The two barbell sports that people who lift will probably hear about are Olympic lifting and powerlifting. At first glance, the two seem pretty similar. Both focus on lifting heavy weights for specific movements, deem the person in each class who lifts the most weight the winner, and we can’t leave out that they both use a barbell. If we look more closely, however, we will see that each discipline is highly specialized, leading to different training results.
In this article, we’ll cover the ins and outs of Olympic lifting and powerlifting: what they are, their similarities, and their differences. We’ll also share some pro tips and program recommendations for lifters who’d like to start their Olympic lifting or powerlifting journey or both!
What Are the Differences Between Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting?
The main difference between Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting are the competitive lifts themselves. The Olympic lifts are the snatch and the clean and jerk, whereas the competitive lifts in powerlifting are the squat, bench press, and deadlift.
In general, Olympic lifts are more dynamic and technically demanding than the Big Three. Yes, having efficient technique is important in powerlifting, but the slower velocity makes the movements less dependent on technique. You can grind out a deadlift that’s slightly forward, but a mistimed snatch just won’t go most of the time.
Required Equipment
Powerlifters and Olympic lifters don’t train with the same standard bar, and both sports have their own specialized barbells.
For example, Olympic weightlifters often use either a 25- (Junior and Women’s) or 28-mm (Men’s) Olympic bar and rubber bumper plates that can be dropped from overhead. Powerlifters, on the other hand, use a 29-mm powerlifting bar* and calibrated steel plates that generally aren’t to be dropped. An Olympic lifting bar is slightly thinner, more flexible, or “whippy,” and the ends of the bar (the sleeves) spin more readily compared to a powerlifting bar.
*Some powerlifting federations will use specialized barbells for the squat and deadlift. The squat bar typically measures ~ 32 mm in diameter and is very stiff, whereas the deadlift bar typically measures 27 mm and is very whippy.
The use of specialized footwear (like weightlifting shoes) is common in both sports, though there are differences. Pretty much all Olympic lifters wear weightlifting shoes for both the snatch and the clean and jerk, whereas only some powerlifters wear weightlifting shoes for the squat and/or bench press. Based on this author’s extensive history in powerlifting, somewhere close to ⅔ of powerlifters wear weightlifting shoes during the squat, while the rest wear a type of “flat” shoe. Pretty much all competitive powerlifters will wear a flat shoe for deadlifts.
Other equipment like knee sleeves, belts, wrist wraps, and more are common in both sports based on the lifters’ preferences but are not required for competition.
Competition Format
Both Olympic lifting and powerlifting competitions provide the lifter three chances to execute their best lifts in the individual lifts, e.g. the snatch and the clean and jerk for Olympic weightlifting, and the squat, bench press, and deadlift for powerlifting. In both sports, the heaviest successful attempt from each discipline contributes towards the lifter’s “total,” which determines the winner in a specific class.
What Are the Similarities Between Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting?
- Both are competitive sports
- Both are forms of strength training
- Both involve improving strength in multi-joint, compound lifts
- Both involve using sport-specific equipment
- Both are great for skeletal health
- Neither focuses on hypertrophy
- Both depend on progressive loading
What is Olympic Lifting?
Olympic weightlifting is a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is the lifting event in the Summer Olympics. The sport is based around two primary lifts: the clean and jerk, which entails lifting a barbell off the ground to shoulder height, then pressing it overhead; and the snatch, which involves lifting the weight off the ground to an overhead position in a single, fluid movement.
Olympic lifting sets itself apart from most other types of resistance training due to its technical complexity and the sport’s emphasis on muscular power, e.g., high-velocity force production or strength. Therefore, training the Olympic lifts and their variants tends to produce different adaptations than more traditional strength and hypertrophy programs, particularly with respect to muscular power.
However, the key to an Olympic lifter’s success is not only dependent on rapid, explosive force production. They need to be brutally strong, too, just like other strength athletes. The lifts also tend to be very sensitive to using efficient technique to maximize performance. Combining all of these elements together takes some careful planning and underscores the importance of following the right program.
What Are The Benefits of Olympic Lifting?
