The Impact of Olympic Weightlifting Training versus Powerlifting Training on the Strength Fitness of Intermediate Play-Level Weightlifters; A Comparative Study

Abstract

An Olympic weightlifting and a powerlifting belongs to the strength sports family. The two skills of the Olympic weightlifting are snatch plus clean and jerk whereas three skills of powerlifting are back squat, bench press and dead lift. The performance of both sports competitors noted in kilogram unit on a standard score board. Over the course of recent times a trend was observed by the researcher that intermediate play-level weightlifters were distracting from practicing their professional weightlifting sports to exercising powerlifting sport skills. Upon investigation the researcher came to know that they believed such a way enhances their strength fitness which later helps them achieve their weightlifting sports targets. The objective of the current study is to examine if the Olympic weightlifting training or powerlifting training enhance the strength fitness of intermediate play-level weightlifters or not? Two intermediate play-level weightlifters groups’ experiment was administered using purposive sampling technique i.e. 9 participants for weightlifting and other 9 participants for powerlifting with the follow-up of sport-specific training programs for 8-weeks duration. The results of Independent samples t-test using SPSS version 23 showed that after 8-weeks period the weightlifting sport-specific group of intermediate play-level participants performed better in strength fitness than the non sport-specific powerlifting group participants. Therefore it is concluded that practicing the sport-specific skills by the intermediate play-level weightlifters is the only way to improve and procure next play-level sports however distract by practicing other sports skills may headed to the non progressive sports career and cause of injury.