A personal fitness trainer in Topsham, Maine, Lionel Beaucage works at local gyms and at the homes of his clients to address specific health and body concerns. In addition to his focus on basic strengthening and conditioning, Lionel Beaucage is passionate about the sports of Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting.
Although the specifics of Olympic weightlifting have changed dramatically over the years, the sport has been a part of both the ancient and modern Olympic games. Today’s Olympic weightlifting consists of two competitive lifts – the single motion snatch and the two-motion clean and jerk. Both of these lifts involve bringing a weighted barbell directly overhead using precisely controlled techniques.
Powerlifting also has ancient roots, but didn’t become a common sport in the United States or the United Kingdom until the 1950s. When compared to Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting is significantly less technical and involves no movements that bring weight directly overhead in a vertical manner. In 1965 the National Weightlifting Committee of the Amateur Athletic Union officially recognized powerlifting as a competitive sport and solidified its three component lifts – the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift.
