By Rachel Morse, Staff Writer
Students interested in competitive athletics or looking for a challenge have a new opportunity.
A weightlifting club now meets at 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Room 110 Dawson-Loeffler Science and Mathematics Center, said Jason Miller, professor of kinesiology and exercise studies. The club facilitates general health and creates a way for students to compete in the sport.
“It’s not about bodybuilding or getting bigger,” he said. “It’s about being athletic.”
Chad Leonard, information technology senior, said anything promoting general health among students is a good idea.
“If it encourages students to stay healthy, I say go for it,” he said.
Miller has coached weightlifting for 10 years and received his USA Weightlifting certification Fall 2010, he said. He began the club Fall 2011 to offer an alternative athletic option for anyone interested in the sport.
“I’m looking for students interested in doing something a little competitive,” Miller said. “It’s a great sport.”
People often confuse weightlifting with weight training, he said. Weightlifting divides into two separate exercises: the “snatch lift” and the “clean and jerk.”
The snatch lift starts with a wide grip on the barbell and immediately is lifted overhead. The clean and jerk begins with a bench press grip, lifts first in front of the shoulders, and then explodes the bar overhead.
“It’s a very technical sport,” Miller said. “It looks a lot like brute strength but it’s not.”
Initial practices will use a PVC pipe to learn technique and the general lifts, he said.
“We begin by taking apart the two lifts, address learning, and getting stronger,” Miller said.
The club will help members attend the collegiate nationals weightlifting competition in the spring, he said. Training will be essential to participating in nationals.
“Someone starting out wouldn’t be ready to go,” Miller said.
