15 Best Olympic Weightlifting Books (Recommended By Pro)
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(21 years of Oly Lifting experience)
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In this article, we’ve examined and evaluated the top books on Olympic weightlifting and strength training using advice from international authorities, sales statistics, and reviews from millions of readers.
This list can be useful and helpful for all levels of athletes from different strength sports, S&C, weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting coaches and fitness fans.
Although it is quite difficult to choose just a few, these 15 resources unquestionably stand out as the greatest. The job of selecting just a few of the many books on this subject was quite challenging. However, if you looked for the best weightlifting books about movement, strength and power, this is what we have for you. There are more that ought to be on this list.
There is no set order for these best books on weightlifting. These are literature for the sport fans, coaches, athletes, clinicians, scientist, or rehab expert; they are not sources for the general public.
These books on strength training cover human performance, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding and bodyweight training. To be clear about what the list symbolizes, they stand for the science of becoming stronger and moving better. You will have a thorough idea of the value of human potential and strength if you read even one of them.
Top 15 Best Books about Weightlifting Reviewed
1. Best For Learning Olympic Snatch – The Snatch Master Class By Oleksiy Torokhtiy
The Snatch Master Class by Olympian Oleksiy Torokhtiy consists of 20 sessions that walk you through each step of building a secure snatch technique. Performance is improved and the risk of injury is reduced when one is aware of the procedure and the factors behind it.
You will learn fundamental guidelines, specific advice and biomechanical rules in each workout. Additionally, you may choose from practical demonstrations and exercises that you must do at the end of each course.
You can prevent errors and improve your Snatch PRs by doing this. A new movement from the Snatch sequence, which is divided into easy step-by-step drills, will be covered in each session. To help you comprehend and picture the actions, how they function, and why they’re done in this way, high-definition video is provided for each movement. It is one of the most important weight lifting books for beginners.
2. Best For Learning Olympic Clean – The Clean Master Class By Oleksiy Torokhtiy
Oleksiy Torokhtiy, an Olympian, created the 120-page Clean Master Class, which offers practical suggestions for enhancing Olympic weightlifting clean. This book is based on the author’s practical experience as a trainer of over 180 seminars across the world and ten years of experience with the National Olympic weightlifting team.
It is a comprehensive course on Clean advancement built on sequential theoretical and practical teachings that is customized for individual athletes and coaches. There are 20 theoretical lessons in this course, including over 60 interactive video tutorials), 12 practical sessions (including 45 video drills) and 90 exercises (including 30 unique exercises).
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3. Best For Olympic Weightlifting – Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide For Athletes & Coaches By Greg Everett
The most widely used book among weightlifters and their trainers worldwide has long been this one. This book has established itself as a trustworthy resource for learning and training snatch, clean, and jerk since its 2008 publication.
For readers who like to study visually, the third edition of the book includes a tons of tables, diagrams, and pictures in addition to better readability and references to earlier versions.
This book discusses the fundamentals of excellent weightlifting and offers straightforward training routines to enhance all of the techniques and methods utilized to bring athletes to a new PR. Greg Everett`s Olympic weightlifting guide is definitely on the top of the best books for weightlifting.
4. Best For Fans – HWPO: Hard Work Pays Off By Mat Fraser
Due to his remarkable five victories at the fitness Games, Mat Fraser is without a doubt the fittest person in heavy fitness history. He evaluated every choice he made for many years against the possibility of success.
If the response was negative, he opted not to. No matter the cost, he would do it if it gave him even the tiniest benefit or edge. Fraser mastered the art of recognizing his weak areas and then searching out exercises to strengthen them. The fitness world looks up to Fraser for his unwavering chase of best performance.
Fraser has always been quite secretive about his precise training methods. Fraser is now, however, prepared to talk openly about his journey to the top after recently announcing his retirement from competing. HWPO explains the exercises, training tips, diets, and mental techniques that have contributed to his success.
It’s a fantastic source of expert training advice, exercise illustrations, and inspirational experiences, and it offers a window into the thoughts of one of the greatest athletes in history.
5. Best For Men – Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science Of Building The Ultimate Male Body By Michael Matthews
This book is perfect for anybody searching for basic fitness, weight lifting and healthy nutrition advice to help them build muscle and reduce fat. The author emphasizes that anybody may benefit from this book’s advice without the use of steroids, “perfect” genetics, or spending a ridiculous amount of time and money on dieting or supplements. This book also reveals that strength training is not as tough as it may seem for gaining muscle and burning fat.
