Who we are
If you’re looking for Olympic Weightlifting coaching in Kokomo, youth athletic training, or a strength gym near you, Methods Weightlifting is here to help you grow stronger, more skilled, and more confident — no matter your starting point.
At Methods Weightlifting, we combine expert Olympic lifting instruction with a strong focus on accountability, personalized guidance, and a welcoming fitness community. Our USAW-certified coaches offer more than just programming—they provide hands-on support to help you stay consistent, push past plateaus, and master technique with confidence. Whether you're working toward a weightlifting competition, enhancing athletic performance, or just starting your barbell journey, you'll be surrounded by athletes and coaches who genuinely care about your progress. With structured goal setting, regular check-ins, and small group sessions, we help lifters stay motivated and connected. Our gym isn’t just a place to lift—it’s a place to grow stronger, together. Experience what makes us one of the top Olympic weightlifting training centers for athletes of all levels.
To learn more about us, please enjoy Kokomo Post’s “Kokomo Uncovered” episode (left) on Methods!
Meet the Trainer:
Matthew King
Born and raised in Russiaville, I’ve been passionate about strength training and Olympic weightlifting for over a decade. I hold a degree in Exercise Science, am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach.
As a 3x National Champion in Olympic weightlifting, I know firsthand what it takes to set big goals, stay disciplined, and push through challenges. But my real passion is helping others do the same — whether that’s stepping onto a competition platform, improving athletic performance, or simply feeling stronger and more confident in everyday life.
At Methods Weightlifting, I coach athletes of all ages and experience levels, from complete beginners to seasoned competitors. I believe in combining expert technique instruction with a focus on accountability, smart programming, and a supportive community.
When I’m not coaching or training, you can probably find me… well, still in the gym, tinkering with programs, watching lifting videos, or maybe reading.
Olympic weightlifting:
What is it?
Olympic Weightlifting is often called the most athletic sport. Its a sport that is extremely demanding in the realm of strength, power, speed, flexibility and tenacity. Competitions consist of the combined total of two lifts:
The Snatch – lifting the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion.
The Clean & Jerk – lifting the bar from the ground to the shoulders (clean), then from the shoulders to overhead (jerk).
Unlike general weight training, Olympic Weightlifting demands a high level of precision, speed, flexibility and athleticism. It’s both a sport and a training method used by athletes worldwide to build real-world strength and power. In addition to the competition lifts, olympic weightlifters require impressive squats, deadlifts, presses etc.
A brief History
Weightlifting has ancient roots, going back to rituals and athletic contests in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China. In its modern form, Olympic Weightlifting debuted in the 1896 Athens Olympics and has remained a staple of the Games ever since. The sport has evolved dramatically, with men’s and women’s divisions, strict international standards, and competitions held globally under the guidance of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and USA Weightlifting (USAW). The way we see the snatch and clean and jerk performed in competition today grew out of the standards of the lifts from the original olympics. Gradually athletes and coaches grew in their understanding of technique, programming and coaching in order to achieve higher results.
Methods and Beyond
Below features a FOX 59 news segment introducing Methods Weightlifting and general information about Olympic Weightlifting. Some of your questions may be answered in this video. If not, please refer to the FAQ in the next section or contact us!
FAQs
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Olympic Weightlifting incidentally is excellent for athletic performance, strength and conditioning, and flexibility . It improves:
Explosive strength for sports like football, wrestling, track and field, and martial arts.
Mobility and joint stability through full-range, controlled movements.
Posture and body awareness—you’ll learn to move with purpose and control.
Discipline and goal-setting, whether for health or competition.
Weightlifting is a sport in itself, but it’s so excellent for improving athletic performance that modern strength and conditioning programming is based off of research done for olympic weightlifting.
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Olympic Weightlifting competitions are exciting and straightforward once you understand the basics. Here’s how they run:
The Competition Format
Athletes are divided by age, gender, and weight class.
Each lifter gets three attempts in the snatch and three attempts in the clean & jerk.
The best successful lift in each is added together for a total.
The athlete with the highest total in their category wins.
What Happens at a Meet?
You’ll weigh in about 2 hours before lifting.
You’ll warm up under the guidance of a coach.
On the platform, you have 1 minute to complete your lift once your name is called.
Judges look for technical standards (locked elbows, standing upright, controlled movement).
How Are You Scored?
A lift must meet specific standards to count.
Three referees judge each lift; 2 out of 3 white lights means a successful attempt.
Your best snatch and best clean & jerk combine for your total.
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You don’t have to be an expert to compete. In fact, local competitions often include first-time lifters, youth athletes, and recreational competitors. Here’s how to get started:
Train consistently and develop basic technique.
Join USA Weightlifting (the national governing body).
Work with your coach to select an upcoming local meet.
Register online, show up, and give it your best.
At Methods Weightlifting, we guide you through the entire process—from preparing your lifts to helping you feel confident on meet day. Many of our lifters compete locally, regionally, or nationally—but you don’t have to compete if you don’t want to.
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Absolutely not. Competition is optional.
At Methods, we believe Olympic Weightlifting is for anyone—not just elite athletes. Some of our lifters train to get stronger, move better, or challenge themselves personally. Others go all-in for competition and national goals.
We’ll support your journey whether you want to:
Compete at a local meet,
Qualify for a national event,
Or just enjoy mastering a lifelong sport.
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You’ll start with the basics, focusing on movement quality and safe technique while doing basic strength training.
As you develop as an athlete your programming will be altered to suit your level and keep you progressing.
Our coaching is personal, hands-on, and encouraging—not bootcamp-style.
You’ll learn to train like an athlete and make steady, visible progress.
We also offer a $10 intro session every Saturday—a perfect, low-pressure way to try it out.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!