Train Like A Commonwealth Weightlifter!

From the 28th July - 8th August, the best sporting competitors from all over the Commonwealth will gather in Birmingham to compete in the world’s most inclusive, fair and progressive multi-sport event.

We may be a bit biased, but the event we are most looking forward to is the weightlifting. It has definitely left us inspired, so we thought we would put together a guide as to how to train like a Commonwealth Weightlifter just in case you are too!

1. Perfect your form

You'll need to be prioritising your form if you want to lift to the best of your ability and avoid any injuries. There's so many ways you can do this, depending on your budget and free time. If you have the spare income and are really invested in improving your weightlifting skills, hiring a Personal Trainer is ideal as they have all of the knowledge to instruct and advise you on the best form when lifting.

If you would like to get 1 on 1 advice but can't afford in-person training, then there has been a huge increase in the offering of online personal training since the pandemic. This allows you to receive valuable guidance and feedback on your form via video and photos for a largely reduced price.

However, we are very aware that some people don't really want to spend the money, especially when just starting out! There are plenty of people on social media and the wider internet who share a range of tips and tricks on how to perfect your form. Just try Google!

2. Invest in some great equipment

During the Commonwealth games, you'll see a lot of people using the standard weightlifting set up to compete. Some of our favourites include the Urethane Competition Plates and the Calibrated Coloured Rubber Competition Plates, as each disc is calibrated to 0.7-1% weight accuracy and drop tested to 10,000 drops from a height of 2 metres - making them a essential bit of equipment that you can count on. Don't forget to add some bar clamps, such as the Spring Collars for Olympic Bars, to make sure that the weights don't slip off and injure someone!

If you're looking for a bar to go with your brand new plates, we created a barbell buying guide to give you all the information you need! Watch below.

You'll find that plates aren't the only bits of kit that you'll need to really step up your weightlifting game. We love dumbbells for at-home workouts to build strength and are a great user-friendly bit of equipment to perfect your form.

Resistance bands are also great non-weight tool to diversify your workout and allow you to stretch properly, reducing the chance of getting an annoying injury!

3. Slow and steady wins the race...

It is always best to start small and work your way up to get you accustomed to weightlifting and prevent injury from overexertion. In the beginning, it is recommended to do no more that 15 reps per set, and only 2 sets of each exercise. As you then begin to feel more comfortable with the exercises and weights, you can increase it to 3 sets! Remember: if your body is telling you to take a rest day, listen to it!

4. Stretch it out!

Stretching after a weightlifting session is important because you can increase the flexibility of your muscles whilst they're still warm. This is due to the increased blood flow to your muscles from stretching that aid your recovery. One beneficial tool that will support you whilst you stretch is a great yoga mat to keep you balanced and comfortable.