Barbell Club satiates interest in weightlifting

Barbell Club member Joseph Ito, a 14-year-old, is watched by Joey Tudela, right, a veteran lifter, as Ito practices a lift during one of the Barbell Club sessions. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

With the surge of interest in the sport of weightlifting after the Pacific Mini Games on Saipan, weightlifting silver medalist Antonette Labausa created the Barbell Club on Aug. 7, 2022, to satiate the demand.

The USA Weightlifting Level 1 certified coach said the idea came less than a year prior to the Mini Games but was delayed due to prioritizing the Games. Then, “after the Mini Games, there was a surge of interest in weightlifting and I wanted to make sure that there was access for [the] youth. When I was younger, I was never given this opportunity to try weightlifting as a sport or even lift weights in general. So, I am very happy to give this opportunity to them.”

With that said, “I am very grateful for Latte Built’s staff and owner, Derek Cutting, for [his] support behind this idea, along with the supportive parents and guardians,” said the three-time silver medalist of the Pacific Mini Games.

Since the inception, the club has garnered a consistent group of 10 participants and fluctuates up to 20 at times, with a mix of youth and adults.

The Barbell Club teaches proper form and techniques for Olympic weightlifting: the snatch and the clean and jerk. The snatch is a wide-grip lift, in which the weighted barbell is lifted overhead in one motion. The clean and jerk is a combination lift, in which the weight is first taken from the ground to the front of the shoulders (the clean), and then from the shoulders to overhead (the jerk). 

Admittedly, she said that “it’s a challenging task sometimes with different ages and skill sets, but the main goal in mind is to keep encouraging everyone to be consistent, learn from each other, and have fun.” 

“Everyone in our club definitely finds it challenging at times but they enjoy it. We have a positive atmosphere and everyone is encouraging to one another,” the Oceania Weightlifting silver medalist added.

“The turnout of interest in weightlifting after the Mini Games has definitely risen. I am ecstatic to say that [the] majority of the individuals in our Barbell Club are female, which is inspiring to me on its own. I remember being the only female in the gym training for weightlifting from 2018 to 2019 during the trying times of reviving the sport and it’s been slowly growing since then,” recalled the seven-year weightlifting veteran.

Labausa said that “the long-time veterans in our sport have definitely contributed to this growth as we all coached each other and eventually others that has led to this growth. I really hope to see this trend continue.”

As a last message to her promising members, she said, “It is important to understand that becoming a notable athlete takes time, dedication, and discipline. There is definitely talent in our Barbell Club and I hope that they all develop the love for the sport, in hopes that they compete in the near future and will continue to compete long term.”

The Barbell Club schedule is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5:30pm at the Latte Built Gym in Oleai. It is free for Latte Built gym members and a fee of $10 for walk-ins. Children under 18 are free of charge and children 15-year-old and below must be accompanied by an adult at all times.