How to get started with weightlifting

Weightlifting can seem pretty intimidating to some people. Here’s how you can get started.

These days there’s a surge in health awareness and fitness. Going to the gym and working out is no longer just for athletes or health buffs. Whether it’s Zumba, circuit training, mixed martial arts or yoga, there is a fitness regimen for you.

One of the fitness activities people are usually interested is weightlifting. Not only is it one of the main exercises in the gym, it is also an officially sanctioned event in the SEA Games and the Olympics! It’s also a source of Pinoy pride, since Hidilyn Diaz was hailed as an Olympic medalist in the weightlifting category in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Weightlifting can seem pretty intimidating to some people. Some guys might want to lift too heavy weights right away. Women are afraid of bulking up. So we talked to Alay Magno, an avid climber and a competitive weightlifter.

How did you get started on your weightlifting journey?

Most enthusiasts of weightlifting get their first taste of the bar in Crossfit, where Olympic weightlifting lifts are part of the skills incorporated in the program. This is because the founders of Crossfit believe that the two lifts, Snatch and Clean & Jerk, incorporate a lot of the aspects of fitness, from raw pulling strength, raw pushing strength, power (explosiveness and speed under weight), movement and mobility (hip, shoulder), balance, coordination. It also trains the mind to focus, because there’s nothing more daunting than throwing heavy weights overhead.

I came to it from different movement sports: capoeira, arnis and climbing. With these sports, in order to perform well, I needed to have a wide vocabulary of movements. 

Weightlifting, in a way, is antithetical to that. It has a simple premise: to bring the bar overhead. But there’s a really complex journey to achieve that. It involves so many things happening in a split-second: you pull the deadlift, explode up, pull yourself under, squat up, balance the bar on top. So it requires that you hack your body to get used to these transitions. That journey swings from graceful ballet-like movement, to an aggressive catch where you make sure you dominate the bar and not the other way around. You also can’t mix the two, being violent in the pull and then soft in the catch. 

The yin-yang-like interplay attracted me, and made me want to conquer the movement.

The sport part is: who can bring the heaviest bar overhead? Crossfit succeeded in making this a spectator sport by including it in workout competitions, and that’s what encouraged people to try it out. If you’re just watching, weightlifting events seem pretty boring. But when you start to empathize with the athletes, you understand how much of an athletic endeavor it is, how it’s one of the purest expressions of athleticism.

What advice would you give to a newcomer to the sport?

Seek out good coaches. The lifts are complex and it’s easy to get wrong. Doing it really badly and increasing weight before you deserve to could get you injured. That’s why a lot of strength and conditioning coaches avoid these two lifts, even if they’re some of the most complete exercises around.

A Crossfit class would be a good start. Also there are tons of resources out now, because of its rising popularity. You can look at a lot of Instagram accounts, YouTube channels and podcasts.

Is is possible to train at home? What sort of equipment do we need?

It’s rare to see weightlifters with their own equipment at home, most such equipment is just body building stuff. Weightlifting equipment is really basic: a bar, plates, and a platform. But it can be a hassle to train at home. The sport requires that you drop the bar all the time, and that can get really noisy. Luckily, all crossfit gyms are built for weightlifting by default, and those are usually accessible now.

How do we know if we are ready to compete? What events can we join as amateurs?

Once you consistently hit some numbers, it’s a good idea to join meets. The point is not to win. That shouldn’t be your goal, not for a long time. But being exposed to the feeling and the experience of lifting in front of three judges is irreplaceable. Also, it’s sort of an unspoken rule that because the lifts are done by non-lifters as conditioning exercise, it is only when you join a competition that you can call yourself a weightlifter. 

Lately, because of the rising popularity of the sport, there are regular meets that are open to amateurs. It’s best to train under a gym and a coach before you compete.

Are there any specific gyms or programs that you recommend?

Most Crossfit gyms that are visible in events usually have good weightlifting programs. There are also pure weightlifting coaches like Coach Pep of Pep Project. He’s been trying to promote the sport to young kids in hopes that we can produce more olympic level lifters.

Have you ever tried weightlifting? Got any tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments!