BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a priming training session with either a light or heavy load snatch and clean pulls on weightlifting performance. METHODS: Twelve well-trained weightlifters (seven males and five females) participated in the study. The athletes followed a counterbalanced study design comparing three treatments, including a day of rest (control) and two priming sessions involving two different weightlifting derivatives-the snatch and the clean pulls-which were performed either with 80% of the one-repetition maximum (1-RM) (LP) or with 110% of the 1-RM (HP). Twenty-four hours later, the 1-RM strength test for the snatch and clean and jerk, as well as the barbell kinematic characteristics at 100% of the 1-RM in the snatch and clean and jerk, were measured. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was measured following the priming sessions. RESULTS: Performance in snatch remained unchanged following the LP and HP. However, performance in the clean and jerk increased significantly by 3.1% following the HP compared to the control. No significant differences were observed in barbell kinematics. The RPE was significantly higher for HP compared to LP. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that an HP performed 24 h prior to the 1-RM evaluation in weightlifting may have significantly increased performance in the clean and jerk. These changes may not be explained by barbell kinematics.