Over the past couple of years, Olympic Weightlifting and powerlifting have regained exposure. According to Josh Fly, the director of personal training at The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers in New York City, you can thank the popularity of CrossFit for the rising trend.
“One of the undeniable reasons for its resurgence in popularity is CrossFit,” said Fly. “In addition, the fitness industry has grown significantly in the last few years — especially in New York City — and with social media and Instagram, high-level strength and conditioning coaches and trainers have much greater exposure to the general population.”
According to Fly, the general population may be more interested in power and weightlifting for a number of reasons. “The benefits of powerlifting are increased strength,” explained Fly. “The benefits of Olympic Weightlifting are increased power and speed. Not to mention that both different styles of lifting require a high level of muscle recruitment and neurological support and put high levels of stimulus on the central nervous system.”
For those interested in weight and powerlifting, The Sports Center founded the Chelsea Piers New York (CPNY) Weightlifting Club, which launched in November 2014. “So far we have a group of about eight to 10 serious lifters, and our official club currently has four registered athletes,” said Fly.
The program is fee-based, which follows Chelsea Piers’ model for specialized programs. “This allows for us to make it an official team and club experience by having t-shirts, competing in meets and competitions and giving it some more structure due to the fact that we have a budget for it,” explained Fly. “For our general population we offer intro classes and other opportunities to experience the coaching for free, as a way of promoting registration and participation in the club.”
As with all of The Sports Center’s classes, power and weightlifting coaches are required to have the proper certifications. “The head coach of the CPNY Weightlifting Club has the USA Weightlifting Coaches Certification,” said Fly. “In addition, most of our coaches carry multiple nationally accredited certifications as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise science.”
Although some of your members may be intimidated by power or weightlifting, Fly believes both practices are something that every-day gym goers should incorporate into their routines. “When done properly, Olympic Weightlifting can not only help you become more powerful, but it can help with your overall mobility,” said Fly. “All athletes should incorporate both powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting into their programs.”
When considering launching a power or weightlifting class, Fly had a few suggestions to keep in mind. “It is necessary to have the right amount of space and equipment to make the experience genuine and safe,” he said. “Also, Olympic Weightlifting is very technical and specialized — it’s not just a way of working out. It’s a sport of its own and sometimes people don’t recognize that it take lots of time, focus, practice and coaching to refine your skills and progress in a safe and effective way.”
However, if done correctly, both forms of lifting can be beneficial to your members.
By Rachel Zabonick, Editor of Club Solutions Magazine
