REMEMBERING ANDREW “BUD” CHARNIGA: LIFELONG DEDICATION TO OLY WEIGHTLIFTING

Photos by Bruce Klemens

The weightlifting world has lost a legend. On January 24, 2025, Andrew “Bud” Charniga passed away at the age of 74. His contributions to Olympic weightlifting spanned six decades and shaped the way athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts around the world understood and approached the sport.

Bud was not just an athlete, coach, or writer – he was a bridge between Western weightlifting and the vast scientific knowledge of the Soviet Union, translating and preserving invaluable texts that otherwise would have remained inaccessible to generations of lifters.

Personal Memories: A Passion for the Platform

I was fortunate enough to spend time with Bud at both the 2024 European Championships in Yerevan and the 2024 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh. 

We sat together near the competition platform, filming lifts and exchanging stories. It was during these moments that I truly realized how deep his passion for weightlifting ran.

He wasn’t just there as a journalist or historian – he lived the sport. His eyes lit up whenever he saw a lifter execute a perfect snatch. He could recall, with pinpoint accuracy, legendary performances from decades past. Every conversation with him was a history lesson, a coaching seminar, and a technical breakdown session all rolled into one.

A Lifter First, A Scholar Always

Bud’s journey into weightlifting began as an athlete. He won the Junior Nationals in 1970 and later went on to earn a silver medal at the 1981 Senior Nationals. 

Competing primarily in the 100 and 110 kg weight classes, he achieved a best national competition snatch of 160 kg – an impressive mark that showcased his firsthand experience in the sport.

But Bud wasn’t just about lifting heavy. He was always in pursuit of knowledge. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s in Kinesiotherapy at the University of Toledo. 

Unlike many athletes of his time, Bud sought to understand not just how to lift, but why certain training methods worked better than others.

Bringing Soviet Weightlifting Science to the West

While still a college student, Bud took an unprecedented trip to the Soviet Union, the then-dominant force in Olympic weightlifting. What he found there amazed him – weightlifting wasn’t just a sport, it was a science. 

Soviet coaches and sports scientists had produced countless research papers, technical manuals, and systematic training methodologies that far exceeded the limited information available in the U.S. at the time.

Determined to bring this knowledge home, Bud collected every Soviet weightlifting publication he could find. But there was one problem – he didn’t yet speak Russian. So, he did what any determined weightlifter would do: he learned the language himself.

His self-taught Russian skills would go on to change weightlifting education in the West forever. Through his company, Sportivny Press, Bud translated and published over a dozen Soviet training manuals, making available, for the first time, groundbreaking research on biomechanics, strength development, and technical efficiency in Olympic weightlifting.

The impact of his translations was immediate. Lifters and coaches across the U.S. began incorporating Soviet methodologies into their programming, and Bud quickly became recognized as one of the most knowledgeable figures in the sport. 

He later expanded Sportivny Press to include publications on lifters like Naim Süleymanoğlu and even his own original works, such as A De-Masculinization of Strength.

The Businessman Who Equipped the Weightlifting World

Bud’s contributions didn’t stop at education – he also played a key role in supplying athletes with the best equipment available. Recognizing the need for high-quality gear, he became the primary distributor of Eleiko barbells in the Western Hemisphere and later expanded his business, Dynamic Fitness, to distribute Adidas weightlifting shoes and other essential weightlifting equipment.

One of Bud’s most significant contributions came when the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs was first established. While USA Weightlifting secured space for a weightlifting gym, they lacked the funds to equip it. 

Bud stepped in and, alongside York Barbell, donated all the barbells needed to outfit the facility, ensuring that American weightlifters had a world-class training environment.

A Coach, A Historian, and a Lifelong Fan of the Sport

While Bud spent much of his career educating and equipping athletes, he was also a coach himself. He trained high-level lifters, including his own daughter, Kelly Charniga, who won silver at the 2014 Senior Nationals and competed at the 2013 Junior World Championships. He also coached Todd Lyons, a junior national champion, and Tom Hood, a Senior National Championship bronze medalist.

Beyond coaching, Bud remained one of the sport’s most dedicated fans. He attended countless international competitions, from the Olympic Games to European Championships, from Chinese Nationals to Soviet-era meets in the 1980s. If there was an important weightlifting event, Bud was likely there – camera in hand, capturing moments in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Bud Charniga’s impact on weightlifting is immeasurable. He educated lifters, equipped training halls, coached champions, and preserved the history of the sport for future generations. Without his dedication, much of the scientific knowledge that transformed weightlifting would have remained locked away in untranslated Soviet texts.

His contributions will continue to shape weightlifting for years to come. His books and articles will be read by lifters looking to refine their technique, his equipment will be used in gyms across the world, and his love for the sport will be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

To those who want to explore Bud’s work, his books and translations can be found here.

Rest in peace, Bud. Your legacy will live on every time a lifter steps onto the platform.