WEIGHTLIFTING ISN’T SCARY
Yes, it is the spookiest month of the year, but one thing that for sure isn’t scary is weightlifting at PFP. If you are unfamiliar with it, it is a barbell sport that consists of the snatch and the clean and jerk. The overall goal is to move a barbell from the floor to overhead as smoothly and powerfully as possible. While that does sound pretty scary, it is actually a very approachable sport that can give you long-lasting results as far as strength, range of motion, power, and overall skill mastery. Let’s talk about some myths or preconceptions you might have and how we at PFP can help you start your journey to learning this great sport.
“Isn’t weightlifting dangerous?”
This is one of the most common misconceptions about the sport overall, and it is understandable why some may feel that way. The sport does take proper teaching and coaching to be done safely. Although if you look at data across all sports, it actually has one of the lowest injury rates per 1000 hours of any sport, coming in at only 2.4-3.3, compared to distance running, which has 2.5-12.1 per 1000 hours, or pickleball, which has 2.0-6.0. This is not to say that you shouldn’t do any of these. These forms of exercise are safe when performed with guidance and proper programming. The point is that any sport that requires you to learn a skill can be dangerous if not taught properly. Luckily, at PFP we have coaches of all backgrounds and skill levels that can help anyone from a seasoned lifter to a day one beginner.
“Would I be training by myself? There can’t be that many people that do this sport, right?”
At PFP, we have dozens of lifters that attend our weightlifting classes every week. We have team training at PFP every evening from 5-7 pm and on Saturdays from 9-11 am. In addition to that, we have several weightlifters who regularly lift at national competitions all over the country. Weightlifting is an incredibly niche sport, but it has grown tremendously over the last 15 years. At PFP, we like to extend our community of weightlifting as much as possible. We welcome anyone who wants to learn and be a part of our community and our fun little sport. If you’ve ever been too shy to try a sport or learn a new physical skill, we are the place and the people to help you!
“Am I too old or too young to start weightlifting?”
Age is just a number in the world of weightlifting. At PFP, we have barbell members who started in middle school, and we have lifters who watched the first Star Wars movie in theatres! All this to say that weightlifting can be started at any age. The sport requires more than just lifting weights over your head. It is about learning technique and mastering your own sense of movement and athletic capabilities. We all start somewhere. Some places in the world, they start with a wooden broomstick and work their way up until they can lift as much weight as possible. At PFP, we meet you where you are and give you the chance to go as far as you can with a group of people who want to see you succeed. Don’t be scared this October; come join us for weightlifting at PFP. Book an assessment today!