8 years ago, I found myself on the edge of a painful plateau in my lifting journey, unsure of what my body was trying to tell me. Little did I know, Olympic weightlifting would not only transform my training but also shape the way I view my patients', and my own, resilience and recovery.
Alex shares his 8-year Olympic weightlifting journey, highlighting its impact on mobility, health, and resilience, while exploring the connection between weightlifting and physiotherapy. Book with Alex >>
From Powerlifting to Olympic Weightlifting because of pain
My journey in Olympic Weightlifting began in late 2016, midway through my Sport and Exercise Science degree at Swansea University. At the time, I was deeply into powerlifting and cricket, my lifelong passion. A few months after the Rio Olympics, I was lifting heavy with squats, bench presses, and deadlifts as part of my training.
After a few intense bench press sessions at around 100kg, I started to notice something strange: the next day, I’d have trouble breathing, especially when using the Valsalva maneuver. For those who aren't familiar, the Valsalva maneuver is a technique that helps build intra-abdominal pressure, crucial for heavy lifts like bench presses, squats, and deadlifts. It’s typically held for about five seconds, but beyond that, it can lead to dangerously high blood pressure, dizziness, or even fainting.
As Christmas approached that year, I was still pushing myself with heavy squats—I think I hit 175kg at the time. But with each rep, the pain in my right thoracic area (around the serratus anterior) seemed to get worse, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
After doing reps at around 100kg on the bench press, I found myself having trouble breathing the next day, especially when I used the Valsalva maneuver in my training.
At the time, I wasn’t sure what was going on with my body (I wasn’t a trained physiotherapist yet!), but I noticed that lighter lifts didn’t trigger the pain, so I decided to give Olympic weightlifting a shot. I knew as a beginner, I wouldn’t be lifting heavy. So here was I, on December 27th 2016, kicking off my journey with a 35kg snatch and a 50kg clean & jerk—numbers I now barely think about. Looking back, it’s a reminder of how far consistency and regular training can take you.
By 2017, my progress was rapid. Within a month, I cleaned 105kg, though my split jerk still needed work. I didn’t hit my first 100kg clean & jerk until September that year. Then, in February 2018, I competed for the first time, snatching 80kg and clean & jerking 100kg. Throughout university, I trained 5-6 times a week, spending nearly all my free time in the gym, which helped me feel more at home in the space. I still trained alongside a lot of powerlifters, focusing heavily on building my squat—a key accessory movement in Olympic weightlifting due to the time spent in the squat position during both the clean and snatch.
The Weightlifting glossary you didn’t know you needed
I realise I'm throwing terms at you, that you may not know. So while I have your attention I might as well teach you a few words:
Snatching: The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion.
My competition best Snatch Clean & Jerk: The clean and jerk is a composite of two weightlifting movements, most often performed with a barbell: the clean and the jerk:
Cleaning: The first part of clean and jerk is the clean, which moves the barbell from the ground to shoulder height.
Jerking: The jerk is a movement that lifts a barbell from the shoulder to the overhead position.
Lastly, there are some differences between a powerlifting type squat (low bar squat), where the bar is placed lower down the shoulders around the middle of the trapezius region (maybe even lower at times), where the aim is to lift as much weight as possible (bring the hip crease below the knee) - and then an olympic weightlifting style squat (high bar squat), with the bar on top of the shoulder slightly below the C7 bone (or where the bar sits comfortably), where you are just looking to squat down as far as possible as this would then link to catching a clean or a snatch (or a squat jerk if that is the chosen form of jerk but this is rare).
Nevertheless, each squat type is not synonymous with either powerlifting or weightlifting as both types of squat are used as a competition style squat in powerlifting and both variations have been used in training for Weightlifting.
The power of consistency: training, recovery, and beyond
After finishing my bachelors degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Swansea University I then moved back home (to South-West London) and continued my journey this time with a weightlifting coach in the form of Benedict Millson, who everyone in the weightlifting space knows better as Mr BigFriday. I trained alongside him a couple of times per week for probably a few years and my numbers continued to grow, as well as my sense of competition as part of a weightlifting club (Bounce Gym Weightlifting Club). Watching him perform a flawless snatch felt like watching someone move with gravity-defying ease. It was then that I realised weightlifting wasn’t just about brute strength—it was about control, precision, and constant refinement.
I began to find a joy in optimising my training, my recovery and also training accessory movements. Over time you build in these aspects of training which the 'ordinary’ you would have found almost impossible to do; like sitting into a squat for extended periods of time, getting into an overhead squat position with bare feet, completing movements like a Sotts press (sitting in the bottom of a squat and pressing the bar overhead - from a front rack position/strict press and from a behind the neck snatch press).
