Weight lifting, Some do it for sport others do it as a hobby; but for whatever reason you do it, everyone has a common goal to reach the best version of themselves. “Weight lifting has helped me mentally, it also makes me feel better about myself, and I just enjoy it as a hobby”, said sophomore Ethan Wilder.

Coach Darnell, Liberty Strength coach, knows this and has created a new club for these people. The Barbell Club. “The Barbell Club is a club for anybody that is interested in powerlifting, strong man, and strength sports, or anyone wanting to work on the exercises,” stated Coach Darnell.

In a club where you are expected to give everything you have for yourself and others, you may still wonder if the club is still for you but Coach Darnell said “Anybody interested in strength or in improving themself or wanting to know about it so you can learn and get better.” 

Some may say in a sport like weightlifting you need goals that you wanna reach and succeed a be successful. When asked what his goals were for being in the club sophomore Jake Simblulan said, “My goals are to get stronger and be better than I already am. “ Most people on the outside looking in may assume the only goal of weight lifting is lifting more weight. While that is partially true, being a better version of yourself and improving in the way you lift is a common goal.

The club may be called the barbell club but members should be expecting a whole lot more than just barbells. If you are curious about what you will be doing in the club Coach Darnell stated, “First you should expect to learn how to safely and properly lift weights. And you should develop a better understanding of weight lifting and strength sports.”

Although the club is mostly for physical and mental improvement the club is still there to have fun and have a good time, as Jake Simbulan stated “I’ve gotten stronger, but I enjoy learning new things like having fun, and I can do other things to improve myself.”

“You could be an athlete, not be an athlete. You could be advanced, or be a beginner. Or you could just show an interest in getting stronger, the club can help you learn and get better.” said Coach Darnell about why you should join the club. You could be scared about joining because you’re new or you may not lift as much as the person next to you, but that’s not what the clubs are about, it’s about learning and improving.

Everyone has a why, and to participate in a club such as the barbell club you need one. “At first it was just to hang out with my friends then the more I was there I started to take it more seriously,” said Jake Simbulan.

If the club sounds like something you might be interested in, you can join the club by going to the interest meeting scheduled for one day throughout the week of October 2nd through the 6th. “When you come to the interest meeting you can fill out our questionnaire,” explained Coach Darnell. “Once we make sure you’re a good fit for the club and we’ll get you on the roster.”