After the fun we had completing RockSolid at the weekend, here at Her Campus Exeter we have definitely caught the fitness bug. So it is not a surprise that this week’s HCX Campus Cutie is none other than Business Management student Aymen Alhassan. Sharing our (new found) enthusiasm for the gym, and having recently competed in the British Championships for weightlifting, we met with Aymen to find out all about how his dedication to weightlifting fits in with university life – and perhaps inspire us to pursue something we love too!
Name: Aymen Alhassan
Year: Technically I have been at uni for two years, but I am currently in first year.
Degree: Business Management
Hi Aymen! You’ve been up to some cool stuff recently – what inspired to you start weightlifting?
I’ve always been in to gymming, and I got in to powerlifting properly during this year of uni when I started competing. After entering the Southern Regionals and coming first I decided to move up to the national level which was a whole different ball game… as the youngest lifter there, I ended up coming 4th out of 22 in that one, it was a great experience.
Any plans for further competitions?
I have got the British Mens Classics in October 2016 which is also a national competition – I will be training hard for this one over summer and the aim is to not care about any of the other competitors but to just outlift my previous scores.
How do you train?
It completely depends on which one of my lifts is lacking… for example, to boost up my squat, I squat 5 days a week for 3 weeks and then lower the frequency but increase the intensity closer to the competition date. That’s called peaking, and the aim is to turn up on the day as strong as possible.
How do you balance this around uni?
Most of the time I train 5 days a week. I usually just head to the gym around lectures and it works out fine. Anyone can do it if they manage their time efficently.
What 3 tips would you give someone wanting to take up this sport?
1. Always warm up properly, and incorporate a lot of dynamic mobility work before starting your lifts.
2. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Just keep progressing week by week, month by month.
3. Have fun and surround yourself with positive people.