posted Jun 5, 2019, 8:47 AM by Sarah Jones
A few years ago, Elk Mound High School adopted the powerlifting club. The number of students going out for this club has increased dramatically since it first started, but some of the staff and other students are still questioning whether or not this club should still be allowed. It has been said that powerlifting is too dangerous.
Powerlifting is not as dangerous as people think. If the lifters stretch thoroughly before each lift and use the proper form, injuries will decrease immensely. This club is beneficial to everybody’s mental and physical states.
In fact, a stronger lower body can help to improve agility and speed in performance. When participating in this club, athletes must complete their lifts and other tasks quickly and effectively which can help basketball players exert effort when running across the court or volleyball players diving for a ball.
Powerlifting is super great for a person’s skeletal health. Osteoporosis is a very common disease in the U.S. that affects both men and women but more commonly in women. One in five women all over the country. Powerlifting can decrease the risk factors for this disease by building strength and bone mass. Some doctors say that instead of pushing medicines all the time, they should prescribe lifting.
Powerlifting has some obvious physical benefits, but it has just as much mental benefits as well. Powerlifting can help to improve confidence and mental health. Confidence can be built when an athlete has been working hard on a certain goal which they then achieve later on. When lifting, the body uses neural mechanisms to communicate to different parts of the body and increase cognitivity. Not to mention, it builds stronger bonds between people. It may be an individual sport, but the atmosphere in the weight room and at the meets is nothing like anybody has ever seen before. People actually cheer for their competition.
Some staff and students think that powerlifting is too dangerous because of the huge weights that are being lifted which can result in putting the body at a greater risk for injury. This is inaccurate. They assume that the weight room is filled with kids who don’t know the technicality of lifting. The lifters are properly trained the first few weeks of the season to ensure no injuries will occur. It is actually a healthy way to make your bones and muscles stronger and to increase cognititvity throughout the body.
If those students and staff want to see better versions of each other, they should encourage everybody to try powerlifting instead of only seeing what improper form and stretches can result in. They don’t know what actually goes on in the weight room. Also, most of the people that don’t like the idea of powerlifting have actually never participated before.
Powerlifting is not a dangerous sport when done properly and has many physical and mental benefits. It is a perfect activity for any age group. Powerlifting is only as dangerous as someone makes it. People who judge powerlifting should actually try it and see what actually goes on. Powerlifting builds bone mass, muscles, and good character.