Nowadays strength sports are still seen as something rather bizarre for a woman to practice. Yet that is not my case since I practice powerlifting almost daily. Notwithstanding this rare sport is not that big here in Spain as in other countries.
To put it in some kind of context,this rather dangerous and minority sport was born indoors,in the weight room, at the gym. It is made up of three main lifts , squat , bench press and deadlift. These three would be put to test in a fierce competition in which the participants have three attempts in each lift to mark their highest and eventually win over their competition. Thus we should not be confused by weightlifting. Although they are very similar in the equipment used like, knee sleeves, belt and singlet.And in the weight categories where the aspirants will compete. Weightlifting differs in the lifts performed and that it also uses lifting straps. In whatever way powerlifting uses more protective equipment like wrist straps, and in some exceptional cases elbow sleeves. This means that powerlifting is less harmful than that olympic sport.
Furthermore, powerlifting was not a mystery when I gave it a go. Four years earlier to this day I was hitting the gym every day and looking after my physical fitness. However, it was not off to a great start , as I was cowed into hating my body growing up.As a result, this led to an unhealthy path for a weight loss obsession for two years. But it wasn’t until the realisation that you can only get better at the gym by eating more and lifting heavier. This is the part where powerlifting steps in. I started following some female powerlifters on Instagram like Amira Blecua. She talks about the neutral-body movement and how to improve self love while enjoying this sport. The decision to eat more and become stronger came lighting-like. That awful feeling of an empty stomach disappeared as I ate 2300 to 3000 calories a day. Performance and energy throughout training sessions and my daily basis went up. So did my grades and mental health. We can say personal growth came hand in hand with the process.
But despite that, giving this sport so much of your time is not easy. A tight schedule is the result, yet ,that doesn’t mean that you have no time for other things. It means being disciplined, organized and down to earth with everything in your life. Each training session is 2 hours long. It consists of a warm-up from 10 to 20 minutes, from one to one and a half hours of two or three of the main competition lifts(squat, bench press, deadlift), and 20 to 40 minutes of accessory exercises. These last ones help the main lifts to be stronger as they target important muscles that are often required. Planning this would have been unattainable without my trainer Paula. She is the genius behind this complex training.
On another level food is quite an important matter. Powerlifters are known for eating a lot, and,that is not a lie, the more you eat the bigger you get the more you can lift.Nonetheless, to win a competition you have to be wary of which weight category you will be competing in. Powerlifting is all about strategy, hence, you might end up losing or gaining a couple kilos for giving your best at said category.Along with that,money is well needed for this pastime. Competitions will cost a lot of money and besides, your equipment, gym membership, supplements, and coaching.This is not for everyone.
In short, we can assume that powerlifting is a sport that helps you be determined, and teaches you that to achieve your goals in life you have to give your best. Thus, with the beauty of it comes sacrifice, hard work, and a great monetary expenditure.
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