Zalva Weightlifting is a club dedicated to making Olympic weightlifting accessible to all, from beginners to competitive lifters, from 8 year olds upwards.
Olympic weightlifting, often simply referred to as weightlifting, is an athletic discipline in the modern Olympic programme in which the athlete attempts a maximum-weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates using both physical and mental strength. The two competition lifts in order are the snatch and the clean and jerk.
The Snatch
The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to an overhead position in one powerful, continuous motion using a wide grip.
The Clean & Jerk
The clean and jerk is a composite of two weightlifting movements. During the clean, the lifter moves the barbell from the floor to a racked position across the shoulders. During the jerk, the lifter raises the barbell to a stationary position above the head, finishing with straight arms and legs, and the feet in the same plane as the torso and barbell.
Body composition: The snatch and clean and jerk are full-body lifts that use the legs, glutes, back, abs, shoulders, and arms. Performing the lifts can burns more calories compared to performing single-joint movements in a shorter period of time. The lifts will help put on lean tissue, increase strength, and ultimately decrease body fat.
Muscular power and strength: Muscular power is simply how fast you can move a load. A decrease in muscular power over time is one of the main cause of falls in older adults. In Olympic weightlifting, nothing is done slowly. All loads are moved at max velocity, therefore increasing power. If your goal is to run faster and jump higher, power is the key ingredient.
Coordination: The Olympic lifts require coordination and timing. Improving body awareness and coordination is great for all activities of daily life.
Range of motion: Most people associate heavy lifting with being muscle bound, stiff and bulky. The Olympic lifts, require control of the load through a full range of motion in the knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders. If the range of motion is not there at the start of your lifting journey, over time training through a full range of motion will increase flexibility more effectively than a static stretching programme.
Zalva coaches are fully qualified with British Weightlifting Licences.
Head coach – Stewart Cruikshank
Stewart began his lifting career at 13 years old, becoming Britain’s strongest school boy by the age of 16. He went on to win many National titles and competed for Great Britain at world and European level medaling at 3 consecutive Commonwealth Games, 1994, 1998, & 2002 for team England.
Stewart is currently the BWL regional pathway coach for the South East and South West regions for youth and junior weightlifters.
As head coach at Zalva Weightlifting he is passing on his wealth of knowledge and experience to all athletes from youth to masters. While still finding some time for his own lifting in the masters, he holds the title of World Champion and World Record holder.
Coach – Salla Eskola
Salla began her sporting life with athletics but this was soon taken over by football, which remained her focus for 15 years, playing in Finland’s top leagues – until knee injuries forced her to retire.
Since then she has dabbled in various sports (such as boxing and cycling), until finding weightlifting through CrossFit. The combination of skilled technique and explosive power immediately hooked her and she’s not looked back since.
Coach – Emma Suckling
Emma began her sporting career in gymnastics, representing GBR throughout the 1990’s until her retirement from the sport in 2000. She has dabbled in a range of other sports and fitness pursuits over the years, before discovering a love for weightlifting in 2018. Since then she has competed on the senior national circuit and the international masters stage, included becoming European Masters Champion in 2019 and more recently becoming a World Masters silver medalist 2023 under the care of head coach Stewart.
She previously owned her own children’s fitness brand and studio, before stepping away to join the corporate world of executive coaching and business mentoring. She maintains a passion for inspiring the younger generation and loves the thrill of coaching athletes of all ages out on the competition floor.
Coach – Lucy Eggleton
Club Secretary & Welfare Officer – Helen Cruikshank
