AOTM - Kate & Aaron Burke

As many of our Annapolis members know, in Fall 2024, 12 Labours started an official Barbell Club class on Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Annapolis. During our first 12 week cycle, the focus was on building awareness and stability in the proper positions necessary for the snatch and clean and jerk (olympic weightlifting), as well as the back squat, bench and deadlift (powerlifting). Our members who have attended have experienced immense success in their lifts, both in improving form, as well as improving strength. The second cycle which started in January 2025 has been focused on first continuing to build technical proficiency, followed by improving strength with technical proficiency, and finally working towards some of our olympic lifting member’s first competition at the Cap City Open on April 27. As we look to the future with Barbell Club, we are hoping to not only invite more members into our lifting sessions to continue building technical proficiency in the lifts but also enhance the process of working towards competition for members who would like this opportunity. Barbell club programming for the Olympic Weightlifting side will involve two tracks, a locally competitive track, and a nationally competitive track. For anyone new to the sport of Olympic weightlifting (snatch, clean and jerk), local competitions can be entered by any athlete who fulfills the requirements of that specific meet (USAW sanctioned meets require a USAW membership). Athletes are designated to the weight class of their choosing (we typically guide towards competing at a weight class that your body is naturally comfortable at) and can be Junior (under 18 years old), Senior (over 18 years old), and Masters (35 years old and over) age groups. National and International meets can only be entered by athletes who have posted a qualifying total at a local meet, or more competitive meet depending on what the athlete is hoping to register for. A qualifying total is the total kilograms that the athlete must lift, at a minimum, to be able to register for that meet. For a 12 Labours member who would like to compete locally, the Barbell programming will include: 2x/week Barbell Programming (M/W 5:30 pm class) + Squat/Accessory Day (to be performed independently) We strongly suggest attending as many in - person barbell classes as possible if you plan on competing to maximize success and comfort when stepping onto the platforms in competition. There will be 2-3 opportunities for local competition each competitive year. For a 12 Labours member who would like to compete nationally, there are a few other requirements to be fulfilled: Athletes must have competed at a local level and have a qualifying total to register for this next level of competition. 3-4x/week Barbell Programming - This will be an expanded version of the Barbell class programming to work towards the level of commitment necessary to compete at this level. There will be 2-3 opportunities for national/international competition each year. We are excited to open up more opportunities for our 12 Labours members to get stronger and perform better both within and outside of the gym. Please do not forget that Barbell classes are open for all 12 Labours members, and you DO NOT have to compete to attend. We are happy to coach anyone who wants to learn more about the lifts, improve technique and get stronger! We will be starting a new cycle on April 28, which will also help us work towards our next local meet, Tough Temple, held in Rockville, MD on July 12-13, 2025.