Why We Train: Health and Connection

Several times per week, these ladies gather together to take charge of their health and strength. Some have trained with weights for years, others just a few months. These women come from many different backgrounds, but share the common goal of aging healthfully - by improving their physical capacity and maintaining their physical independence.

The best part about this particular session? Seeing these women applaud each other, congratulate each other, cheer each other on, and articulate how inspiring they find each other’s accomplishments. Witnessing authentic connection and genuine support between training partners never grows old. Strong work ladies!

USAW Nationals 2019: Meet Recap

Janice recently made the trek to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete in her first national weightlifting competition! Her performance at a local meet back in October 2018 was enough to qualify for USA Weightlifting Nationals as a 45 kg lifter. Janice committed to this opportunity with extraordinary focus and dedication; working hard for months to refine her technique, improve her strength, and recover harder than ever before. It was a great experience for all, and Janice came away not only with a stellar performance, but lots of valuable lessons about her self and her training.

After missing her opening snatch at 53 kgs, Janice commented on how the intensity of the big stage and bright lights was enough to send her back into old habits. With the mental fortitude of a seasoned competitor, she shook off the miss and came back at that same weight to smash her second attempt. She then stood up with a solid 54 kg on the third attempt, but was given red lights for a press-out by the judges. Regardless, she was on the board and well on her way to a competitive total!

Janice’s opening clean and jerk was also red-lighted by the judges, but it was such a close call that the officials actually asked for a video replay of the lift. Upon review, the judges determined that it was still a no-lift, but this didn’t shake Janice’s composure or focus. By the second and third attempt clean and jerks, at 68 kgs and 70 kgs respectively, she was really starting to look comfortable in the competition environment. She absolutely crushed both lifts with poise and determination. Many positive remarks were made in the back room by other coaches and lifters about Janice’s speed, flexibility, and technical proficiency.

Ultimately, Janice was credited with her second attempt snatch at 53 kg and third attempt clean and jerk at 70 kg, for a 123 total. This put her at sixth place out of a field of 12 lifters. This result is incredible, not just for her first national meet, but also because Janice is 53 years old - 15 to 33 years older than the rest of her competition! 

Janice’s natural athleticism, exceptional drive, and impressive strength continue to amaze us every day. The experience of a national meet is like no other, and we are excited to have been able to support Janice in pursuing this endeavor. A huge congratulations to Janice on her performance, and much gratitude to the Fulcrum Training Hall community, whose support makes trips like these possible for everyone involved!

Next up is the American Masters, a national level masters-only competition being held in Seattle this November. Janice will join seven other Fulcrum Barbell lifters to compete not only as individuals, but for the women’s team title. More details to come soon!

Meet Recap: USAPL Washington State Championships, February 2019

Gaven competed last weekend at the USA Powerlifting Washington State Championships and came through with a phenomenal performance. He set state records in the squat, deadlift, and total for his age (teen one - 14 and 15 year olds) and weight category (-66kg). At a bodyweight of 65.6 kgs (144 lbs) Gaven finished with a 152.5 kg (335.5 lb) squat, 65 kg (143 lb) bench, and 192.5 kg (423.5 lb) deadlift, giving him a 410 kg total. This bested the previous state record total by 25 kgs! Very strong work from this talented and hard working 15 year old.
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Next up for Gaven is high school baseball season. He will continue to train with weights throughout the spring, before returning to training full time in the summer. We are excited to see how his strength transfers over to the baseball field, and look forward to supporting all of Gaven’s future athletic pursuits. #strengthmatters

Meet Recap: USAPL Empire Classic, January 2018

Francesca and Amanda traveled last weekend to Spokane, WA for the USAPL Empire Classic. It was the second powerlifting meet this year for both women, and they came away with successful results and a positive experience. 

Travel plans interfered with Amanda’s training leading up to the meet, but she went in with a great attitude and enthusiastic outlook. She made her opening attempts at 90 kg in the squat, 47.5 kg in the bench, and 130 kg in the deadlift. After getting on the board, Amanda pushed her capacity and reached for big numbers, coming up just short of setting a new state record in her age and weight class for the deadlift. Overall, a wonderful learning opportunity with lots of positive take aways for Amanda. 

Francesca pushed her total from the last meet by a significant amount, and set big personal records in all three lifts. After a strong opener at 150 kg, and a technical foul at 157.5 kg, she set a six kilo PR in the squat with her 160 kg third attempt. She was very successful in the bench as well, coming away with a 65 kg competition PR. Her biggest improvement was in the deadlift, where she eclipsed her numbers from last meet with a 160 kg pull. 

