The Facts:

Weightlifting is a sport comprised of two lifts, both done with a barbell, in which the Athlete/Lifter attempts to lift as much weight as possible over their head. The two lifts are known as the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk, and are performed in this same order in competitions. The athlete has three attempts for each lift.

The Snatch is a single movement lift in which the lifter attempts to lift as much as possible over their head from a starting point resting on the floor. The snatch generally uses a wide grip, used to shorten the range of motion of the lift and to add stability. The lifter starts in a 'squat' position. The lifter pulls the weight off the floor, 'jumps' with the weight hanging in his or her hands, then quickly moves underneath the bar and 'catches' the weight. The lifter now has to 'recover', by standing into a full standing/erect position, with the weight under control.

The Clean and Jerk is a two-movement lift. First, the athlete lifts, or 'cleans', the weight off the floor and up to the chest/shoulder region, where it rests for a short period of time (undetermined amount - usually when the lifter composes himself for the final hoist) until it is 'jerked'. The Jerk, the 2nd portion of the lift, is completed by the lifter 'jumping' while the weight is still resting on their shoulders, and simultaneously the weight moves upward and overhead, the lifter quickly moves underneath the barbell and locks their arms out to 'full extension'. After the lifter 'catches' the weight at the top, they then recover to a full standing position, and the lift is complete.

Weightlifting Competitions are divided into 8 weight classes for men and 7 weight classes for women. The weight classes are as follows:

Men (in kg) - 56, 62, 69, 77, 85, 94, 105, and 105+.
Women (in kg) - 48, 53, 58, 63, 69, 75, and 75+

The Lifters in each weight class compete for the biggest 'total', or combination of their highest successful lifts at both the snatch and clean and jerk, in which the lifter gets 3 attempts at each. In a case where two lifters finish with the same total, the victory goes to the lifter who weighs less.

The Extras:

The two weightlifting movements, the snatch and the clean and jerk, as well as variations of both, are some of the most commonly used movements in athletic development. This is especially true in sports such as football, where explosiveness and speed are much more important that pure brute strength, which a movement like the squat or dead lift can or will provide.

Weightlifting is also the only strength sport that takes place in the Olympics. It is also one of the oldest ongoing sports that still takes place in the Olympics. The Olympics are the prized event for weightlifters; however there is also an annual world championships held by the International Weightlifting Federation

Weightlifting is a very popular sport in many Asian and European countries, and top-level lifters are often lift professionally. These lifters are often the best in the world, as training environments and resources are top-notch and nationally-funded.

Getting Involved:

Within Canada, there are numerous provincial affiliates through which individuals can get involved in the sport of weightlifting:

Manitoba Weightlifting Association
Ontario Weightlifting Association
British Columbia Weightlifting Association
Semi Weightlifting Club
Newfoundland Weightlifting Association
Federation d'Halterophilie du Quebec
Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association

Becoming a member of your provincial affiliate is the first step towards training and competing. The most suggested method is to find a coach who can teach you the technical aspects of the lifts as well as some of the lesser known secrets of the sport or a club to train at where you can learn the same things.

Once you are involved in the sport, the obvious stages that follow are trying to make it through regional, provincial, and someday national and international meets. Most stages of competition have minimum qualifying standards, or totals. The minimum standard changes every few years and is adjusted statistically by the IWF. Alberta, however, has its own classification system based on the IWF's same numbers, and can be found here.

Additionally:

As previously stated, athletes in training often use variations of the Weightlifting movements, and none are more commonly heralded as an asset to strength and exclusivity as the Power Clean.

The Power Clean is just like the clean portion of the Clean and Jerk, however it differs in that the athlete cleans the weight to the shoulder position without going into a full squat in order to 'catch' the weight. The Power Clean requires great explosive strength and plenty of accuracy and agility to boot, and is not for the weak of... muscles.

A demonstration of the Power Clean can be found here.