Visit the LTAD web site at LTAD.ca.

LTAD – Long Term Athlete Development

1. Is based on the physical, mental, emotional, and cognitive development of children and adolescents. Each stage reflects a different point in athlete development.
2. Ensures physical literacy* upon which excellence can be built
3. Builds physical literacy in all children, from early childhood to late adolescence by promoting quality daily physical activity in the schools and a common approach to developing physical abilities through community recreation and elite sport programs.
4. Recognizes the need to involve all Canadians in LTAD, including athletes with a disability.
5. Ensures that optimal training, competition, and recovery programs are provided throughout an athlete’s career. provides an optimal competition structure for the various stages of an athlete’s development.
6. Provides an optimal competition structure for the various stages of an athlete’s development.
7. Has an impact on the entire sport continuum, including participants, parents, coaches, schools, clubs, community recreation programs, provincial sport organizations (PSOs), national sport organizations (NSOs), sport science specialists, municipalities, and several government ministries and departments (particularly but not exclusively in the portfolios of health and education) at the provincial/territorial and federal levels.
8. Integrates elite sport, community sport and recreation, scholastic sport, and physical education in schools.
9. Is ‘Made in Canada’, recognizing international best practices, research, and normative data.
10. Supports the four goals of the Canadian Sport Policy — Enhanced Participation, Enhanced Excellence, Enhanced Capacity, and Enhanced Interaction — and reflects a commitment to contribute to the achievement of these goals.
11. Promotes a healthy, physically literate nation whose citizens participate in lifelong physical activity.

*Physical literacy refers to competency in fundamental motor skills and fundamental sport skills.

The Olympic Weightlifting LTAD Model/Plan is in the process of being developed. Here are some examples of the content and what it may look like.

What are the stages of development of a Weightlifter?

The following is the first attempt at identifying the stages of development for a Canadian Olympic Weightlifter. This is based on international research linked to the Canadian LTAD Model. The Weightlifting LTAD Work Group is gathering further information to verify these stages. The primary consideration is the Training Age, second is developmental age and then the chronological age.

The primary focus of this chart is training age in relation to objectives outlined at each LTAD stage. Therefore chronological age is a secondary guide. i.e. basic technique acquisition could occur at the age of 10 years old or at 14 years old. Therefore this recognizes the requirement to individualize training programs based on ‘training age’ and ‘developmental age’.

Specific program design with relation to training age considering:

• Training Age incl. General sport training and Olympic Weightlifting age
• Developmental age = PHV related
  • Maturation = early, average and late maturers
• Chronological age
• Skeletal age
• Mental, Cognitive and Emotional age

In the future, annual periodized plans will be developed based on ‘training age’. Those plans will have to be adapted by Weightlifting coach considering the other ‘ages’ of the athlete. Once adaptations are completed the coach will have an individualized training program specific to an athlete needs.

Competition Structure

Coaching Pathway

Requirements to be an Olympic Weightlifting Coach:

• Olympic weightlifting athlete experience is strong benefit
• Study under an experienced Olympic Weightlifting Coach
• Demonstrated proficiency in the development of athletes (are the athletes demonstrating proper technique)
• A sport science degree can be an asset

(Minimum certification required)