## 2 Materials and Methods
### Procedures  
The snatch and clean and jerk were tested within the same training session two weeks prior to the international competition within the tapering period and corresponded to a programmed performance monitoring session. Snatch, clean, and jerk lifts have been described previously [1; 16]. The training session was developed as a competition mock; therefore, subjects started by performing the snatch, followed by the clean and jerk. Briefly, subjects started the warm-up by performing self-selected mobility drills and multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, overhead press, overhead snatch, and snatch balance) with barbell mass only. Subjects then performed the vertical jumps described in the next section. After that, the subjects rested for approximately 5 min and performed a self-selected incremental loading protocol, replicating their competition-specific warm-up, to achieve the heaviest load during the snatch exercise. After the snatch, subjects rested for approximately 5 min and replicated a similar self-selected incremental loading protocol for the clean and jerk. All subjects were encouraged and supervised by the national weightlifting coach during all the submaximal and maximal attempts. Weightlifting performance was recorded in absolute (i.e., kg) and relative to body mass (i.e., kg/kg) forms. Front and back squat exercises were tested in different training sessions two weeks prior to the international competition within the tapering period and corresponded to a programmed performance monitoring session. Front and back squat exercises were tested at the beginning of the training session, as a primary exercise, after a general warm-up and a self-selected incremental loading protocol. The 1 RM assessment started from a near-maximal load (95% of self-estimated 1 RM), and each successful attempt was followed by an increment of the load of 2.5-5.0% until the 1 RM was reached, allowing a maximum of five 1 RM attempts, in accordance with the NSCA guidelines [9]. Subjects rested for 4 to 5 min between attempts. In the front and back squat, the barbell was taken out from a rack, and the subject's feet were shoulder-width apart, with their toes pointing forward and slightly outward. In the front squat, subjects positioned the barbell on their shoulders, in the front rack position, with extended wrists and flexed elbows. In the back squat, the barbell was placed in a high bar position because it is the style frequently used by weightlifters and had to remain in constant contact with the shoulders, whereas the feetwere required to maintain contact with the floor [9; 13; 19]. Front and back squat maximum strengths were recorded in absolute (i.e., kg) and relative to body mass (i.e., kg/kg) forms. The ballistic capabilities of the weightlifters were evaluated using vertical jump tests, specifically the CMJ and DSJ, on a force plate (Figure 1). Subjects performed three CMJs and DSJs, randomized with an approximately 1 min rest between each trial. For the CMJ, subjects stood upright and still on the force plate (Hawkin Dynamics Inc., Westbrook, ME, USA) with their feet positioned hip-width apart and their hands akimo. To the audible beep signal of the connected software, subjects performed a CMJ to a self-selected depth and were instructed to \"jump as high and as fast as possible\" [7; 12]. For the DSJ, subjects were asked to remain still on the force plate in a deep squat position, with their feet shoulder-width apart and their toes pointed forward or slightly outwards [6]. To the audible beep signal of the connected software, subjects performed the DSJ without any countermovement after maintaining the deep squat position to avoid taking advantage of elastic energy storage [6]. A wooden dowel was placed across the shoulders to eliminate the contribution of the arms during the DSJ. The force-time metrics selected for both jumps to assess ballistic capabilities were jump height, propulsive net impulse, and peak propulsive power, based on the previous literature [4; 6; 7; 12].