6. Best For Women – Lift Like A Girl: Be More, Not Less By Nia Shanks
What if working out could be simple, invigorating, and even enjoyable? Nia Shanks, a fitness instructor, has assisted many customers in changing their perspectives on food, exercise, and body image. Lift Like a Girl, which is based on her enormously well-liked blog, is way more than just a fitness program.
It is one the most popular weight lifting books for women. Discovering the power you never realized you possessed is the foundation of this inspiring way of life. Nia smashes through the weight-loss myths that leave too many women unhappy, sad, and always on a diet along with her pragmatic, step-by-step strategy for attaining solid results in the gym. Discover the joys of lifting like a woman, and you’ll leave the workout feeling more wonderful than ever.
7. Best For Bodybuilding Fans – The New Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible Of Bodybuilding By Arnold Schwarzenegger
With new sections on nutrition & diet, mental preparation sports, the prevention of injuries, and training methods, Arnold covers the most significant innovations in both resistance strength training and bodybuilding competition. Each section is illustrated with in-depth pictures of some of the biggest names in the sport.
The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding helps you reach your personal best by covering every level of knowledge and experience. Arnold offers his tips for commitment, training, and demonstrates how to take charge of your own body and reach your own greatness potential from his unique viewpoint as a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner and all-around international movie star.
8. Best For Bodyweight Workouts Fans – Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach To Gymnastics And Bodyweight Strength By Steven Low
The author guides the audience on a trip by rationally putting together a bodyweight exercise routine that is focused on building strength. He explores the physiology of strength training using a very methodical approach, enabling the reader to properly get their body ready for the demands of bodyweight exercise.
This book offers information on injury prevention and health, elements of a good routine, and real program execution, covering much material that other textbooks do not. Overcoming Gravity will be the best option for your collection if you want your fitness literature to feature scientific facts, thorough sample programming, and practical tips.
9. Best For Powerlifting Fans – FULL POWER Powerlifting Program By Ryan J. Mathias
The best strength training book and best powerlifting program for developing the result is FULL POWER! It combines incredibly effective back squat, bench press & deadlift programs into one and is intended to concurrently increase maximal strength in all three movements. Ryan Mathias has been using this precise powerlifting program for years to be ready for each powerlifting competition.
Each of the competitive exercises will be trained for 16 weeks, twice weekly four-day per week, with the emphasis switching between squats and deadlifts. With opportunity for modification as necessary, all of the sets, repetitions, and auxiliary exercises have already been programmed based on the current 1 Rep Maxes. Additionally, this training cycle is designed to be used continuously so that results may be continually improved.
10. Best For Olympic Weightlifting Coaches – Olympic Weightlifting: Cues & Corrections By Daniel Camargo
Olympic weightlifting veteran Daniel Camargo is currently a USA OLY International Coach. In this book, he explains how he instructs lifters on how to do the snatch, C&J as well as how to identify and fix the most typical technical faults.
You may learn about the following things in this book:
Snatch and Clean’s cues and corrections:
- problem jumping forward;
- early arm bend;
- drop speed issues;
- power position troubles;
- landing on toes rather than flat feet;
- not triple extending.
Cues and Corrections in Jerk:
- jerk forward;
- pressing out;
- split position imbalance;
- losing barbell control during the dip & drive.
And a lot more useful information.
11. Best For Weightlifting Fans – The Greatest Weightlifters Of All Time By Seb Ostrowicz
The lives, professional histories, and greatest feats of the 70 best male weightlifters ever are thoroughly covered in this 228-page hardcover book. This book, which includes over 100 beautiful photos, helps readers better comprehend the development of the fantastic sport of Olympic weightlifting. Each athlete’s career is recounted in full, including with their top performances and significant international medals. Each athlete has at least a full-page photograph. Anyone fascinated in the development of weightlifting must read this book.
12. Best For Weightlifting Competition Preparation – Weightlifting Programming: A Winning Coach’s Guide By Bob Takano
This is the most comprehensive book on program design for Olympic-style weightlifting that is currently accessible in English among the books about weightlifting. Takano discusses the practical and theoretical concerns, the biological and statistical foundations, and offers a simple procedure for creating a training program with a huge number of examples.
13. Best For Learning Training Fundamentals – Rebuilding Milo: A Lifter’s Guide To Fixing Common Injuries And Building A Strong Foundation For Enhancing PerformanceBy Aaron Horschig And Kevin Sonthana
Every athlete who works out regularly ultimately experiences discomfort or an injury that prevents them from performing to their maximum capabilities. Every athlete should be able to take the necessary precautions to treat these small wounds.
