Every sport has its own performance benchmarks. For football, it's getting to the Superbowl. For running, it's breaking a specific mile time or distance.
If you're a weight lifter, there's no better benchmark for testing your strength than qualifying for the O2's Lift Club!
Never heard of this elite club before? Joining might be more simple than you think. Keep reading to learn more about what our Lift Club is and how you can join its ranks!
What is "Lift Club"?
To join O2 Fitness Clubs' Liftt Club, you do NOT need to lift that amount of weight all at once (... well, you can if you want to, but it's much easier than that to join the club!)
The O2 Lift Club challenge will require you to do one rep of a Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. After all 3 lifts are completed, the total amount will be added up to determine which club you join!
So to be a member of the 500 lb club, you must lift a total weight of 500 pounds or greater. To be a member of the 1000-pound club, the total amount of weight must be 1000 pounds or greater.
Why these 3 moves?
Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are three of the most well-known exercises for people at the gym. They are so well known that they are commonly called "the big three."
These three earned this nickname because they each work several muscle groups, and combined, they help increase strength and muscle gains like nothing else!
Bench Press
The bench press is one of the best compound upper body movements. When correctly done, it works your pectorals, front deltoids, and triceps. Having a strong bench press is a key fundamental to success for any chest workout!
Squats
Squats are an equally important compound movement for training your lower body. Proper squats work the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
When doing squats, your foot placement can make a big difference in which major muscle groups are being tested (e.g., a wide stance uses more inner thigh strength, while closer stances engage more of the outer thigh).
Deadlifts
Deadlifts might be the most neglected exercise of the big three, but no other movement uses as many muscle groups! A correctly done deadlift will engage your traps, lats, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.
How do you join the 500 / 1000 pound club?
Lifting 500 + pounds is an incredible amount of weight to lift, but it's not impossible for you to do! The key to joining the club is properly preparing yourself.
To join the club and avoid injuring yourself, you should start by assessing your one-rep max for each exercise. Head to the gym with a friend or call on a trusted trainer to spot you while trying these lifts. You can also try and see where you stand on three reps to get a feel for
the weight range that you can lift.
If your heaviest lifts don't quite reach the 500 / 1000 lb mark, that's okay!
Take time to talk with a trainer and work together to make a plan that you can follow consistently to help increase your strength in these lifts.
Once you feel ready, find a Lift Club challenge near you to finally put your strength to the test! If you can reach or surpass 500 or 1000 lbs, you'll earn your spot in the club, a t-shirt, and most importantly - bragging rights!
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