Generally, I find that Weightlifting is such a challenging sport that requires constant work and progression, but it helps massively when it comes to proprioception, mobility and general health benefits - with speed and power work as added bonuses. The snatch and clean & jerk both transfer into life function and generally fitness.
Growing up I was always playing sports at the park, mainly football and cricket but always had a love for training. I always found this more fun and generally performed better in training than I did in a match situation (I felt). But weightlifting has almost made me feel super human at times. It is a constant battle to beat your own numbers, and creating fake friendly competitions with friends at the club is always fun and brings out the best in everyone.
I began to find a joy in optimising my training, my recovery and also training accessory movements. Over time you build in these aspects of training which the 'ordinary’ you would have found almost impossible to do.
Working within and pushing limits
Pushing your limits in weightlifting is part of the fun, but it’s important to recognise the risks. While weightlifting is generally safer than contact sports, it can still lead to shoulder, knee, and lower back issues (Aasa et al. 2016). The key is maintaining control of the bar throughout every lift. Everyone loves hitting new personal bests, but it’s crucial to know when to hold back and when it’s worth pushing through the discomfort.
Through my physiotherapy training, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of consistency and listening to your body when it comes to pain. I share this advice with anyone—whether they're new to the gym, recovering from an injury, or seasoned lifters. The program you're given by a coach, trainer, or physiotherapist isn’t a strict rulebook; it’s a guideline. How you feel that day should always be the deciding factor. Research and stats are helpful, but they’re not perfect.
This is where auto-regulation comes in. Keeping a training diary, tracking what you plan to do versus what you actually manage, and noting your fatigue levels can help fine-tune your approach. We know that consistent sleep can improve performance, but how do other factors like alcohol or eating late affect you? Personally, I use a Whoop strap to track my sleep patterns and how different activities impact my recovery. It’s an approach I often recommend to my patients for better results, whether they're training or rehabbing.
Life lessons learned from the barbell
Weightlifting is a very simple sport: get the bar from floor to overhead, and bar from floor to shoulders to overhead, with as much weight as possible. But to master this sport it takes many years of training and effort - similar to any sport in the world. I think since beginning being coached by Benedict in 2018, I have only missed a couple of training sessions he has set out for me. More recently, training has needed to be changed and adapted because of work and moving away from the convenience of having a weightlifting gym a 10 minute walk away. But that does not stop me from training and getting in lots of activity. Having someone or something to keep you accountable to training and maintaining the consistency of training is incredibly helpful.
The first time I hit 100kg on the clean & jerk, I felt like I had unlocked a whole new level of strength. But the real challenge wasn’t just lifting that weight—it was the mental battle of pushing past self-doubt and learning to trust my body when it felt like it was on the edge of failure. Being patient is absolutely vital with any journey. I have been weightlifting for 8 years and have now snatched 108kg and clean and jerked 140kg (not quite got either of these in a competition). It is similar with any other journey worth making: it takes time.
My physiotherapy journey has also taken a long period of time, having completed a bachelor's and master's degree prior to completing my physiotherapy master's. But my love for Weightlifting and my love for sport has not faltered while doing so. It has helped me completing British Weightlifting coaching qualifications, which have allowed me to help a wide variety of other lifters along their journeys. See how other people lift, move and can benefit from doing similar movements, helping them to adapt and push their training, creating a team environment within an individual sport... Above anyone else, trying to better themselves. Whether in physiotherapy or with Olympic weightlifting, I’ve seen how dedication and self-improvement can transform lives.
My journey in Olympic weightlifting has been one of constant evolution—full of trial, error, and steady growth. From the early days of pain and technique breakdowns to pushing my limits and hitting personal bests, weightlifting has taught me invaluable lessons in resilience, consistency, and patience. It’s also reinforced the deep connection between physiotherapy and training—understanding how the body moves, recovers, and adapts is just as crucial as the lifts themselves.
Whether you're new to weightlifting or a seasoned lifter, the principles of progressive training, self-awareness, and auto-regulation are universal. As a physiotherapist, I’ve seen how these same concepts improve not only athletic performance but overall well-being.
Whether you’re lifting for competition, health, or simply to challenge yourself, remember: consistent effort, listening to your body, and seeking guidance when needed are the keys to long-term success and injury prevention. Progress isn’t always linear, and setbacks are part of the process. The barbell may be heavy, but the rewards—both physical and mental—are more than worth the weight.
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