When Did Weight Lifting Competition Begin?

In ancient times, testing of ones manhood was done by weight lifting.
They would lift heavy stones such as Blue stones of old Dailly,
Dinnie Stones and Inver stone to show the power.
Moreover, it was the matter of prestige to the tribal kingdom in ancient times.

Considering the available facts,
weight lifting competitions first began in Europe in the late 1880's
and the champion of the competition was crowned in 1891.
In those periods, there were no other sub division
and the crown went to the man able to lift the maximum weight.


Weight lifting competition was clubbed as a part of athletics in 1896;
however, weight lifting was excluded in the 1900 games.
Again, the art of weight lifting was noticed in 1904,
but the game was not included in Olympics however,
in 1920, weight lifting has been accepted as a sport.

In those periods, Olympics introduced some strange weight lifting programs such as,
one and two handed lift with no weight division,
however, rules where changed in 1932
and five sub divisions has been established and formed three disciplines for the competition viz.
Snatch, press and clean and jerk.
In snatch, the weight lifter lift the weight above the head
in one fast-uninterrupted movement however,
in the second movement the weight is brought to the shoulders and after that,
the weight is jerked upwards above the head.

 

Although, in the second movement the weights are lifted in two stages to
make it easier to lift and  jerk the lifted weights.
Later in 1972, the press division was abolished
and only the snatch and clean jerk where accepted as a sport and added to the Olympic discipline.

As a revolution in 2000, it was introduced for women in this power event in Sydney.

 

Above all, weight lifting has been established to be very effective in increasing endurance.
Weight lifting gained popularity in 6th century
in this period athletes lifted heavy stones.
Later, this period came to be known as the "age of strength."
During this age, Milo of Crotona, a military hero and progressive weight lifting exercise.

 

In Greece, weight lifting was a very popular sport during the reign in the Olympic Games
as well as the Chou dynasty (1122-249 BC),
soldiers were required to undergo an endurance and strength test in order to gain enrollment into the army.

Now the weight lifting competition is one of the major events in Olympics
and national sport all around the world.