Evidence Strong | Weightlifting Science
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The science of Olympic weightlifting and strength sports. Join expert conversations on the latest research and coaching trends. Each episode delivers actionable, science-driven tips for enhancing power and strength training. Want more? Check out extended episodes at https://www.patreon.com/collection/119238
Episodes
- Is the Vitruve Device Actually Accurate for VBT? With Juan Garcia Lopez
In this episode, Dr. Juan Garcia Lopez discusses his research on the accuracy of the Vitruve device for measuring velocity in weightlifting. He details his study on bench presses at various loads over several weeks of strength training.
- Can You Lift Heavy While Pregnant? What Research Shows – with Therese Fostervold Mathisen
Therese Fostervold Mathisen discusses her research on the effects of heavy lifting during pregnancy and postpartum. Her study compared physically active pregnant women with women who specifically lifted heavy weights during pregnancy.
- Does Menstrual Cycle Affect Elite Weightlifters? New Study with Paul Schatz
Paul Schatz discusses his study on elite German female weightlifters, investigating the influence of the menstrual cycle on their strength performance. The research methods are highlighted as solid despite the relatively small sample size.
- How the Chinese Weightlifting System Builds Champions — with Manuel Buitrago
This episode features an interview with Manuel Buitrago, who discusses the Chinese weightlifting system. Buitrago is the founder and director of MaStrength and has authored two books on Chinese weightlifting.
- Can Jump Tests Replace Squats? — with Mary Claire Geneau
This episode features Dr. Mary Claire Geneau, who examines whether jump tests can replace squats for assessing strength. She discusses a study comparing back squat and jump tests to determine if one can be eliminated while still providing…
- How to Stay Focused Under Pressure – with Chris Mesagno
Chris Mesagno, an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology, discusses the psychology behind choking under pressure in sports. He explains the role of anxiety and perfectionism and outlines strategies to reduce it.
- Can Heavy Lifting Damage Your Eyes? – Feliciana Menna
Feliciana Menna joins the Evidence Strong Show to discuss her research on eye health in Olympic weightlifters. She shares insights from her study on variations in intraocular pressure among athletes across different sports disciplines.
- Best Attempt Jumps for Squat, Bench & Deadlift (New Data) – with Ian Darragh
Ian Darragh analyzes 90,000 powerlifting competition records to determine optimal attempt jumps between lifts for squat, bench, and deadlift. He shares insights on successful jump strategies for powerlifters.
- Why Lifters Break Under Pressure (And How to Fix It) – With Hilary Galvin
This episode features Hilary Galvin, who discusses her research on why weightlifters may underperform under pressure. She shares insights from her undergraduate thesis on "choking" in Irish weightlifters.
- How Overtraining Destroys Strength (And How to Prevent It) — with Andy Fry
In this episode, Dr. Andy Fry explains the impact of overtraining on athletes and how coaches can monitor, detect, and prevent it. He draws on his experience from academia and Fry Sports Performance, LLC.
- Youth Weightlifting Norms: How to Tell If an Athlete Is Ahead or Behind — Zack Gillen
Zack Gillen discusses youth weightlifting norms based on data from the IWF Youth World Championships (2019–2023). He examines percentile rankings, sex differences, and weight class differences to assess youth lifter progression.
- Why Steroid Science Is More Complex Than You Think — with Luke Pelton
Luke Pelton explores the science of anabolic androgenic steroids, differentiating evidence from speculation. He discusses how these steroids function, the insights from human versus animal studies, and their effects on gene expression in s…
- Youth Weightlifting — What Really Drives Performance? With Bartosz Malak
In this episode, Bartosz Malak discusses his study on youth Olympic weightlifters, focusing on factors influencing performance and potential sex differences. Malak and his team studied young lifters in Poland.
- Strength Training in Pregnancy: What’s Actually Safe? With Katja Ungersböck
Katja Ungersböck discusses strength training in pregnancy. She interviewed five healthcare professionals to explore their perspectives and unearthed several important insights.
- Belt or no belt when squatting? With Yoshaun Hunter
Yoshaun Hunter discusses his Master's research comparing belted and unbelted back squats. The research focuses on how belts influence load, speed, and power, and the implications for coaches regarding belt use in training.
