Description

 

University of Bristol Lifting Club

 

 

Hello and Welcome to University of Bristol Lifting Club! We are a team of students passionate about Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting and more generally Strength Training and going to the gym. From complete novices up to international level lifting, we have something for everyone. As a club we aim to create a supportive environment to learn from one another and build a community of people with like-minded interests.

 

Please check out the "Resources" link at the top of this page to view our handbook and policies for '24-'25.

 

 

 

What is Powerlifting?

 

Powerlifting is a sport comprised of three lifts: the squat, the bench and the deadlift. Competitors have three attempts at each lift, with the goal to have the highest total in that weight class. For more information please see this useful guide put out by British Powerlifting: https://www.britishpowerlifting.org/powerlifting.

 

There are many ways to get involved with powerlifting in the club whether you are completely new to the sport or have some experience. We host a mock powerlifting competition as well as multiple affiliated varsity competitions throughout the year. In addition, each year we take a team to BUCS which is a national level university competition. If you want to learn more about powerlifting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our powerlifting captain Elena or drop the club a message on Instagram or by email. 

 

 

What is Weightlifting?

 

Weightlifting is arguably the most well-known of the three sports, with it being an Olympic Sport. Weightlifting or ‘Oly Lifting’ is comprised of two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Competitors have three attempts at each lift, with the goal also to have the highest total in that weight class. Weightlifting competitions tend to be much more fast-paced than powerlifting competitions due to the nature of the sport and its rules. For more information please see: https://britishweightlifting.org/start-lifting/weightlifting-101.

 

We have a fast-growing community of weightlifters within the club and there is plenty of support to join even if you are a complete beginner. Our dedicated weightlifting coach runs multiple learn to oly lift seminars throughout the year and our weightlifting mock comps allow for the opportunity to learn more about the competition side of the sport. If you want to learn more about weightlifting, feel free to reach out to our weightlifting captain Paul or simply message the club for more info. 

 

 

What is Strength Training?

 

Strength training is more generally focused around improving muscular strength and endurance using a form of resistance. As a lifting club, we tend to focus our training around using free-weights such as dumbbells and barbells as well as body weight exercises and machines. This more general section of the club focuses on anyone who just more generally enjoys going to the gym or wants to learn more about the gym and get active. There is no requirement to fit into a specific sport of weightlifting or powerlifting, if you like to go to the gym, we have loads for you to get involved with too!

 

Our Club

 

Our club is comprised of the committee, coaches and our brilliant members. You do not need to have any background to the powerlifting, weightlifting, or even the gym and we encourage everyone to give lifting a try - whether it is competitively or casually! There are a vast number of health benefits to lifting weights alongside an active lifestyle as well as the social opportunities. We are dedicated towards creating a space for everyone to come together and learn, socialise, and lift all together. 

 

 

Stepping Stone Framework

 

As a club, we are dedicated towards catering to all individuals including those who are new to the gym and helping them along their journey. We know that getting started in the gym can often feel daunting especially if you don’t know what to do. Our stepping stone framework outlines how exactly we operate as a club to help you progress whether your goal is simply to get active and learn about the gym, or to eventually participate in powerlifting or/and weightlifting. 

 

Step 1: Getting Started         

In the beginning of both terms, we run free GIAG (Give-It-A-Go) sessions catered towards individuals who are new or have limited experience in the gym. These sessions provide a safe non-judgemental environment to learn about the gym and general weight training with other beginners as well as get a feel for our club. They will be guided by members of our committee who will teach you some of the basics. Sign up for these will go live around Welcome Week so keep an eye on our socials or visit us at our stall during freshers fair.

Alternatively, we are partnering with the University’s B:Active programme to run beginner weight training sessions. These sessions are free to UoB students and will run on Wednesdays at Coombe Dingle. For more information, please check out the B:Active web page at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/sport/bactive/ or their ig @ bristolunibactive.

 

Step 2: Progamme Guided Group Training

If you are keen to get involved, you can join in with our group training sessions. Some of these are open exclusively to beginners but we also have training sessions every week on a Wednesday and Saturday. Our Coombe Learn 2 Lift gym programme is available to both training and full members and has videos hyperlinked to help take you through a full body session using the equipment available at coombe dingle. Our committee members are there to help answer any questions you may have.  This programme and session aims to help you build a strength foundation and help build your confidence in the gym. 

 

Step 3: Self-Guided Progression

Our 3,4,5 programme is for members who want to do some general strength training either in their own time or in our group training sessions. This programme includes a 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day split so you can pick which one suits you best. Each session is accompanied with videos for each exercise to show you how they are done. 

 

Step 4: Specialisation and General Gym

Some of our members decide that they would like to try out training with powerlifting or weightlifting in mind. For members interested in this we have 2 programmes available for use: Our Powerlifting V5 programme and the Snatch and Learn Weightlifting programme. There are no restrictions as to when you can start these programmes, but we recommend that if you are new to the gym, you attend some of our Learn 2 Lift seminars to give you an introduction and foundation to these sports. Later on in the term there are Mock Weightlifting and Powerlifting competitions which provide a fun environment to learn about competing in these sports should this be something you are interested in.

