Weightlifting

Weightlifting Fandom

        November 29th, 2021

        

        Joshua Ash: Fandom Blog

    Weightlifting has been characterized as a hobby or a sport for a long time but with the rise of social media, it has turned into one of the biggest fandoms of 2021. The participants in this fandom are broken up into many segments, the main subsets of weightlifters are; Bodybuilders, Powerlifters, Olympic weight lifters and Gym Bros. Each of these groups lift weights regularly, but they all do it for different reasons. A bodybuilder's main goal is to attain a physique that is aesthetic and attractive. Powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters both have the goal of being lifting as much weight as possible, however, the lifts they perform are different. Gym bros are similar to bodybuilders in that they lift for vanity's sake but they are also characterized by their need to boost their ego and their poor technique. (See figure 1)

(Figure 1: Meme about gym bros)

One way that members of this fandom participate in weightlifting is by going to a gym. As simple as that may seem there is a lot more to it than just going to a gym, the gym that you attend is just as important as going to the gym altogether. Commercial gyms for instance offer cleanliness and special services like showers and saunas but lack other key things. An example of this is that Planet Fitness doesn't have any power racks or barbells and discourages loud and aggressive styles of lifting. This causes a problem because being loud and aggressive is a very common thing among powerlifters. Commercial gyms usually have a casual culture. (See figure 2)

Another way that weightlifters and fans of weightlifting participate in this fandom is by competing in competitions or attending competitions as a viewer. While some weightlifting competitions involve the act of lifting weights others, like bodybuilding shows don't involve any weightlifting and are based on posing and looks. A powerlifting competition on the other hand would be broken up into three main events, the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. 

                                                                             

                                                             (Figure 2: Commercial gym meme)                                                                                   

Another way in which weightlifters participate in the culture surrounding the hobby is through meme pages and social media groups on reddit or other platforms. Usually a meme page will specialize in a certain type of lifting and post memes about that specific style (see figure 3). These outlets allow people to engage in comment sections and send the memes to their friends and fellow weightlifters.

Though it may not be a traditional fandom, weightlifting certainly fits the criteria of being a fandom. From gyms to competitions to social media platforms, weightlifting has attracted people from all walks of life to find enjoyment and betterment of themselves through lifting heavy objects.

(Figure 3: Powerlifting meme)