- The Genetics Behind Sex Differences in Sport – with Shanie Landen
Dr. Shanie Landen, with a PhD from Victoria University, discusses the genetics behind sex differences in sport. She clarifies the differences between DSD athletes and transgender athletes and analyzes how sports policies align with biologi…
- Training for the Olympics When the World Shut Down – with Shyam Chavda
This episode features Dr. Shyam Chavda discussing the challenges of coaching an Olympic weightlifter through the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares insights into training plans, athlete monitoring, and the decisions made during the three years l…
- Why You Get Strong Again Faster After the Break (Muscle Memory Explained). With Nate Serrano
Dr. Nate Serrano explains muscle memory in weightlifting. He discusses the current scientific understanding and the mechanisms behind this phenomenon.
- What’s Really Happening in Olympic Weightlifting? Governance, Athletes & Media — with Brian Oliver
This episode of the Evidence Strong Show features Brian Oliver discussing Olympic weightlifting governance, the importance of athlete stories, and changes in how sports media covers weightlifting.
- Why Heavy Lifting Is a Must for Healthy Bones as We Age – with Amy Harding
Dr. Amy Harding explains an exercise program using high-load weightlifting that demonstrated bone mass gains in older men with low bone mass. She discusses progression, safety, coaching support, and practical takeaways for coaches and clin…
- Why Male and Female Strength Differs (Genetics, Hormones, Muscle Fibres, and More) — Shanie Landen
This episode of Evidence Strong features Dr. Shanie Landen discussing the differences in strength between males and females, exploring genetic, epigenetic, hormonal, and muscle fiber influences on athletic performance. Dr. Landen, with a P…
- Behind-Neck Push Jerk for Explosive Power Training - with Mark Chiang
In this episode, Dr. Mark Chiang discusses the behind-neck push jerk for explosive power training. He shares insights from his recent studies and provides practical lessons for coaches and athletes.
- How Music Really Affects Lifting – with Michael Richards
This episode features Michael Richards discussing the available research on how music affects lifting. Richards is a strength and conditioning coach and weightlifting coach who recently completed his Doctorate of Education in Kinesiology a…
- Lifter's Heart Explained: Normal vs Risky Changes – with Jessica Orchard
Dr. Jessica Orchard discusses the lifter's heart, distinguishing between normal and risky changes. Her research aims to enhance cardiac screening programs to prevent sudden cardiac death and disability from stroke.
- Chinese Weightlifting Explained: How Athletes Are Recruited and Trained – with Steph Gregory
This episode of Evidence Strong features Dr. Stéphane Gregory explaining the recruitment and training processes for weightlifters in China. He discusses daily schedules, support systems for elite lifters, and practices related to training,…
- What Drives People to Weightlift for Life – with Francois Gravelle
Dr. François Gravelle discusses his research on the psychological and social factors that motivate weightlifters to remain in the sport over the long term. He combines decades of hands-on experience with academic research to offer insights…
- Weightlifting as Physical Education in High School – with Paul Coover
Paul Coover, a high school athletic director and physical education teacher, discusses his three-year journey developing a weightlifting-based physical education program. The program operates out of a classroom converted into a fully equip…
- Why Weightlifters Black Out – with Sinead Roberts
This episode features Dr. Sinead Roberts discussing blackouts in weightlifters. She shares her experience in managing this condition among British weightlifters.
- Why Masters Weightlifters Age Differently – with Andrew Hatchett
This episode features Dr. Andrew Hatchett discussing his study on Masters weightlifters from the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships. He shares findings on how these athletes differ from average adults.
- The Warm-Up That Boosts Your Max Lift – with Tony Blazevich
Tony Blazevich explains how warm-ups affect power in weightlifting. He discusses the fundamentals that drive improvements and debunks myths regarding post-activation potentiation.
- How Lifters Rehearse Success – with Tom Smalley
Tom Smalley explains how lifters can use mental imagery to rehearse success in weightlifting. He details a practical framework based on cognitive and motivational imagery, and a 3-step scripting process for athletes and coaches.
- What Predicts Olympic Weightlifting Performance – with Florian Venus
Florian Venus discusses his study on what predicts Olympic weightlifting performance, focusing on explosive power, muscle size, jumping performance, and training experience. He shares insights from his research on these factors.