Enhanced Speed and Power:
Including the Olympic lifts or their variants into a program could be a particularly useful idea for those who would like to improve their power, which is high-velocity strength. Some of the most successful Olympic weightlifters can move loads heavier than 250 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 200 kilograms in the snatch with velocities greater than 2 m/s. [1]
Olympic weightlifting relies on fast-twitch muscles (type II) to produce quick and powerful muscle contractions. Whereas most normal people have about a 50/50 split of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers, good Olympic lifters are decidedly abnormal in this regard. A study examining elite Olympic weightlifters found that 67% of their leg muscles comprise fast-twitch muscle fibers. [2]
Due to the nature of the training for sport, Olympic weightlifting improves strength in these muscles while maintaining the size and pre-existing strength of slow-twitch muscles (type I). Whether the clean and jerk, the snatch, or variations of these lifts improve high-velocity strength more than other exercises that are similarly performed explosively is up for debate. As of this writing, it seems like plyometrics and explosively performed exercises (that aren’t the Olympic lifts) produce about the same improvement in power, sprinting, and change in direction. [3,4]
Full Body Coordination:
Both the Olympic lifts and their variants are compound (multi-joint) movements that use many different muscle groups in a highly coordinated manner. For example, the clean and jerk is a movement that recruits muscle groups throughout the body, including the legs, back, shoulder girdle, arms, and trunk. Training the muscles together in this manner tends to generate not only specific adaptations with muscular coordination, e.g. performing the movement more efficiently, but also in general by improving change in direction performance. [4]
While powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting both use compound exercises performed in a coordinated manner, Olympic weightlifting does so at much higher speeds, perhaps being beneficial for athletic applications.
Improved Motor Unit Recruitment:
Resistance training causes certain physiological changes to occur in the nervous system that improve motor skills and aid the muscles in executing the movements they train for. We refer to these changes as neuromuscular adaptations, and they are essential components of building strength.
Neuromuscular adaptations occur when the brain and spinal cord send signals to the muscle fibers to produce more force, something called motor unit recruitment. Research shows that when we engage in types of high-velocity resistance training, such as Olympic weightlifting, the coordination between muscles and the efficiency with which they produce force are significantly improved. [5] Again, it’s not clear that the Olympic lifts themselves are unique in improving the neuromuscular adaptations pertaining to power. Rather, it’s more probable that lifting weights quickly, which can be done when training other exercises besides just the snatch or the clean and jerk, is what generates the adaptations for power.
What Are The Limitations of Olympic Weightlifting?
Like other types of resistance training, Olympic weightlifting is not magic and can’t fully develop all training adaptations. Let’s go over the limitations of Olympic lifting so that you can decide on the training program that works best for you.
Olympic Weightlifting Is Not Better at Building Strength Than Other Forms of Resistance Training
This may come as a surprise: Olympic weightlifting looks like it requires a lot of strength, and most Olympic weightlifters are jacked. At first glance, Olympic weightlifting may look more efficient at building strength than other forms of resistance training, but is it really?
Strength is defined as the amount of muscular force created measured within a specific context, in this case, a specific test of strength. Olympic weightlifting is generally better at improving high-velocity strength performance than traditional resistance training like powerlifting or bodybuilding.
A recent meta-analysis compared the strength, power, and speed adaptations induced by different forms of resistance training. It revealed that Olympic weightlifting produces similar strength improvements to non-Olympic strength training. [6] However, keeping in mind that strength is measured based on context (i.e., for specific exercises or lifts), training with a focus on certain movements will improve strength in those movements.
For example, Olympic weightlifters exhibit more strength in the Olympic lifts compared to those who aren’t following an Olympic weightlifting program. [7] Similarly, we’d expect a powerlifting program to produce greater improvements in 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM) squat, bench press, and deadlift performance compared to an Olympic lifting program.
Olympic Weightlifting Is Not Ideal for Promoting Muscle Hypertrophy
Are Olympic weightlifters generally muscular? Yes, much of this is likely selection bias since most folks only see Olympic lifters every 4 years when the Olympics are going on. These lifters are the best in the world in their sport and, while very jacked, do not carry nearly as much muscle mass as bodybuilders at a similar level of competition. This is due primarily to the type of training and the demands of the sport itself.
First, Olympic weightlifting is a strength sport with weight classes. It rewards individuals for being very strong at a given body weight. If additional muscle size and bodyweight improve the competitiveness of a lifter, great. If additional size and/or weight does not improve performance, however, then it’s a detriment. Conversely, the sport of bodybuilding is all about muscle hypertrophy or size. Yes, bodybuilders will oftentimes have more muscle mass than Olympic weightlifters, but they rarely are able to produce the same levels of strength, power, and speed. This has to do with the training.
For example, the Olympic lifts are predominantly performed via concentric (muscle-shortening) muscular contractions, whereas the paired eccentric (muscle-lengthening) and concentric exercises performed during traditional resistance training are better for increasing muscle size. Olympic weightlifting programs also tend to be lower in volume (reps and sets) and use relatively few isolation (single joint) exercises to train muscles specifically.
Together, these factors lead to the fairly repeatable observation that Olympic weightlifting isn’t the greatest way to build muscle mass. Of course, many good Olympic lifting programs include significant amounts of traditional strength training exercises (squat, press, deadlift) and bodybuilding-type exercises to fill in the gaps. Nevertheless, the training resources dedicated to the Olympic lifts could be allocated elsewhere for even further gain, making an Olympic lifting-focused program a poor choice for those who want to prioritize muscle size.
What Is Powerlifting?
