everything from the basics to the advanced skills, whilst building your confidence along the way.
Click the button above to explore training options, or get in touch with your questions. I’m available here, and also love hearing from your via social media, where I’m always sharing content to educate and empower you to become your strongest, healthiest self!
Feeling like your nutrition needs some attention, too? The Athlete Nutrition Blueprint is open now: your complete step-by-step system for learning to fuel like an athlete to match your nutrition with your performance and body composition goals.
Whether you’re a beginner or an elite athlete, I’ll guide you through everything you need to know to start building a body that feels, looks and performs the way you want it to.