Next up for both - the Washington state regional meet will be held later this summer. Francesca is aiming for a total that will qualify her for October’s national meet, while Amanda will continue to use competition as a way to push herself and test her limits. We are excited to be supporting both in their individual journeys!

Meet Recap: Industrious Weightlifting Championships, April 2018

The first competitive training cycle in the new space culminated in a successful day of competition last Saturday. Through the hard work put in over the last three months, the challenges presented by meet day, and the relationships developed along the way, every lifter learned something about themselves, gained valuable experience under the bar, and had the opportunity to celebrate their personal journey towards strength and health! 

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Five of ten lifters in the first session were representing Fulcrum Barbell Club. For some it was a new and unfamiliar adventure, for others a chance to improve upon previous competition experience. Donna had a personal record total at 89 kgs (196 lbs) and displayed huge technical improvements to her lifts. Dede had a great first meet, posting a total of 98 kgs (215 lbs) in her first weightlifting meet, and further exploring what it means to be a part of a competitive team. Kelley battled the flu for most of the week, but still came out strong on meet day, with solid and strong lifts of 43 kgs (95 lbs) in the snatch and 58 kgs (128 lbs) in the clean and jerk. Giannina brought intensity and passion to the platform, eclipsing her numbers from last meet to finish with 45 kgs (99 lbs) in the snatch and 57 kgs (125 lbs) in the clean and jerk. Rounding out a busy first session, Akansha looked strong, snappy, and confident. She hit a personal record clean and jerk of 64 kgs (141 lbs), and improved her meet total by 24 kgs. Overall, an excellent display of lifting to start off the day! 

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Session two brought both experienced athletes and first-time competitors to the platform. Janice had a successful day, staving of a nagging elbow injury to finish 10th overall by Sinclair formula. Her best lifts were 54 kg (118 lbs) in the snatch and 66 kgs (145 lbs) in the clean and jerk, done at a bodyweight of just under 46 kgs (101 lbs). 

Rachel was a composed and graceful competitor as usual, and her technical proficiency stands out on the platform. While she didn't set any personal records this meet, she had a positive performance and quite the cheering section in the crowd. She finished with a 53 kg (116 lb) snatch and a 68 kg (149 lb) clean and jerk. 

Sarah had a successful first meet, going 4/6 and finishing with 58 kgs (127 lbs) in the snatch and 68 kgs (149 lbs) in the clean and jerk. She is still relatively new to the sport of weightlifting, and will look to continue refining her positions and gaining strength over the next cycle of training. 

Jen was also competing for the first time, fishing with lifts of 54 kgs (121 lbs) in the snatch and 72 kgs (171 lbs) in the clean and jerk. She has made huge changes in regards to both bodyweight and technique over the last training cycle, and she proved herself to be a fierce competitor. 

Strong work by everyone in the second session - we are excited to see where your training takes you next!

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Skinner was consistent and calm on meet day as always, and has also made significant strides in technical proficiency since her last meet. She had a stellar day, finishing with competition PRs in the snatch (66 kgs / 145 lbs), clean and jerk (77 kgs / 169 lbs), and total (143 kgs / 315 kgs).

Meaghan’s training all came together at the right moment, resulting in a 72 kg (158 lb) snatch, and 90 kg (198 lb) clean and jerk - a new personal record in both lifts! Meaghan's work ethic and positive attitude are always admirable. It was great to see her persistent training style pay off on the competition platform. 

Our last lifter for the day was Nate Miller. His goals were to make his openers and then shoot for the moon and that is exactly what he did. In a session full of missed openers and sloppy attempts, Nate was calm and professional in the warm up area, and looked confident and strong on the platform. He made his opening snatch of 100 kgs (220 lbs), and his second attempt clean and jerk of 126 kgs (277 lbs), for a total of 226 kgs (497 lbs). 

Industrious ran an efficient and professional meet as always, with plenty of resources and attention to detail. The backing from the Fulcrum Training Hall community was overwhelmingly positive - lots of well wishes, a loud cheering section, and a pervasive feeling of connection and support. The competitive crew has jumped right back into training this week, looking to continue improving upon the success of this meet. We are thrilled to be celebrating these 12 athletes, and look forward to their continued success! #strengthmatters #fulcrumbarbell