The coaching staff researched and invented new training methods and weightlifting techniques.

"We adjusted the traditional training consisting of a few lessons with long class hours to more lessons with high intensity, which was a major innovation nationwide," said Xu Wuzhong of the Fujian Weightlifting Center.

The approach worked. In 1996, the Fujian weightlifting team won 19 gold medals in two competitions. From 1997 to 2001, the team has won the national team championship six consecutive times. In the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships, Fujian athletes won nine gold medals and set seven world records.