If you’re new to weightlifting then you most likely don’t understand how awesome competition is. You might even fear it. I can tell you right now that nothing beats having an official total and going to a meet and making some new connections with people that are like minded from different clubs. It’s great! Here is a bunch of reasons why competing in your first competition will be the first of many. Pic above: Kristen, Jimboomba Barbell Club, competing in her first competitio

People put all of their efforts into the gym, some train hours per day. Others are in the frame of mind that it all comes down to what you eat, they meal prep and count calories and are usually pretty lean. Both of these approaches combined are a great way of taking your fitness (and weightlifting) to the next level but there is one major key component missing in this link and if it isn't addressed then this whole structure that is your training life will fall apart. Fast. M

Making weight for a meet is tough. Often an athlete will leave it to the last minute to try to cut weight in order to make it into their weight class and this is a common mistake. Big weight loss two weeks out Let's get one thing sorted straight out of the gates, if you need to cut weight for a meet don't try to leave it 2 weeks out to cut 5+kgs. While it is possible to do so, it doesn't mean that you should do it and it definitely isn't an option that is good for your body.

Crossfitters always ask how often they should spend just on weightlifting each week. The answer is always one they don't like hearing because it's less than what they'd like it to be. Weight lifting is fun and we want to do it all the time but if you're a CrossFitter you need a different approach to get those pr’s. So how many should you be doing? One or two sessions per week. That's it. This is for 90% of the CrossFit population. We're not all going to the Games and for mos

Pulling? Or pushing Pulling the bar from the ground. I’ve often thought that the term used for lifting the bar off the ground was a little misguided. Our legs will only pull on something if we achieve flexion at the knee - bending the knee - (and sometimes at the hip). You don't flex your knees and hips to stand up, you extend them - straighten them. In the Olympic lifts we're generally standing up aggressively with the bar. Just stand up...with a push Let's try and change t

General physical preparedness (GPP) is valuable to a weightlifter. Why? GPP generally relates to your fitness level. I can hear you already… “dude, I'm a weightlifter. I don't need to run”. You're right, you don't need to run but you do need to be able to get oxygen to your muscles efficiently. This unfortunately means that you'll have to get your heart rate up regularly, work on flexibility as well as working on those strength gains. If you want your body to adapt to the ch

In short, no. Weightlifting is a sport that will help keep your body in the best shape of your life as you age. It is a sport that can be done recreationally or competitively. Weightlifters (recreational or competitive) see great increases in strength, confidence and mobility which help individuals in their everyday lives. As we get older our bodies need more emphasis on load bearing exercise and less focus on cardiovascular exercise to help our bones stay strong. Why is th