- Overtraining vs Overreaching: Squat Protocol That Adds Kilos – with Lee Bell
This episode features Lee Bell discussing the differences between overtraining and overreaching in weightlifting. He presents a 5-day back-squat protocol and explores functional versus nonfunctional overreaching, as well as practical coach…
- Why Skill-Based Lifting Beats Generic Strength Work – with Emily Neff
Emily Neff discusses a system for adolescent female athletes that uses skill-based lifting to improve power and reduce ACL injury risk. She details a phase-based progression rooted in motor learning and real-world coaching.
- Cortisol and Testosterone During Weightlifting Competition – with Ivan Perasovic
Ivan Perasovic discusses findings from his study on cortisol and testosterone responses in weightlifting competition. He explains how these hormonal responses relate to lifters coping under pressure and translates the findings into coachin…
- Which VBT Device Is Actually Accurate? With Francesco Travascio
This episode features Francesco Travascio, who discusses the accuracy of velocity-based training devices. The conversation covers critical findings on device accuracy and practical applications for coaches aiming to optimize training metho…
- Does Caffeine Actually Make You Jump Higher? With Zacharias Papadakis
This episode features Dr. Zacharias Papadakis discussing research on how caffeine impacts vertical jump height and explosive power. He also provides insights for coaches on applying these findings effectively in training regimens.
- Stronger or Just More Mature? The Surprising Truth About Youth Weightlifting – with Steph Morris
This episode features Dr. Steph Morris, an expert in youth weightlifting, discussing the influence of biological maturity on performance in young athletes. She covers methods to measure maturity and its importance for talent identification…
- Should You Use 120% Clean Pulls Before Heavy Cleans? With Shyam Chavda
This episode features Shyam Chavda discussing the impact of 120% clean pulls on weightlifting performance. The conversation covers post-activation potentiation and individual athlete responses to these techniques.
- Online coaching, does it really work? Diving into data with Jason Clarke
This episode features Jason Clarke discussing his study on online coaching in weightlifting. He shares data-driven insights on factors influencing lifter satisfaction and performance, and optimizing remote coaching methods.
- Injury in the Gym: Step‑by‑Step Coach Response Guide – with Kathy Williams
Dr. Kathy Williams, an athletic trainer, shares insights on injury prevention and emergency response in gym settings. This episode covers common gym injuries and how coaches can manage emergencies like dislocations or concussions.
- Can You Predict Thruster Performance from Clean and Jerk? – with Alejandro Oliver
Alejandro Oliver discusses predicting thruster maximum load using the clean and jerk one-repetition maximum in CrossFit athletes. He shares insights on individualizing CrossFit workouts for optimal performance and safety, moving towards an…
- How to Build Resilience in Weightlifters - with Tom Smalley
Tom Smalley, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, joins Evidence Strong to discuss building resilience in weightlifters. He covers fostering a high-performing culture, navigating mental pressures in competition, and the role of commu…
- Struggling with Weight Cuts? Here’s a Science Based Solution – with Izzy Tremonte
Izzy Tremonte shares her research on the psychological nuances of weight cutting in powerlifting. She discusses the psychological impact on athletes, body image during weight loss, and strategies for maintaining mental health during this p…
- Can Push-Ups Predict Weightlifting Success? Find Out – with Lena Danner
Lena Danner, a sports scientist, explores the relationship between explosive upper body tests, such as push-ups, and weightlifting performance. She discusses how these tests may correlate with weightlifting success and their potential use…
- Cold Water Immersion: The Hidden Risks for Muscle Growth – with Milan Betz
This episode features Milan Betz discussing the impact of cold water immersion on muscle growth and recovery. He shares research findings that may challenge existing beliefs on the topic.
- What Weightlifting Can Learn from Netball: Wellness & Injury Prevention with Sharon Kearney
Sharon Kearney, Netball Smart Programme Manager, discusses female athlete wellness and injury prevention. She covers female physiology, nutrition, and smart training practices.
- Better Snatch Performance: How Straps Boost Muscle Activation – with Francesco Travascio
This episode discusses research on how lifting straps impact muscle activation during the snatch. Francesco Travascio, Ph.D., shares insights on this topic.
- Best Velocity Tracking Apps for Powerlifting – with Alex Renner
This episode features Alex Renner discussing smartphone apps for barbell velocity tracking in powerlifting. He shares insights from his research on the accuracy of these apps and their implications for coaches.
- 5 Strength Domains Every Coach Must Know - with Mary Geneau
Mary Geneau discusses five distinct domains of strength and the effectiveness of common tests. She shares insights on strength measurement and athlete monitoring based on her research and experience.