This will be an extremely pedantic post, and one that I am terribly sorry to have to write.
It turns out these are two very different things.
(you might lift more weight the second way, which is why they are separate events.
Each lifters best snatch and best clean and jerk are added together to find out who wins.)
Weight lifting, two words, refers to the action of lifting a weightany weight.
In 1972, one of them (the clean and press) was dropped from competition.
This leaves the two-lift sport we know and love today.
(We alldolove it, right?
It’s our favorite?
The idea of lifting weights for fun and health didn’t become popular untilafterthe competitive sport became established.
(Thus was born powerlifting.)
Other offshoots chose names, too.
you’ve got the option to also, of course, just lift weights.
you’ve got the option to, if you must, call it weight lifting.
This is the best we have for now.
