Evidence Strong | Weightlifting Science

A Fairer Way to Compare Weightlifters Across Weight Classes and Sexes – with Marianne Huebner

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/comparing-and-157852639 [https://www.patreon.com/posts/comparing-and-157852639] 🏋️‍♀️ How to compare who is a better weightlifter if the lifters are from different weight classes, sexes, or age groups? We could compare lifters of different body weights using Sinclairs, Robi points, or Q-points before, but never of different sexes. Now we can with GAMX points. Dr. Marianne Huebner has spent the last few years developing and testing statistical models that allow ranking across body weights, sexes, and, in some cases, ages. It is a huge deal as IWF promised to support the use of the method in ongoing and possible new formats of competitions. Marianne Huebner is Professor of Statistics and Probability, Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology, and Director of the Center of Statistical Training and Consulting (CSTAT) at Michigan State University. She is a Masters weightlifter competing for 10 years at national and international championships. GAMX points use generalized additive statistical models to jointly adjust for body weight, sex, and age, placing male and female performances on a common scale with a median of 1000 points. Web applications for athletes and coaches to calculate GAMX-points - for the total: https://huebner.shinyapps.io/GAMX/ [https://huebner.shinyapps.io/GAMX/] - for snatch and clean & jerk: https://huebner.shinyapps.io/GAMX_teams/ [https://huebner.shinyapps.io/GAMX_teams/] Excel workbooks for GAMX: https://osf.io/wy5mr/overview [https://osf.io/wy5mr/overview], folder GAMX v2.0 Original research papers: Huebner M, Cole T. Ranking performances of Olympic-style weightlifters adjusted for body mass on the same scale for both sexes: A novel approach. http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2024.2423138 [http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2024.2423138] Huebner M, Lei R, Cole T. Comparing weightlifting performances of Masters athletes across age, body mass and sex from 2000 to 2025. Int J Sports Phys Performance. Published online 22 Apr 2026. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2025-0580 [https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2025-0580] ❤️ Join Evidence Strong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong [https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong] ▶️ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG] ✉️ Follow Marianne Huebner: 🔹 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marianne-Huebner [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marianne-Huebner] 💪 Follow Evidence Strong: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong [https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong] 🔹 https://x.com/EvidenceStrong [https://x.com/EvidenceStrong] All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

What Successful Split Jerks Have in Common — with Hideyuki Nagao

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/nailing-split-156930586 [https://www.patreon.com/posts/nailing-split-156930586] 🏋️‍♀️ We see this all the time: the lifter comes to the platform for a challenging lift and misses it, and then 2 minutes later, they come out again and nail it. What was the difference? Why was the first lift a failure, but the second one went through? Dr Hideyuki Nagao discusses the differences between the successful and unsuccessful split jerk he found in his recent study. Dr Nagao is a faculty member at Sakushin Gakuin University. His research focuses on sports biomechanics and exercise science. In weightlifting, Dr Nagao provides research support to the Japanese national weightlifting team. Enjoy! Original research paper: Nagao H, Kobatake N, Takemata T, Yamashita D, Kubo Y. Kinematic Comparison of Successful Split Jerk and Unsuccessful Frontward Barbell Drop Among Japanese National-Level Male Weightlifters. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2026 Feb 12;1(aop):1-8. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/aop/article-10.1123-ijspp.2025-0193/article-10.1123-ijspp.2025-0193.xml [https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/aop/article-10.1123-ijspp.2025-0193/article-10.1123-ijspp.2025-0193.xml] ❤️ Join Evidence Strong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong [https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong] ▶️ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG] 🖼️ Weightlifting research infographics: https://evidencestrong.com [https://evidencestrong.com] ✉️ Follow Hideyuki Nagao: 🔹 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hideyuki-Nagao-4 [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hideyuki-Nagao-4] 🔹 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8970-8686 [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8970-8686] 💪 Follow Evidence Strong: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong [https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong] 🔹 https://x.com/EvidenceStrong [https://x.com/EvidenceStrong] All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

