I am a weightlifting coach and competitive athlete, but my introduction to weightlifting was by chance. I experimented with the sport out of a desire to try something new.

I was familiar with weightlifting to more of an extent than most, having studied it a little at university as an undergraduate in exercise and sports science. But the majority of my gym experience leading up that point was bodybuilding-type training. I had a keen interest in bodybuilding with the hope that someday I might step on stage. But the longer I pursued that goal, the more I realized that type of training and the lifestyle changes required for me to reach that goal were not something I wanted.

Working on my front squats at our gym.

However, from the moment I tried weightlifting, I knew it was something I could devote myself to doing. There was something satisfying about lifting heavy weight over my head in a fast, fluid movement. And based on my experience, I believe it is a sport that many women can benefit from, both physically and mentally.

The Beginning of My Love for Lifting

From my first exposure, my whole life went on to become about weightlifting. My coach guided me every step of the way and taught me more than what I could glean out of a textbook. I struggled immensely with my mobility and lack of flexibility, but my coach stuck with me throughout everything.

After a few years of hard training and study under my coach (who went on to become my husband), I opened up the Sydney-based weightlifting club Atletika Weightlifting. I have been fortunate enough to coach a lot of wonderful individuals across Sydney in various CrossFit gyms and sporting organizations, and this has taught me a great deal about tailoring movement to specificity.

“Something that is empowering to women who participate in weightlifting is that they are not judged on their appearance or if they have visible abs.”

Unfortunately, the sport of weightlifting in Sydney is still predominantly male in participation, which is something I am working towards changing. I feel that inappropriate stereotypes of female weightlifters and bodybuilders are partly responsible for this. With the growth and increasing popularity of CrossFit, weightlifting has received a great deal of exposure and seen an increase in interest from women.

There is a benefit I personally enjoy because of this increase in popularity – when I tell people I am a weightlifter, instead of being asked how much I can bench (to this day I have not tested that out), I get asked how much I can snatch or clean and jerk.

A Lifetime Student of Exercise

My education background is exercise and sports science. I am currently undertaking my masters in strength and conditioning while I work as a lecturer in fitness and exercise science. When I am not studying or working, you can find me training or coaching at my club.

In the classes I teach, there will almost always be a greater number of males than females. The reason for this is complex and something I would like to explore another time, but anecdotally, something I encounter frequently when teaching or coaching is a hesitation in the girls and women to participate in sports or activities that can be perceived as overtly masculine. Even as a personal trainer, when I would discuss with a potential female client that we would be implementing weight training, I would often be met with hesitation. I would get responses such as, “I don’t want to get bulky,” and “I don’t want to look like a man,” or, “Isn’t it dangerous for women to lift heavy?”

It has been a long road of learning, but weightlifting has become one of my biggest passions.

I will put it out there right now – it is difficult to achieve a “bulky” look through weight training without the appropriate training methods, as well as the diet to support it. Even if you were to train in this particular way, without the aid of things such as anabolic steroids, it would be difficult for a woman to achieve a masculine physique.

The thought behind heavy lifting being dangerous for women is archaic. Heavy lifting is dangerous for everyone – if done incorrectly. I have worked and trained with some of the strongest women in the world and would say the only thing dangerous about heavy lifting and women is how dangerously fast they are catching up to their male counterparts.

The Benefits of Weightlifting for Women

An increase in overall strength and muscle size as a result of resistance training is a benefit in itself. To those looking for an added boost to their diet and exercise program targeted at fat loss, resistance training can be that secret ingredient. Muscle mass requires more energy to maintain. Therefore, having a bigger increase in total muscle mass will increase your energy requirements and the likelihood that you will be using your food as a fuel source to increase your muscle size and subsequently decrease your fat stores.

“With the growth and increasing popularity of CrossFit, weightlifting has received a great deal of exposure and seen an increase in interest from women.”

Another key benefit for women undertaking any kind of resistance training is the positive affects it has with regards to our bone health. As women age, we are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. Resistance training (along with other medically approved treatment methods) can help prevent this condition from developing, as well as help slow further progression of the disease.

Gender Stereotypes In Weightlifting

When people envision a female weightlifter, perhaps they think immediately of the superheavy class where the women are large and powerful, perhaps even a little intimidating. You may be pleased to know that weightlifting is separated into weight divisions starting from 48kg (then moving up through 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg and 75kg+). A quick YouTube search will reveal women who look quite the opposite of the stereotype we may associate with female weightlifters.

The 48 kg weight class is an example that female weightlifters come in different shapes and sizes.

Female weightlifters possess highly desirable characteristics when it comes to athletic prowess. They are insanely strong relative to their body weight (think: two-times bodyweight clean and jerks and squats well over 200kg). In addition, they are extremely powerful and have speed beyond belief.

Something that is empowering to women who participate in weightlifting is that they are not judged on their appearance or if they have visible abs. The only thing that matters is the numbers on the board. If you ever wanted a sport that was more focused on seeing some serious weight being thrown overhead, rather than what tights and top you wear, this is it.

