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The Weightlifting Encyclopedia by Arthur Drechsler 550 pages reviewed by Michael Sullivan December 1, 1998

I have a confession to make: I have not read this book. Not all the way through, anyway. I have skimmed through it and gone through some sections in detail but I did not read it thoroughly before writing this review. Oh sure, I could wait to write this review until I did but then I would not get it out before next summer. This book is so crammed full of information, I thought it best to write the review and let others know about it as soon as I could rather than wait the months it would take me to get through the whole thing.

The Weightlifting Encyclopedia is, as Olympic Weightlifting legend Tommy Kono put it in his foreword to the book, "the most comprehensive book in the English language on Olympic weightlifting that I have seen."

I am a bodybuilder (when my new twins allow me) so I am not an expert in the field of Olympic weightlifting. However, even I can tell that this book is a tremendous resource for those interested in the field. Here are some of the quotes praising the book:

• Everyone seeking knowledge pertaining to weightlifting must read this book...It captures the power and complexity of this sport, yet explains the material in a simple and comprehensible manner. -Robin Byrd-Goad, 1994 World's Champion
• ...the single most important book ever written on Olympic weightlifting. -Fred Hatfield
• You could take all of the books in print today (or out of print) on Olympic lifting and they would not equal what this book presents. -Osmo Kiiha, Editor-in-Chief, Iron Master Magazine

It goes on and on.

The book has a two-page table of contents "at a glance" and a thirteen-page table of contents following it. Here are the book's chapters:

1. The Technique of the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk
2. Teaching and Learning Weightlifting Technique
3. The Development of Strength, Power and Flexibility
4. Selecting Weightlifting Equipment and Using It Safely and Effectively
5. Assistance Exercises for the Snatch and C&J
6. Putting It All Together: Developing the Training Plan
7. Building the Mind of a Weightlifting Champion
8. Competing Like A Champion
9. Special Training Considerations for Women, Masters and Young Athletes
10. Nutrition and Weight Control
11. Preventing and Dealing with Injuries and the Use of Restorative Methods

Following these there are four appendices and a nine-page bibliography. And each page in the book is dense: two columns and not-big type. Reading it, one is awed by the amount of information that is there. All this for a sport consisting of two lifts. Wow.

I suppose this "review" is more of an alert: If you are in or interested in the sport of Olympic-style weightlifting, you have to have this book. You powerlifters out there should also take a look at it and see if you want to follow Paul Anderson's footsteps into Olympic lifting. I have never seen a weight training book of any variety (bodybuilding, powerlifting, fitness, etc.) packed with so much information covering so many aspects of a sport. I don't know if this 6'1", long-armed, long-legged new father will ever get involved in Olympic weightlifting but The Weightlifting Encyclopedia sure makes me scratch my head and wonder if maybe I should.

Purchase The Weightlifting Encyclopedia

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