Is the Vitruve Device Actually Accurate for VBT? With Juan Garcia Lopez

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/testing-vitruve-155731374 [https://www.patreon.com/posts/testing-vitruve-155731374] 🏋️‍♀️ In this episode, Dr. Juan Garcia Lopez discusses his recent study on the usefulness of the Vitruve device for measuring velocity. This study measured velocity during bench presses at various loads over a few weeks of strength training. Juan has a PhD in Sport Sciences and has been a full professor of Sports Biomechanics at the University of León (Faculty of Sport Sciences, Spain) for over 25 years. His research focuses on two main areas: biomechanical analysis of sport performance (particularly in cyclic sports) and the validation of devices for recording biomechanical variables (power, force, velocity, etc.). Juan also serves as the Head of the AMREDyS Research Group at the University of León. Enjoy! Original research paper: Justo-Álvarez A, García-López J, Sabido R, García-Valverde A. Validity of a New Portable Sensor to Measure Velocity-Based Resistance Training. Methods and Protocols. 2025 Jan 20;8(1):9. https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9279/8/1/9 [https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9279/8/1/9] ❤️ Join Evidence Strong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong [https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong] ▶️ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG] 🖼️ Weightlifting research infographics: https://evidencestrong.com [https://evidencestrong.com] ✉️ Follow Juan Garcia Lopez: 🔹 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan-Garcia-Lopez-3 [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan-Garcia-Lopez-3] 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/juan_biomech [https://www.instagram.com/juan_biomech] 🔹 https://www.youtube.com/@juangarcia-lopez6409 [https://www.youtube.com/@juangarcia-lopez6409] 🔹 https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=L9JtffEAAAAJ [https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=L9JtffEAAAAJ] 💪 Follow Evidence Strong: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong [https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong] 🔹 https://x.com/EvidenceStrong [https://x.com/EvidenceStrong] All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

Can You Lift Heavy While Pregnant? What Research Shows – with Therese Fostervold Mathisen

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/heavy-lifting-in-154192033 [https://www.patreon.com/posts/heavy-lifting-in-154192033] 🏋️‍♀️ This is one of the first prospective studies monitoring in real time how the heavy lifting influences pregnancy and postpartum. Therese Fostervold Mathisen comes on the Evidence Strong Show to discuss the survey study she has run for two years in Norway, comparing physically active pregnant women with women who specifically lifted heavy weights in pregnancy. Therese is a former national-level powerlifter in Norway (1994-2000). She is a sports dietitian and exercise physiologist with a PhD in sports medicine. As a professor in health science, her research interests include female athletes, exercise as medicine, REDs, eating disorders, athletes' mental health, and athletes' physical health. Enjoy! Original research paper(s): Mathisen TF, Hubin A, Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen J. Safety of heavy resistance exercise during pregnancy and postpartum: A controlled, prospective cohort study. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. 2025 Jun 26;33(1). https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/33/1/article-wspaj.2025-0010.xml [https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/33/1/article-wspaj.2025-0010.xml] Strong Bodies, Unclear Guidelines—Navigating Pregnancy and Postpartum Without Tailored Resistance Exercise Guidelines https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/34/1/article-wspaj.2025-0112.xml [https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/34/1/article-wspaj.2025-0112.xml] ❤️ Join Evidence Strong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong [https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong] ▶️ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG] 🖼️ Weightlifting research infographics: https://evidencestrong.com [https://evidencestrong.com] ✉️ Follow Therese Fostervold Mathisen: 🔹 https://www.linkedin.com/in/therese-f-mathisen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/therese-f-mathisen/] 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/theresefm/ [https://www.instagram.com/theresefm/] 💪 Follow Evidence Strong: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong [https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong] 🔹 https://x.com/EvidenceStrong [https://x.com/EvidenceStrong] All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

Does Menstrual Cycle Affect Elite Weightlifters? New Study with Paul Schatz

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/menstrual-cycle-and-strength-154135570 [https://www.patreon.com/posts/menstrual-cycle-and-strength-154135570] 🏋️‍♀️ Paul Schatz conducted a six-month study with elite German female weightlifters, measuring their menstrual cycle and strength performance. It's such an interesting study because, although the study sample is relatively small, the research methods are solid. Paul is a PhD student at the German Sports University investigating the influence of the menstrual cycle on performance in athletes. Enjoy! Original research paper: Schatz P, Ullrich F, Siegert F, Legerlotz K, Diel P, Isenmann E. Interactions between menstrual cycle, training load and strength performance in elite female weightlifters. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2026 Jan 16. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244026000034 [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244026000034] ❤️ Join Evidence Strong Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong [https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong] ▶️ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9L-_m0WGD_7xV0sf87Zy7oMVDdtqR3bG] 🖼️ Weightlifting research infographics: https://evidencestrong.com [https://evidencestrong.com] ✉️ Follow Paul Schatz: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/fit_byscience [https://www.instagram.com/fit_byscience] 💪 Follow Evidence Strong: 🔹 https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong [https://www.instagram.com/evidence_strong] 🔹 https://x.com/EvidenceStrong [https://x.com/EvidenceStrong] All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.