Description

 

University of Bristol Lifting Club

 

Hello and Welcome to University of Bristol Lifting Club! We are a team of students passionate about Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, general Strength Training and going to the gym. From complete novices up to international level lifting, we have something for everyone. As a club we aim to create a supportive environment to learn from one another and build a community of people with like-minded interests.

 

Please check out the "Resources" link at the top of this page to view our handbook and policies for 2025-26.

 

 

What is Powerlifting?

 

Powerlifting is a sport comprised of three lifts: the squat, the bench and the deadlift. Competitors have three attempts at each lift, with the goal to have the highest total in that weight class. For more information please see this useful guide put out by British Powerlifting: https://www.britishpowerlifting.org/powerlifting.

 

There are many ways to get involved with powerlifting in the club whether you are completely new to the sport or have some experience. We host a mock powerlifting competition as well as multiple affiliated varsity competitions throughout the year. In addition, each year we take a team to BUCS which is a national level university competition. If you want to learn more about powerlifting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our powerlifting captain Bickley or drop the club a message on Instagram or by email. 

 

 

What is Weightlifting?

 

Weightlifting is arguably the most well-known of the three sports, with it being an Olympic Sport. Weightlifting or ‘Oly Lifting’ is comprised of two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Competitors have three attempts at each lift, with the goal also to have the highest total in that weight class. Weightlifting competitions tend to be much more fast-paced than powerlifting competitions due to the nature of the sport and its rules. For more information please see: https://britishweightlifting.org/start-lifting/weightlifting-101.

 

We have a fast-growing community of weightlifters within the club and there is plenty of support to join even if you are a complete beginner. Our dedicated weightlifting coach runs multiple learn to oly lift seminars throughout the year and our weightlifting mock comps allow for the opportunity to learn more about the competition side of the sport. If you want to learn more about weightlifting, feel free to reach out to our weightlifting captain Dan, our general training captain Paul, or simply message the club for more info. 

 

 

What is Strength Training?

 

Strength training is more generally focused around improving muscular strength and endurance using a form of resistance. As a lifting club, we tend to focus our training around using free-weights such as dumbbells and barbells as well as body weight exercises and machines. This more general section of the club focuses on anyone who just more generally enjoys going to the gym or wants to learn more about the gym and get active. There is no requirement to fit into a specific sport of weightlifting or powerlifting, if you like to go to the gym, we have loads for you to get involved with too!

 

Our Club

 

Our club is comprised of the committee, coaches and our brilliant members. You do not need to have any background to the powerlifting, weightlifting, or even the gym and we encourage everyone to give lifting a try - whether it is competitively or casually! There are a vast number of health benefits to lifting weights alongside an active lifestyle as well as the social opportunities. We are dedicated towards creating a space for everyone to come together and learn, socialise, and lift all together. 

 

 

What We've Been Up To

 

 

Membership

 

This year we have 2 membership tiers which offer different levels of access. All membership are non-refundable. We also provide termly memberships for either TB1 or TB2 as well as upgrades. Upgrades allow you to increase your membership access if you decide later on in the year that you wish to participate in something not included in your current membership. 

 

 

*Please note that for our full memberships and any of the starred benefits you will be required to have a valid SEH Access Pass. The SEH Access Pass is £25 and this money goes to the University’s Sports, Exercise, and Health Department (SEH) and will be available to be purchased at the same time as your club membership, via the Bristol SU website.

 

We know that the cost of memberships can be prohibitively expensive for some students. The Bristol SU offers an Activity Hardship Fund to support students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate in activities and clubs due to their cost. If you would like to apply for this grant or want more information, please check out the webpage here Activity Hardship Fund

 

Group Coaching

Joining the UoB Lifting Club means you'll get the support you need to start your lifting journey with confidence. As a new member in TB1, you'll follow a 9-week coached group programme, designed to help you build strength, develop confidence in your training, and experience what coaching is like in a supportive team environment. This programme is open to all of our full members, and while it has a powerlifting focus, it's suitable for anyone interested in general strength training - whether you're a complete beginner or someone training without a coach.

Throughout the programme,  you will have access to:

• A beginner-friendly and coach-led approach - the programme is designed and delivered by our qualified club coaches Ben Laing and Joe Martin (Dividend Strength) and supported by our committee members.
• Personalised feedback from our coaching team to help you refine your technique and guide your training.
• Group training sessions, where you can train alongside fellow members in a coached group setting and receive in-person advice from our club coaches.
• Educational seminars and workshops, covering key topics such as lifting technique, training principles, recovery, and competition rules.
• Competition preparation with the option to put your training into practice at our UoB Powerlifting Mock Meet in December. The programme will build your confidence in the three main competition lifts and prepare you for the mock comp.

