Learning Olympic weightlifting is largely a question of who is standing next to you. This August our members had a session on the platforms alongside two of Malaysia's best - both fresh off gold medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Whether you want to build functional power, sharpen athletic performance, or step onto a platform for the first time, our weightlifting classes in Petaling Jaya are built around world-class technique, proper equipment, and a room that wants you to get it right.
Meet the champions who lifted here
Having national record holders and gold medallists on the platform brings an insight no video can. Every athlete in the room takes something from a session like this - usually something small, and usually about position.
Muhammad Erry Hidayat - men's 79kg
Gold in the men's 79kg category with a 331kg total, taking the Games record with a 184kg clean & jerk. Erry carries a family legacy onto the platform: his father, Hidayat Hamidon, won Commonwealth gold for Malaysia in 1998.
Mohamad Syahmi Nor Ghazali - men's 94kg
Gold on his Commonwealth Games debut, with a 150kg snatch and a 197kg clean & jerk that broke the Games record, for a 347kg total.
Two gold medals, two Games records - and a session on the same platforms our members train on every week.
What Olympic weightlifting actually is
The sport is two lifts: the snatch and the clean & jerk. Everything else in a weightlifting programme exists to serve them.
The snatch
The fastest, most fluid movement in strength sport. In one continuous pull, the barbell travels from the floor to locked out overhead. It asks for explosive hip extension, a precise bar path, and genuine mobility through the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
The clean & jerk
Two movements inside one lift, built for maximum power output.
- The clean - the barbell is pulled explosively from the floor and caught across the front of the shoulders, in a deep squat or a front rack position.
- The jerk - leg drive and hip power send the bar overhead while the lifter drops under it into a split or a squat, then stands tall to finish.
What it gives you
Olympic weightlifting is far more than lifting something heavy. It is one of the most complete physical disciplines there is, and most of what it builds shows up away from the platform.
- Explosive strength and power - weightlifting trains the nervous system to recruit muscle fibres fast. Triple extension through the hips, knees and ankles builds power that carries into sprinting, jumping and ordinary daily effort.
- Speed and spatial awareness - moving a barbell quickly demands quick reflexes. Pulling under a heavy bar in a fraction of a second sharpens reaction time and body awareness.
- Joint health and mobility - correct mechanics require full range of motion. Systematic lifting strengthens tendons, ligaments and bone density while improving flexibility at the wrists, shoulders, hips and ankles.
- Coordination, balance and core stability - controlling a moving weight overhead makes the stabilising muscles work together, building deep core strength and dynamic balance.
- Mental resilience - complex movement under load demands focus and discipline. Learning to hold both develops a toughness that travels well beyond the gym.
Beginners are the point, not the exception
If barbell lifting has ever looked intimidating, our coaching is built to make it straightforward. Every weightlifting class at ANTS Training Club is beginner-friendly - we break complex movements into simple progressions, and beginners start with a PVC pipe or a light technique bar to build mechanics before any load goes on.
For intermediate lifters, competitive athletes, and coaches sharpening their own technique, the club has dedicated lifting platforms, LuXiaoJun equipment, and technical coaching aimed at getting you through a plateau safely.
Classes run through the week - see the full weekly schedule, or read more about how we run Olympic lifting at the club.
Come and take your first lift with us. Message the club to book a session and start on the platform.
See also: Olympic Lifting