Join us for the the last episode of 2023 of the Bar is Loaded. This time we chat to Mark Fulton - GB Masters athlete, Scottish Powerlifting Competition Secretary and founder of the well known and loved Scottish Powerlifting club 'Paisley Barbell' about his journey in the sport and discuss his motivations for setting up the club and why he thinks it has been so successful.

We really hope you enjoy this episode and thank you for all your support throughout 2023! We'll be back in 2024 with more interesting conversations!

This week on the Bar is Loaded Aimee interviews powerlifter and professional photographer Amy-Rose Deffley as they discuss Amy-Rose's photo projects Power and [Mask]ulinity.

The first project 'Power' features photographs of 32 female powerlifters and celebrates female empowerment within powerlifting by telling the stories and exploring the 'whys' of these 32 women.

The second photo project [Mask]ulinity went beyond powerlifters, and sought to peel back the 'mask' of professional British sportsmen across a variety of sports and to explore what it means to be a man, and role masculinity plays in defining an athlete's identity at work, in sports and in their social life.

Join Aimee as she delves into Amy-Rose's motivations for undertaking these projects and what she uncovered in the process. We hope you enjoy watching/listening!

Join us on this episode as we talk to Hannah Matson: 2022 University Worlds Champion; ex-president of Nottingham University Powerlifting Club and now coach with EST Barbell and Nutrition coach at @440training.

Hannah has been heavily involved in powerlifting in GB for a number of years now - volunteering, supporting, competing and contributing a lot, at her time at Nottingham Uni, to driving University Powerlifting in GB forwards.

Join Aimee and Hannah as they talk through her experiences both as an athlete and and contributor to the community more widely. We hope this episode inspires you to see the many ways you can get involved in the sport and how this can not only give back to the community but can open new doors and opportunities!

Join Aimee as she discusses all things lifting during pregnancy and postpartum with Elite IPF lifter Meghan Scanlon who, after placing 2nd at 2019 Worlds in the -57kg category, decided to take a break to have her two adorable twins. After having kids, Meg has has returned to Powerlifting, stronger than ever, winning Worlds as an -63kg lifter in 2022. Aimee and Meg discuss how she knew when to take the break, how she adapted her training during pregnancy and postpartum, and how opinion surrounding women weightlifting through pregnancy are slowly becoming more positive. We hope you find this episode interesting and informative! If you do please give us a rating and follow us on Instagram @barisloaded_podcast.

In this episode we speak with Scottish Powerlifter Miranda Stitt - a relatively new lifter who began competitive powerlifting just over a year ago. Miranda tells us of her background prior to beginning powerlifting, as she struggled with body image and disordered eating, whilst also navigating the pressures of the fitness industry as a PT. As we walk through her journey , we discuss some of the different cultural and social media driven pressures encouraging these unhealthy attitudes to food and exercise and how Powerlifting is supporting Miranda in transforming her relationship with her body, food and exercise.

In this episode Aimee meets with Nikola Murray, an up and coming -47kg lifter in Scotland and the UK, placing 4th in her first ever British Championship in 2023, which she qualified for in only her first year of powerlifting. Nikola tells of how she found the sport and grew to love it, competing at British before suddenly her life was turned completely upside down due to a severe spinal cord issue, which left her in hospital and bed bound for months. Nikola tells her inspirational story of how stayed positive and hopeful and how her mental fortitude (strengthened through powerlifting) and her desire to return to the sport, motivated her to get to where she is now - back under the barbell.

Join the Bar is Loaded host Aimee and her husband Johnny as they recap Aimee's recent performance at the Scottish Classic Championships. After a disappointing day for Aimee, they cover topics such as how to process a 'poor' competition performance; helpful and unhelpful negative emotions; why the concept of the 'redemption arc' can be problematic and the impact of comparison on social media on how we see ourselves as lifters. We hope you enjoy this episode and you find it interesting, and hope makes you feel a little less alone if you've experienced a 'bad' comp day.

In this Episode Aimee talks with British -57kg Champion Bobbie Butters just after she's competed at the World Powerlifting Championships in Malta. They discuss a variety of powerlifting topics and questions, focusing particularly on how nervous lifters can work with their nerves to improve performance.

Bobbie is admittedly a very nervous lifter who has channelled her nerves time and time again to produce some incredible performances on the platform, smashing British and even World records. Bobbie is a testament to the fact that being a nervous lifter doesn't need to be a hinderance to your powerlifting/sporting career, but can instead be your superpower when you learn how to work with your nerves and not against them.

We hope you enjoy this conversation and find it useful!

This week we're joined by Edgar from PsychChek. Edgar has been studying and working in sport psychology for 10 years, working with athletes at grassroots to elite level. He graduated with a 1st class honours (BSc) in sport & exercise psychology, Distinction in applied sport psychology Masters degree and has recently concluded his 3-year sport psychology accreditation training with BASES (British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences). Edgar has worked in a range of sport and competition including track and field athletics, powerlifting, boxing, weightlifting, strongman and esports. Across his career he has helped accumulate over $2million in prize money alongside over 16 trophies. He focuses on providing mental support to competitors as they pursue their athletic goals and values-driven life. In this episode Aimee and Edgar explore how powerlifters can improve their mental game and focus particularly on how to navigate failure in healthy ways that support growth.