My China Camp Experience with Ma Weightlifting

An inside look at training, travel, and life at a Chinese Olympic Weightlifting camp

If you’re thinking about attending or just curious about what goes on at the Ma Weightlifting China Camp, I’d love to share my experience. I’ve attended the last three Ma Weightlifting camps—two in the winter and one in the summer—and each time has been intense, educational, and unforgettable.

As someone who has trained Olympic weightlifting as an amateur for over 10 years while juggling school and work, I can confidently say that these camps pushed me to a new level—not just physically, but mentally and technically too.

In this reflection, I’ll cover what you can expect, the highlights, a few challenges, and how we’ve made each camp better than the last.

What to Expect at Camp

Each day is carefully structured to help you make the most of your training and recovery. Here’s a typical daily schedule:

• 7:00 AM – Wake-up

• 7:30 AM – Breakfast

• 8:30 AM – Morning Training

  • Dynamic warm-up

  • Mobility drills

  • Technical seminar

  • Technical practice (snatch / clean & jerk focus)

• 11:45 AM – 2:30 PM – Lunch + Nap / Recovery

• 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Afternoon Training

  • Warm-up

  • More intense technical and strength work

  • Bodybuilding and accessories for weightlifting

• 6:00 PM – Dinner

• Evening – Optional recovery, group activities, or personal downtime

Traveling to the Camp

My first time flying to the camp, I traveled nearly 30 hours from the U.S.—and went straight into training. That was rough. My body felt tight, sluggish, and jet-lagged. Thankfully, Coach Ma was at the airport to personally greet me and organize the ride to camp. The warm welcome (and a hot bowl of noodles) made all the difference.

Pro tip: If you’re flying in from far away, I highly recommend arriving a day or two early in a major Chinese city. Rest up, visit a 24-hour sauna, walk around, eat well, and let your body adjust. It makes a huge difference.

If it’s your first time in China, no worries—transportation from the airport can be arranged for you. Once you arrive at the camp, we’ll kick things off with a welcome meeting and mobility session to prep your body for the days ahead.

The Training

Training is divided into two sessions each day, with a clear focus and progression:

Morning Sessions

• Emphasis on movement quality, flexibility, and coordination

• Technical drills for the snatch and clean & jerk

• Plyometrics, activation work, and learning Chinese-style technique

Afternoon Sessions

• More intensity

• Lifting heavy while maintaining technical precision

• Supervised by Coach Ma and his team—like a pro-level training environment

Each lifter is coached individually, regardless of level. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, Coach Ma breaks things down clearly and directly.

Food

Honestly, the food deserves its own post. We eat in the on-site cafeteria with all-you-can-eat meals made fresh daily. The meals are clean, balanced, and absolutely delicious—exactly what a lifter needs to recover.

I’ve gained weight at every camp, and not because of junk food—just from eating plenty of quality Chinese home-style dishes.

If you have any allergies or dietary needs, just let the team know in advance and accommodations can be made.

Sightseeing and Weekend Travel

One of the best parts of the camp is the cultural exploration on the weekends. This past year in Zhejiang, we took trips to:

• Hangzhou Zoo – to see the pandas 🐼

• Wuhu – Coach Ma’s hometown

• Nanjing – historic parks and dinner with former Olympic athletes

• Suzhou – famous for its beautiful gardens and architecture

These trips are more than just sightseeing—they let you experience the culture behind Chinese weightlifting and connect with the people and places that shape it.

Final Thoughts

The Ma Weightlifting China Camp is so much more than a training camp. It’s a deep dive into the philosophy, discipline, and community behind one of the world’s most successful Olympic weightlifting systems.

There are definitely challenges: jet lag, sore muscles, and long days. But with every camp, we’ve made improvements—from scheduling to bodywork support to clearer communication—so every participant feels guided, supported, and challenged in the right ways.

If you’re serious about Olympic weightlifting and want to learn from the source, I highly recommend it. You’ll leave stronger, smarter, and with unforgettable memories—on and off the platform.