Much like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting is a sport that aims to improve strength-specific lifts. This time, there are three disciplines, e.g., the Big Three: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. The heaviest successful attempt contributes to the competitor’s total, and the winner is the highest total within a specific weight class.
By definition, all powerlifting programs are strength programs, but only some strength programs are powerlifting programs. The idea behind powerlifting-specific training is to make the lifter as strong as they can become in the three lifts.
This means the programming and rep range are going to be more specific for these exercises compared to a more general strength and conditioning program. Conversely, following a more generalized strength training program may be a better option if someone wants to improve their strength but is not overly concerned with their 1RM performance in the Big Three. However, it’s perfectly reasonable for trainees to want to improve performance in the Big Three, even if they’re not competitive powerlifters. Whatever keeps you in the gym is cool with us!
What Are The Benefits of Powerlifting?
Improved Bone Mineral Density
Similar to other forms of heavy resistance training, we’d expect powerlifting-specific training to build strong bones. A 2021 study done on 55 male participants revealed that powerlifting promotes various physiological adaptations, including increased fat-free mass, appendicular lean mass, and bone density. [8]
Still, it’s unlikely that powerlifting-specific training improves bone mineral density compared to other forms of resistance training that load the body in a similar way. From this author’s perspective, pretty much all heavy (relative to the person’s fitness) weight-bearing resistance training will help build strong bones.
Improve Muscle Size/Hypertrophy
While powerlifting focuses on strength performance over bodybuilding, there’s a lot of overlap between both disciplines. A good strength program should increase muscle size in the muscles being trained, and a good hypertrophy program should increase strength in the movements being trained. The degree of improvement in strength and performance is related to the specifics of the program—the exercise selection, rep schemes, proximity to failure, and total volume.
What Are The Limitations of Powerlifting?
The limitations of powerlifting are similar to those of Olympic lifting. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.
Powerlifting Is Not Ideal for Improved Power
Despite the name, the sport of powerlifting and the training done to prepare for competition isn’t great for building muscular power, e.g., high-velocity force production. This is not necessarily due to the movements, but rather because the exercises must be trained so heavy that they cannot be moved quickly. The force-velocity relationship is pretty straightforward; the muscle will contract more slowly against a heavier weight than a lighter weight.
While the Big Three could be trained with lighter loads and performed explosively to improve power, these loads would be too light to improve the maximal low-velocity force production needed in powerlifting.
Powerlifting Strength Is Specific
Powerlifting is the best type of training for improving 1RM squat, bench press, and deadlift strength. However, other strength and conditioning programs are likely to be better at building a broader base of strength than powerlifting, as they can have a wider variety of exercises, rep ranges, and so on than a powerlifting-specific program.
Strength itself is specific to the movement, joint angle, muscle lengths, movement velocity, contraction type, and more. There’s little doubt that a powerlifting-specific program would improve squat 1RM performance more than a general strength program, but what about strength in the front squat or chin-up? For a non-powerlifter, there’s no need to limit movement variety for performance in three arbitrary lifts, even if this author happens to love those three movements.
Suffice it to say, powerlifting-specific programs should be reserved for people who are going to compete in powerlifting or for those who really prefer powerlifting-type training. For people who want to be strong and healthy, however, the Big Three are merely just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exercise selection.
How to Get Started With Olympic Lifting
Our Recommended Olympic Lifting Templates
We recommend the following two templates for trainees who are interested in following an Olympic lifting program but don’t know where to start:
- Olympic Weightlifting Template
- SuperTotal Template
Olympic Weightlifting Template
Barbell Medicine’s Olympic Weightlifting Template is a strength-focused program designed for advanced lifters with at least nine months of experience in lifting barbells. It’s a specialized template that mainly focuses on improving strength and skills in the two Olympic lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.
This template is a 12-week strength program that includes four days of full-body resistance training and two sessions of upper back, direct arm, core, and conditioning-focused general physical preparedness (GPP) training. The GPP workouts can either be done after a lifting session or on separate days, depending on your personal preferences.
Much like our other barbell sport-focused programs, we do not recommend this template for beginners. But don’t worry, because we have many programs that could help new trainees get ready for an Olympic lifting program. If you’re new to lifting, consider completing our Beginner Template and follow that up with the Strength I or General Strength and Conditioning Template before starting the Olympic Weightlifting Template.
If both Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting have piqued your interest, then this template may be the right one for you. This template is designed for those who have considerable experience (of around a year or more) in lifting and are looking to improve their skills in both Olympic lifting and powerlifting. Both disciplines are fused in an effective program that is backed by sports science and the professional expertise of our team.
The SuperTotal template consists of three training blocks that can be completed in 16 weeks. The template is customizable and it provides lifters complete control over what lifts they do. Apart from this, the program’s volume and intensity can also be adapted to a trainee’s current fitness level. Nevertheless, this program is still for advanced lifters, and we advise against new trainees from following this program.