This year the programme begins the week commencing Monday 6th October. To get the most out of it, please make sure you have your membership and registered beforehand.

For those interested in Olympic weightlifting, we will also be running a similar, but more casual committee-led weightlifting group coaching programme, depending on interest. 

This programme has been made possible thanks to a grant from the SU - we’re grateful for their support in helping us launch this exciting new opportunity for our members.

Seminars

 

For 2025-26 we are providing a variety of seminars which cater to different levels and interests. Our learn-2-lift seminars focus on learning how to Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Clean + Jerk, and Snatch. Each movement is covered in a separate seminar at Coombe Dinlge which are run by either Jon Clarke or Joanna Barwell who own and run JC Strength Academy in Weston-Super-Mare. 

 

Members who do not have access to seminars through their memberships are able to purchase one-off guest passes at a cost of £5 a seminar through our SU page.

 

 

 

Group Training

 

This year we have group training every Wednesday (16:00-18:00) and Saturday (12:00-15:00) at the Strength and Conditioning Suit at Coombe Dingle. Access to these sessions is dependent on the tier of membership held (please refer to membership types above). These sessions are an opportunity to train in a supportive environment with other members. These sessions are typically not coached, but there will always be a qualified club members - and sometimes one of our club coaches - on hand for advice and support. For individuals who are unsure whether they would like to purchase a membership including training we offer a trial session. To request a trial session please contact us at bristolliftingclub@outlook.com.

 

From time to time, we partner with other universities to do social training sessions together often at the University of Bath Sport Complex. These sessions are open to all members regardless of membership.

 

A massive thank you to the Bristol Alumni and Bristol SU for the grants that have allowed us to install powerlifting calibrated plates and bars at Coombe Dingle. We also have Eleiko weightlifting bars and plates stored here.

 

 

Training Programmes 

 

Training programmes are highly beneficial regardless of your level as they allow for structured progression. At UoB Lifting Club we offer 4 different types of self-guided programmes:

 

1) Coombe Learn-2-Lift – Our beginner full body programme utilising the equipment at Coombe Dingle

2) 3,4,5 – Our more general weight training programme offering 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day split

3) Snatch and Learn – Our beginner weightlifting programme

4) V5 – Our powerlifting programme

 

BUCS, Varsity and Other Competitions 

 

Each year we take a team to both Powerlifting and Weightlifting BUCS. Individuals who wish to compete at these events must partake in an official qualifying competition where they achieve the required totals to enter. For more information please reach out to either our WL or PL Captains (Dan and Bickley), or drop the club a message on instagram or email.

 

In addition to BUCS, we often run official powerlifting competitions. In the past we have held varisities against Cardiff and Bath, and last year we ran Bristol and Friends, an open invitation competition. This year we are planning to host another competition around February. Please keep an eye on our socials for more information which will be released in the coming months. 

 

Mock comps for both Weightlifting and Powerlifting will be held throughout the year which are an opportunity to try out and learn about competing on home turf without the added pressure. More info on these will be release in due course. 

 

 

Stash / SBD deal

 

We are lucky enough to be supported by SBD's Team scheme and so our members receive a 20% discount on bulk SBD orders. https://sbdapparel.com

We will also be putting in an order for Lifting Club fleeces so keep your eyes peeled for updates on this.

We also have club singlets! Currently we only have 1 unisex large left in stock. We may consider placing another order if there is enough interest.

 

Socials

 

We have planned for socials almost every Wednesday after training as well as end of term formals. These socials include a variety of activities and themes! Our socials are a space for everyone whether you drink or do not. We aim to have a minimum of 3 sober socials a term and in the past, these have included activities such as Ninja Warrior, Ice Skating, and Movie Nights. 

 

 

Committee

 

President - Sasha Preece
General Secretary - Ethan Taylor
EDI Officer - Sonny Smith
Treasurer - Jendrell Manlulu 
Powerlifting Captain - William 'Bickley' Bickley
Weightlifting Captain - Dan Qi
General Training Captain - Paul Metzler
Social Secretaries - Nathan Bennett and Oliver Garratt
Social Media Secretary - Enrico Gubbini

 

Coaches 

 

Powerlifting Coach - Jon Clarke

Weightlifting Coach - Joanna Barwell

Powerlifting Coach - Ben Laing

Powerlifting Coach - Joe Martin

 

Stay in the Loop

 

Our Instagram is @uobliftingclub

If you have any general enquiries feel free to shoot us a DM on Instagram or email us at bristolliftingclub@outlook.com.