Did you know that adding
just two weightlifting sessions per week
can help you gain muscle and improve your body composition?
I’m a Spanish Olympic weightlifter
I’ve competed in three Olympic games.
I won silver in Beijing 2008. Gold in London 2012.
And Bronze in Rio 2016.
I’ve been training for more than half of my life.
I had a passion for weightlifting,
and I saw from a young age that I had potential.
And that’s how I began to compete and train
at a more professional level.
My specific training varies, depending on the week.
They are very specific to weightlifting
That helps us be faster and more coordinated,
with the most speed at the bar,
because that’s what we’re looking for.
Repetition is very important in the sport of weightlifting,
as we are constantly repeating the same gesture,
and repeating the same movement in different lifts
so we can internalize
what we want to do later in the competition.
Weightlifting focuses on maximum strength.
Lydia's training includes low repetition
and high intensity loads
in order to develop explosive and functional strength.
The process of muscle building is known as muscle hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy refers to the growth in size
of the skeletal muscle cells in your body.
So you're not adding new muscle cells,
you are simply growing your existing ones
and this can be achieved in three ways,
mechanical tension,
which occurs as a result of the time
the muscle spends under load,
muscle damage,
which results in microscopic tears in the muscle,
making them bigger and stronger,
and metabolic stress,
which results in buildup of metabolites like lactate,
which causes the burn
that you experience whilst working out.
Nutrition is important to making these gains.
An increased requirement for protein is necessary
for repair and growth of muscle,
so consuming enough calories and protein is going to be key.
Another important ingredient is sufficient rest.
Your muscles need enough time to recover and grow.
If you were to work out at Lydia's level
without getting enough sleep,
you could actually lose muscle mass,
become injured, or even become ill.
My training does not include cardio,
but physical conditioning
is included in order to strengthen the body
and be stronger when it comes time to perform Olympic lifts.
In weightlifting,
aerobic endurance is not important.
So Lydia can focus on building muscle and strength
and practicing the lifts
that she needs to compete effectively.
Other sports are different.
Athletes such as sprinters
tend to have larger, more powerful leg muscles
that are needed to run faster.
And shot putters must balance muscle strength
and mass with flexibility.
I chase my dreams by overcoming obstacles.
The important thing is to have very clear
short- and long-term goals, and to enjoy the journey.
Even lifting lighter weights
but with a higher volume of repetitions
can still make a big difference in your fitness routine.
Just remember if you start weightlifting,
technique is the most important initial focus for beginners.