The idea of creating a powerlifting club in Weston has been brewing for some time now…

Powerlifting is a relatively obscure sport and certainly not mainstream to the point where some gym’s haven’t even heard of the sport. I know, crazy to think a gym is unaware of sport centred around squat, bench and deadlift right. Then if a gym does know about powerlifting, chances are, half of them won’t let you deadlift, use chalk or fear you will be intimidating clients by lifting large weights. These are usually the expensive fitness clubs or large chains. Weston is lucky to have a selection of independent gyms which are powerlifting friendly however many don’t see powerlifting as commercially viable as say body building. This means while the gym can accommodate a hand full of powerlifters it is never really going to facilitate the growth of powerlifting in the town.

In the last couple of years powerlifting has been growing in the south west. A small group of lifters have been training together in gyms around Weston and Bristol. Exchanging advice, experience and supporting each other in their goals. Eventually out growing the facilities provided by local gyms. The time came to start a club and find a new home.

We set our-selves up in one of the members double garage to start with, with the support of local gym equipment company Kustom Kit. We were lucky to have the support of a company also passionate about powerlifting. This was no accident the owner of Kustom kit was part of the original training group which started all those years ago and understands the team ethos of Synergy Barbell.

We have spent the last 6 months laying down the foundations of a formal powerlifting club and searching for a suitable venue. The biggest trouble we experienced was affordability. Attempting to rent a premises on our own was just too expensive, we could just about afford rent but utilities, insurance and of course committing to a 5 year lease was just too much for a start-up club. It was clear another partnership was required to lessen the financial burden of securing a dedicated premises. The entire team set about making calls and visiting other sports clubs and gyms. This is when we found tuff house gym, a non-profit mixed martial arts gym with room to spare. We explained our goals and our ethos and it quickly became clear we were on the same page.

As you can see we now have a great home to work from and promote the growth of powerlifting in Weston. We are looking forward to working with our partners tuff house gym.

Home Sweet Home

Russell