So I’ve given you a few good reasons to give weightlifting a try or even just resistance training. The next step would be to seek out a local club. As I mentioned, CrossFit has popularized the classic lifts (snatch, clean and jerk) so even if you can’t find a weightlifting club, your local CrossFit may be able to get you started on the right track.

Check out these related articles:

• 2 Myths About Women and Weight Lifting Debunked
• Women In Weight Sports, Part 1 – How It All Started
• We Are Not Victims of Our Bodies
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

The post Women and Weightlifting (And How I Fell In Love) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Theory Behind Red Plates

When I visit gyms, I can almost always guarantee all of the 10kg, 15kg, and 20kg plates look like they have seen better days. It’s not surprising that they get used more regularly. Particularly in CrossFit gyms, where workouts may have high volume in snatches or cleans and the prescribed weight will be in the 35-60kg range, which doesn’t require any plate above 20kg.

And what I also often see is a stack of 25kg plates sitting in the corner with little wear and tear – sometimes, even dust settled on them. I have seen this in my own gym where every color but red (the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) sanctioned color for the 25kg plate) seems to be in frequent use.

“What I often see is a stack of 25kg plates sitting in the corner with little wear and tear – sometimes, even dust settled on them.”

I have a theory on this, and I am confident it has a lot to do with the fact that big, thick, heavy plates – in particular those colored red – make people nervous. I often encourage my students to use the red plates as soon as they are able, and frequently I am met with hesitation or a comment about the reds being “heavy.” And I think to my own coach’s words: “Stop being scared! It’s the same weight!”

So, What’s the Difference?

Why does this matter? As long as the bar has the right weight on it, why should it matter what color or weight plates you use to get there? In short, it doesn’t necessarily have an immediate detrimental impact. However, there are a couple of things to consider:

• A barbell’s longevity can be improved by loading the appropriate numbered and weighted plates onto it. A 25kg plate is designed to absorb the drop from an overhead height while absorbing the majority of the contact and minimizing the vibration on the barbell. A barbell loaded with multiple lower-weighted plates will increase the amount of shock and vibration the bar is subjected to.
• Plate longevity is affected by both the surface you are dropping onto as well as the composition of the plate itself. A 25kg plate is designed to absorb the impact of being dropped (the Eleiko red 25kg plate is tested for 5,000 drops). It will absorb a drop from overhead on its own, and better than two to three plates of an equivalent total weight.

In short, the fewer plates you use for your lift, the less damage to both the barbell and the plate.

Why Red Should Matter to Athletes

Unless you are a gym owner, this may not be something you think about or care about. So, as an athlete, does it really matter if you are using a green 10kg and a yellow 15kg to load your bar to 65kg?

If you are planning on competing in weightlifting in the future or planning on competing in a CrossFit competition that will have a ladder of some sort, then it definitely matters.

“In competition, you will never have the ability to choose what color plates or how many are loaded.”

In weightlifting competition, as soon as the bar reaches above 70kg for women and 75kg for men, the bar must be loaded with 25kg red plates (and two 2.5kg steel collars). Although it is common to see blue plates in CrossFit competition, the increase in weights lifted by the athletes in general has meant the number of red 25kg plates is also increasing on competition days.

Psychologically, we get comfortable with where we train, what we train on, and whom we train with. We find it easier to throw a 10kg plate on either side of our bar to make it 65kg, rather than unload the bar and place one 25kg plate on. Besides, two plates looks better than one, right?

Although this may seem harmless and convenient, you are doing yourself more harm than good. In competition, you will never have the ability to choose what color plates or how many are loaded. Your bar will always be loaded with the minimum amount of plates to reach your attempted weight. So, if you know that about the competition scenario, you should train how you’re going to compete for the psychological benefit that will have.

See Red in Your Future

During the time I have spent coaching and lifting, I have found myself pushing my athletes to use the reds as soon as possible. I have a few reasons:

• It settles my athletes. Using the plates allows my athletes to get used to seeing red on the bar and not freaking out about it.
• It simulates the competition environment. The closer to a competition environment you can get in training, the less jitters you will have on game day and the better performance outcome.
• It intimidates the competition. This might seem unusual, but nothing gets peoples’ attention like someone throwing red plates on the bar with little hesitation or worry.

Having pushed myself and my athletes to do this, I find the results speak for themselves. All of my athletes show more confidence in handling the bar. Our equipment is also faring better. And overall, the transfer from the training platform to the competition platform has been smoother. There is no fear of seeing red plates on the bar anymore.

Give It a Try

At the end of the day, what matters is the weight on the bar. But the way you go about loading that weight can be important to the long-term athlete and the psychological development of the individual.

Consider, the next time you train, which color plates are you going to use? Perhaps its time to dust off those 25kg reds.

Read more on lifting:

• Women and Weightlifting (and How I Fell In Love)
• The Benefits of Weightlifting Meets for Specific Skill Levels
• Why to Include Weightlifting in Your Warm Ups
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Jorge Huerta Photography.

The post Why Red Should Be Your Favorite Color on the Barbell appeared first on Breaking Muscle.