The SuperTotal consists of four resistance training workouts and two GPP sessions that involve conditioning, upper-back, direct arm, and core work. The GPP exercises can either be done after a lifting session, or on their own.
The focus of this program is to enhance strength in the Big Three (the squat, bench press, and deadlift) and the Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean and jerk). While SuperTotal combines training for both disciplines, if you’d like a more specialized approach, it would be best to follow either an Olympic weightlifting or powerlifting-focused program.
How to Get Started With Powerlifting
Our Recommended Powerlifting Templates
In addition to our SuperTotal template, which incorporates elements of both powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting, there are three templates that are solely focused on powerlifting:
- Strength I Template
- Powerlifting II Template
- Strength III Template
The Strength I Template is a strength and conditioning regimen designed for those who want to increase their strength for powerlifting exercises—the squat, bench press, and deadlift. This program is meant for people who have at least three months of experience with barbell lifting.
The Strength I Template is a 13-week training plan that builds up to a testing week, which would either correspond to a powerlifting meet or a mock meet where a trainee can test their 1RM for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Every week of the program consists of three lifting sessions and two general physical preparedness (GPP) days that involve conditioning exercises and specific training on the arms, upper back, and core. The GPP sessions may be done either after lifting workouts or on different days.
The Powerlifting II Template is crafted for trainees with a bit more time under the bar (e.g., six to nine months) who would like to maximize strength in the Big Three. For those thinking about signing up for a meet and with the right amount of lifting experience, we can confidently say this would be an ideal program for you.
This program can work well during a period of weight loss if someone was also going to a powerlifting meet. However, if your main objective is weight loss, and you don’t have any upcoming meets, we would recommend the Powerbuilding I and III Templates.
The Powerlifting II Template is a 13-week training plan that builds up to a testing week, which would either correspond to a powerlifting meet or a mock meet where a trainee can test their 1RM for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Every week of the program consists of four lifting sessions and two general physical preparedness (GPP) days that involve conditioning exercises and specific training on the arms, upper back, and core. The GPP sessions may be done either after lifting workouts or on different days.
Strength III Template
The Strength III Template can also be considered “Powerlifting III,” as it’s the next in the series of templates we’ve created for those looking to maximize strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The biggest difference in this template is the ability for the user to select all of their own exercises, including setting it up to favor maximal strength in the overhead press instead of the bench press in preparation for a strengthlifting meet or similar. However, the additional freedom in exercise selection and program setup necessitates a good amount of experience to follow this program, and we only recommend it to individuals with more than a year of experience in formal strength training with barbells.
We expect this program to work well during a period of weight loss if someone is also going to a powerlifting or strengthlifting meet. However, if your main objective is weight loss and you don’t have any upcoming meets, or if you have other goals, such as muscle hypertrophy, you could check out some of our other templates.
Train With Barbell Medicine
Not interested in following pre-made templates? If you prefer a personalized approach, we’ve also got you covered.
Our team of licensed professionals and medical experts specializing in nutrition, physical therapy, and personal training will put together a program for you and guide you to completion and beyond:
- We take an evidence-based approach and build our programs around the latest developments in sports science.
- We tailor our programs to fit your personal needs and keep tabs on your progress.
- We make adjustments based on your progress and are there every step of the way, offering assistance and helping you reach your fitness goals.
So—if you’re interested in a more personalized approach to training, reach out to us to learn more about our coaching program.
References
- Garhammer J, Takano B. Training for weightlifting. In: Komi 49. PV, editor. Strength and power in sport. London: Blackwell force and velocity to peak power across a load spectrum: a Scientific, 1992: 357-69
- Serrano, N., Colenso-Semple, L. M., Lazauskus, K. K., Siu, J. W., Bagley, J. R., Lockie, R. G., Costa, P. B., & Galpin, A. J. (2019). Extraordinary fast-twitch fiber abundance in elite weightlifters. PloS one, 14(3), e0207975.
- Morris, Stephanie J et al. “Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 52,7 (2022): 1533-1554. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01627-2
- Hackett D, Davies T, Soomro N, et alOlympic weightlifting training improves vertical jump height in sportspeople: a systematic review with meta-analysisBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2016;50:865-872.
- Balshaw, Thomas G et al. “Training-specific functional, neural, and hypertrophic adaptations to explosive- vs. sustained-contraction strength training.” Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) vol. 120,11 (2016): 1364-73. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00091.2016
- Morris, Stephanie J et al. “Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 52,7 (2022): 1533-1554. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01627-2
- Morris, Stephanie J et al. “Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 52,7 (2022): 1533-1554. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01627-2
- Hackett, D.A., Sabag, A. Powerlifting exercise performance and muscle mass indices and their relationship with bone mineral density. Sport Sci Health 17, 735–743 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00740-z