Dr. Aaron Horschig is aware of your suffering and annoyance. Dr. Horschig has been an Olympic weightlifter for more than ten years, so he is aware of how discouraging it can be to get a back injury three weeks before a major competition or to experience knee pain that prevents you from heavy squatting for weeks.
Dr. Horschig’s career as a physiotherapist, S&C and weightlifting coach has culminated in Rebuilding Milo. It includes all the information he has learned over the previous ten years while helping many of the top athletes. You may overcome your issues with discomfort and injury by reading this book, which is written for anyone who regularly works out in the weight room.
It guides you through basic screenings and tests to identify the mobility issue that is the source of your pain. You will be able to design a rehab program using the instructions in this book once you have determined the source of the injury. Finally, you’ll be heading in the proper direction to get rid of discomfort and resume your favorite sports.
14. Best For Learning Weightlifting Basics & Methodology – The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide To World Class Performance By Arthur Drechsler
People who are not involved in the iron game find it impossible to understand how lifters would spend the finest years of their life repeating infinite reps of only two fundamental moves, each lasting several seconds. This book covers practically all facets of Olympic weightlifting in approximately 550 folio-size pages.
Each stage of the snatch, the clean & jerk is described in detail here, along with sequence photos and a thorough understanding of the consequences of incorrect form. No part of lifting technique is overlooked, including adequate breathing, angles and positions, the hookgrip, etc.
15. Best For Learning Weightlifting Programming – Kazakhstan Weightlifting System For Elite Athletes By Ivan Rojas And Gwendolyn Sisto
When Kazakhstan won 4 gold medals at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, they astounded the weightlifting community. Since 1996, Kazakhstan has participated in the Olympics as an independent nation. Kazakhstan has never won a gold medal in weightlifting prior to the 2008 Olympics.
Kazakhstan’s success may be attributed to four factors: talented athletes, an ambitious goal, government support, and a strong strategy. This book will offer fresh perspectives on Kazakhstan’s weightlifters who compete at the top level. Elite athletes will be able to perform at new heights because of this information. This data will be definitely helpful for advanced and elite athletes and coaches.
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Conclusion
As mentioned at the very beginning, it is quite difficult to choose only 15 weight training books that will be for athletes and coaches in the field of pure strength, power and weightlifting. But we are sure that this selection will be useful and necessary for you. Which of these books was the most suitable for you? What else can you recommend for iron sports fans and experts?
Also read:
- Functional Fitness Vs Weightlifting
- Bodybuilding vs Weightlifting
- Olympic Weightlifting Physique
- Olympic Weightlifting Benefits
- Bulgarian Method
- What Does PR Mean in Gym
- 4-Day Olympic Weightlifting Program
- 10-Week Olympic Weightlifting Program
- Olympic Weightlifting Program for Beginners
References:
- Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team; LordHenriVoton, Canva.com.
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Author: Sergii Putsov
Head of Sport Science, PhD
Best Results: Snatch – 165 kg,
C&J – 200 kg
Sergii Putsov, Ph.D., is a former professional weightlifter and National team member, achieving multiple medals in the 94 kg weight category at national competitions. With a Master’s degree in “Olympic & Professional Sport Training” and a Sport Science Ph.D. from the International Olympic Academy, Greece, Sergii now leads as the Head of Sport Science. He specializes in designing training programs, writing insightful blog articles, providing live commentary at international weightlifting events, and conducting educational seminars worldwide alongside Olympic weightlifting expert Oleksiy Torokhtiy.
Reviewed by: Oleksiy Torokhtiy
Olympic Weightlifting Champion
Best Results: Snatch – 200 kg,
C&J – 240 kg
Oleksiy Torokhtiy is a professional athlete boasting 20 years of experience in Olympic weightlifting. With multiple European and World titles under his belt, he has showcased his prowess in two Olympic Games (Beijing 2008 and London 2012). Upon concluding his illustrious career, Oleksiy dedicated himself to coaching. By 2022, he had conducted over 200 weightlifting seminars worldwide. He is the visionary behind an international sportswear and accessories brand known for its motto, “Warm Body Cold Mind.” Additionally, he is an esteemed author and the creator of a series of training programs and eBooks.
Still have questions after reading our article? Unlock your full potential by engaging with our experts and community! Don’t hesitate — leave a comment below and Sergii Putsov will provide a personalized answer and insights to help you reach your goals.