Youth Weightlifting Norms: How to Tell If an Athlete Is Ahead or Behind — Zack Gillen
Evidence Strong | Weightlifting Science · Evidence Strong
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Show Notes
🏋️♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/normative-values-150647943 🏋️♀️
If you’ve ever wondered how well your youth lifter is progressing, this interview is for you. Zack analysed data from the IWF Youth World Championships (2019–2023), examining percentile rankings, sex differences, and weight class differences. You can compare the snatch, clean & jerk, or total directly (in kg) or using scaled values.
Zack Gillen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Mississippi State University, where he directs the Resistance Exercise Performance Lab. His lab researches non-invasive assessments of musculoskeletal adaptations to training, with a primary emphasis on resistance training. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Exercise Physiology at Midwestern State University, and his PhD in Exercise Physiology & Nutrition at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has also competed in Olympic weightlifting and has several years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach at both the collegiate and youth levels.
Enjoy!
Original research paper(s):
Gillen Z. Percentile Rankings and Normalization of Performance for Youth International Weightlifting Federation World Championships Competitors. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning. 2025 Aug 15;5(1).
https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/404
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