Finding weightlifting as an adult...part 2.

If like me you didn’t discover weightlifting until your twenties or later, there are a few things to contend with and work around that younger lifters don’t need to worry about. Here I’ll explain what they are but also what you do to get around/over them. You can find part 1 of this post here

Mobility and old injuries

It’s likely that you’ve had a sporting past and picked up a knock or two along the way. Those little nagging injuries of yesteryear quite commonly rear their ugly heads as you push your physical qualities towards new and ever increasing demands. It pays to be upfront with yourself and your coach about what these are and how you dealt with them historically. Sometimes a coach can programme around big issues or at least monitor something more closely. It may be that you have to do some specific warm up drills each session or some targeted accessory work that other individuals dont need to do. Whatever you do, don’t ignore or gloss over them. I’m not saying wear kid gloves and wrap yourself in bubble wrap either, you still have to train hard and push the boundaries. Just know that the most common injuries are reoccurring old injuries so listen to your body and do the work to protect it.

Masters Standards

I think it’s great to have a clear vision going into to weightlifting. I started lifting around 26 years old so the reality for me was that I was going to be a masters lifter by the time I got any good (if you can consider me any good now that is). If you know what the national and international standards are for your age and weight categories, you can develop a clear plan to get there.

Check out this link to see what your group (or the one you’ll go into) is lifting at world level and what you should be thinking about in terms of progression. Here is the British masters version if you’re local.

Even if competing isn’t on your radar this still gives you an idea of a) what is possible and b) what is considered good/strong.

Focus

As an adult there can be far more drains on our time and energy and deciding how much attention and time we can give to weightlifting is a very personal decision. This is obviously going to influence how far you can take the sport but also what enjoyment it can bring. Getting quite good at the snatch and clean and jerk requires a fair amount from us, both in terms of time and effort so it can be a very frustrating journey if you can only train once or twice a week but still expect good or rapid progress. You get out what you put in.

Training volume

The flip side of being a masters lifter is that you probably can’t train like a youngster. Many of the over 40 lifters will do best on just 3 hard sessions a week as the recovery process takes that little bit longer. This does vary and lifestyle factors play a major role. Work, kids, relationships and other pastimes all need to align and balance and for most people weightlifting is second or third to something else. Trying to emulate the training of an elite lifter is a massive pitfall many in their 20’s and 30’s succumb to at some point. Figure out what works for you by keeping good records and starting small and adding volume when it’s needed rather than the other way around.

Do it because you enjoy it

Weightlifting isn’t going to make you rich and it isn’t going to keep you warm at night BUT it is a hell of a lot of fun. Do it because you love it and because the challenge can make us stronger in all faculties not just physically. Absolutely set your targets high and work hard but find the enjoyment in the process along the way.