 

For those who don’t wish to specialise and instead just enjoy more general strength training, you can continue using 3,4,5 or choose to decide your own training. There are also many seminars covering a wide variety of topics which are applicable for all members.

 

Membership

 

This year we have 3 membership tiers which offer different levels of access. All membership are non-refundable. We also provide termly memberships for either TB1 or TB2 as well as upgrades. Upgrades allow you to increase your membership access if you decide later on in the year that you wish to participate in something not included in your current membership. 

 

 

Please note that for our training and full memberships you will be required to have a valid SEH Access Pass. The SEH Access Pass is £25 and this money goes to the University’s Sports, Exercise, and Health Department (SEH) and will be available to be purchased at the same time as your club membership, via the Bristol SU website.

If you are a UWE student or simply living in Bristol, we would still love you to get involved! This requires purchasing an affiliate membership with the SU alongside our own membership.

 

We know that the cost of memberships can be prohibitively expensive for some students. The Bristol SU offers an Activity Hardship Fund to support students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate in activities and clubs due to their cost. If you would like to apply for this grant or want more information, please check out the webpage here Activity Hardship Fund

 

Seminars

 

For ’24-’25 we are providing a variety of seminars which cater to different levels and interests. Our learn-2-lift seminars focus on learning how to Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Clean + Jerk, and Snatch. Each movement is covered in a separate seminar at Coombe Dinlge which are run by either Jon Clarke or Joanna Barwell who own and run JC Strength Academy in Weston-Super-Mare. 

 

In addition to these we will also be hosting online nutrition seminars with registered nutritionist Hannah Matson. These seminars will range in topics covering sport specific nutrition as well as more general concepts on how to fuel your body. 

 

Members who do not have access to seminars through their memberships are able to purchase one-off guest passes at a cost of £9 a seminar through our SU page.

 

 

 

 

Group Training

 

This year we have group training every Wednesday (2:30-4:30) and Saturday (12-3) at the Strength and Conditioning Suit at Coombe Dingle. Access to these sessions is dependent on the tier of membership held (please refer to membership types above). These sessions are an opportunity to train in a supportive environment with other members they are not coached but members are encouraged to ask others and committee members for advice. We will also be holding Women’s only and Novice only training sessions throughout the year. For individuals who are unsure whether they would like to purchase a membership including training, we offer a trial session. To request a trial session please contact us at bristolliftingclub@outlook.com.

 

From time to time, we partner with other universities to do social training sessions together often at the University of Bath Sport Complex. These sessions are open to all members regardless of membership.

 

A massive thank you to the Bristol Alumni and Bristol SU for the grants that have allowed us to install powerlifting calibrated plates and bars at Coombe Dingle. We also have Eleiko weightlifting bars and plates stored here.

 

 

 

Training Programmes 

 

Training programmes are highly beneficial regardless of your level as they allow for structured progression. At UoB Lifting Club we offer 4 different types of programmes:

 

1) Coombe Learn-2-Lift – Our beginner full body programme utilising equipment at coombe dingle

2) 3,4,5 – Our more general weight training programme offering 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day split

3) Snatch and Learn – Our beginner weightlifting programme

4) V5 – Our powerlifting programme

 

BUCS, Varsity and Other Competitions 

 

Each year we take a team to both Powerlifting and Weightlifting BUCS. Individuals who wish to compete at these events must partake in an official qualifying competition where they achieve the required totals to enter. For more information please reach out to either our WL or PL Captains (Paul and Elena), or drop the club a message on instagram or email.

 

In addition to BUCS, we often run official powerlifting competitions. Last year we held 2 varsities, one against Cardiff Uni and another against Bath. This year we are planning to host a large multi-uni competition around February. Please keep an eye on our socials for more information which will be released in the coming months. 

 

Mock comps for both Weightlifting and Powerlifting will be held throughout the year which are an opportunity to try out and learn about competing on home turf without the added pressure. More info on these will be release in due course. 

 

 

 

Stash / SBD deal

 

We are lucky enough to be supported by SBD's Team scheme and so our members receive a 20% discount on bulk SBD orders. https://sbdapparel.com

We will also be putting in an order for Lifting Club fleeces so keep your eyes peeled for updates on this.

We also have club singlets! Currently we only have unisex medium left in stock. We may consider placing another order if there is enough interest.

 

Socials

 

We have planned for socials almost every Wednesday after training as well as end of term formals. These socials include a variety of activities and themes! Our socials are a space for everyone whether you drink or do not. We aim to have a minimum of 3 sober socials a term and in the past, these have included activities such as Ninja Warrior, Ice Skating, and Movie Nights. 

 

 

 

Committee

 

 

 

 

 

Coaches 

 

Powerlifting Coach - Jon Clarke

Weightlifting Coach - Joanna Barwell

Nutritionist – Hannah Matson

Programming – George Sweet

 

Stay in the Loop

 

Our Instagram is @uobliftingclub

If you have any general enquiries feel free to shoot us a DM on Instagram or email us at bristolliftingclub@outlook.com.