Weight Lifting Competitions

In ancient times, testing of ones manhood was done by weight lifting. They would lift heavy stones such as Blue stones of old Dailly, Dinnie Stones and Inver stone to show the power. Weight lifting was the matter of prestige to the tribal kingdom in ancient times.

Considering the available facts, weight lifting competitions first began in Europe in the late 1880's and the champion of the competition was crowned in 1891. In those periods there were no other sub divisions and the crown went to the man able to lift the maximum weight.

Weight lifting competition was clubbed as a part of athletics in 1896; however, weight lifting was excluded from the 1900 games. Again, the art of weight lifting was notice in 1904, but the game was not included in Olympics until 1920, weight lifting has been accepted as a sport.

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In those periods, the Olympics introduced some strange weight lifting programs such as one and two handed lift with no weight division. Rules where changed in 1932 and five sub divisions have been established and form three disciplines for the competition viz. snatch, press and clean and jerk. In snatch, the weight lifter lifts the weight above the head in one fast-uninterrupted movement. In the clean and jerk the weight is brought to the shoulders and after that, the weight is jerked upwards above the head.

Later, in 1972, the press division was abolished and only the snatch and clean jerk where accepted as a sport and added to the Olympic discipline. As a revolution in 2000, it was introduced for women in this power event in Sydney.

Above all, weight lifting has been established to be very effective in increasing endurance. Weight lifting gained popularity in 6th century. In this period athletes lifted heavy stones. Later this period came to be known as the "age of strength." 

In Greece, weight lifting was a very popular sport during the reign in the Olympic Games as well as the Chou dynasty (1122-249 BC). Soldiers were required to undergo an endurance and strength test in order to gain enrollment into the army.

Now weight lifting competition are one of the major events in the Olympics and a national sport all around the world.