Pump some iron at USQ Springfield gym

Feel like building a bit of muscle, toning up, getting fit or even getting involved in a fantastic sport? University of Southern Queensland Springfield campus gym may be the place for you.

Former national weightlifting champion and USQ Engineering student Craig Wegert has begun a weightlifting club at the University gym and is inviting anyone to join.

Craig said he came up with the idea to start a community based weightlifting club when he decided to begin lifting weights again himself after a 10 year hiatus.

'I work behind a desk as a Civil Auto Cad designer and find myself sitting down for a large part of every day,' Craig said.

'Like many people who sit down for most of their work day, I wanted to get active again and lose some weight. Weightlifting and strength training speeds up your metabolism and is a great way to do this.

'Weight training is used by athletes and professional sportspeople all over the world and the club will be a great addition to the facilities already at the USQ gym.'

Craig has lifted weights since the age of 11 and became a competitive weightlifter at the age of 24.

'I was shy when I was young and weightlifting really lifted my confidence and made me get out there and meet people.

'I retired from competition in 1998 and had a little bit of a comeback in the 2000 Australian Championships, but apart from that I have been non-competitive for about 10 years.

'My love and passion for the sport has always been there and while I am studying here at the Springfield campus I would like to promote weightlifting to the staff, students and the local community as a great sport and a way to achieve health goals.'

Craig is a Level 2 Nationally accredited coach with the Australian Sports Council and can guide club members in weightlifting whether they wish to do it for fitness, to aid with training for another sport, body building or just for basic fitness.

'If we get some competitive weightlifters here while we are at it, then that would be great.'

Round One of the Queensland Weightlifting League and Masters League kicked off last month with Craig becoming the first USQ Weightlifting Club member to enter the competition.

He placed 1st in the 105+kg category and earned 66 points in the first round of the league and broke the Queensland Masters 35 to 39 years 105+kg Class Snatch, Clean and Jerk and Total records.

He is now well on his way to achieving a personal goal of competing in the 2009 World Masters Championships in Sydney.

To be a member of the USQ Weightlifting Club you must first become a member of the USQ gym.

For further information on joining USQ gym phone 3470 4100 and for more information about the USQ Weightlifting Club email Craig at USQweightlifting@hotmail.com .

USQ Springfield Gym Memberships costs:

USQ Staff/Student                                       $55
TAFE Staff/Student                                     $110
Associate members (not staff or students)  $110 (plus $10 for ID cards)

Weightlifting coaching hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7pm to 9pm.

USQ Weightlifting Club will host the Queensland Masters competition on 17 May, 2008 and the Queensland Seniors competition on the 6th September in the USQ Auditorium.

Media Contact: Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0428 102 979