Meet the strongwomen of the Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we speak to female strength trainers at the inclusive Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club

Nine years ago, Alison Jones was taking a break from her bodybuilding career when she decided to walk through the doors of Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club (BGWLC) for the first time. Alison had been looking at various weightlifting clubs near to where she lives, but wasn’t having any luck as coaches were trying to charge her £100 for an hour’s worth of training.

After searching for some time, Alison discovered BGWLC tucked away on Turin Street. ‘I looked it up and they said Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings were for the over 50s,’ she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “I thought ‘I won’t be here long, I’ll just [work on] my shoulders and then I’ll go back to bodybuilding’ and then I stayed.’

Within two weeks of joining, Alison was asked by Head Coach Martin Bass if she wanted to take part in a weightlifting competition that was happening in a few weeks’ time. Alison hasn’t looked back since then.

She recently represented Great Britain and won bronze at the European Classic Masters in France at the age of 59 and is hoping to compete in more events including the World Classic and Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships in South Africa. Since joining BGLWC, Alison’s perception on weightlifting, particularly women and strength training, has changed.

She said: ‘I’m quite blown away by how many women are in it, also in the commercial gyms there are more and more women – not necessarily competing but training with weights which is remarkable because 10 to 15 years ago I don’t remember as many women, it was a bit of a rarity.

‘I think women don’t realise how strong they are, when you see them carrying babies and carrying shopping and then you think, how does she do that? I think we’re quite special, unique and underrated in everything, but we underrate ourselves – that’s the biggest crime.’

Historically, strength training can been traced back to Ancient Egypt, Greece and other countries where it was a chance for men to show off their physical strength and prove their ‘manhood’ to the world. Being able to lift weights signalled a man’s masculinity and celebrated their physique – but it was also a deep reflection of societal norms that women have gone on to challenge and break.

The face of the male-dominated sport began to change when it grew in popularity amongst women during the 19th and 20th centuries, and saw the emergence of trailblazers such as Ivy Russell and Abbye Stockton. By 1987, the first Women’s World Championships were held in Florida and women’s weightlifting debuted at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

The rise of strength training in women has continued to grow, and there are a number of health benefits for women, including regulating hormones and helping during and after the menopause. 

Other benefits for both men and women include building and maintaining muscles, promoting bone growth, improving mental health, boosting confidence, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing cardiovascular risks such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

For International Women’s Day (IWD) the club celebrated its female weightlifters and encouraged women, no matter their experience, to join their open day last Saturday. 

The club’s female lifters range from under 18s to women in their 70s, and one of its youngest members, Jane, has been coming with her sister and mum for the last six months.

The 14-year-old told the LDRS: ‘For a very long time, men have been told to be strong but I think it’s time women are told that because it’s important for everyone. I think it builds your confidence, I think if I can come in here and do this I can do anything.’

Charlotte Macaulay, who has been training at the club for over a year, enjoys using the space and has been inspired by women like Alison. She said: ‘There’s women that have been here for years, so just to see where they are and know that I can go that far is really nice to see.

‘I’ve found myself in a lot of male dominated spaces, and at times I like that because I like to be able to do what they can do, and you can really show in this space that you are capable of it.’

Yunia Maalo, a women’s health coach who has been coming to the club for more than two years, said: ‘I relate to women who have had negative experiences with fitness, sport and exercise because growing up I actually hated it. When I speak to a lot of clients they express exactly how I felt and I think that’s a huge barrier for women.’

She added: ‘But you start at your own pace and an advantage of here is it’s really supportive, the women here represent lots of different body types and lots of different strengths and are at different stages of their lives – [from] students to women with kids – and it’s just really inspiring and if you’re thinking of starting, just do it as you can start at your own pace.’

Claire Yates first discovered BGWLC over three years ago and has been regularly training there ever since. ‘I literally just walked in off the street and met Martin, I didn’t even know what all the lifts were, I didn’t have a clue about it, and I certainly didn’t know about any competitions or anything like that – but it was so welcoming even from that first meeting,’ she said.

Since switching from running to weight training, Claire has noticed a number of positive improvements in her everyday life. She said: ‘The extra rewards of carrying heavy suitcases, being able to help people move house, being able to lift things up stairs and open jars around the house, all of those things as a woman or as a girl aren’t terribly celebrated.

‘It’s men who are supposed to be strong and being able to fight against that and being a physically strong woman is something I’d recommend to everyone.’ 

Claire added: ‘When you walk into a gym like our gym, it’s very historic, the women there are the loudest voices in there. In general, I think there are more women than men working out at any one time, and it makes the space more welcoming I hope to men as well.’

Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club is a non-profit organisation and is responsible for producing world champions who have represented Great Britain at the Paralympic Games and the Commonwealth Championships. Martin has traced the club back to 1926, though he believes it could have formed earlier than this.

The future of the club is under threat, after it was handed a Section 25 notice by Tower Hamlets Council in July 2024. The notice ordered the club to leave the premises by January 31, however, the council has extended the notice until April 30 as they wanted to give the club more time to discuss it with them and have alternative arrangements in place.

The club, which has been a ‘lifeline’ for many people, has launched a campaign and is urging the council to work with them and establish a secure tenancy. A petition to save the club can be found here.

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