If you don’t Spin or prefer the other Group Fitness activities offered at your local Spin4Kids event, did you know that you can lift instead? We also offer the Lift for Kids Challenge!

The Lift for Kids Challenge is a fundraising event taking place in conjunction with local Spin4Kids events – with proceeds also going to support GoodLife Kids Foundation. Members, GoodLife Associates, guests, family and friends are all welcome to participate and set a fundraising goal of $125 to help kids with intellectual disabilities and autism to thrive through physical activity and fitness!

If you want to help the kids but don’t like to Spin, the Lifting Challenge could be perfect for you! Just like Spin4Kids, you’ll get a team together of up to eight people, but you will LIFT! Together, both events are aiming to raise $1 Million.

Go to www.spin4kids.com, select the event you want to participate in and Register! The Event Leader will contact you to schedule your lift time. Please also view the end of this blog for my tips on how to prepare for any lifting competition. Being a competitive athlete in both powerlifting and weightlifting and Vice President of Personal Training for GoodLife, I've learned a lot about what works prior to competing. 

Spin4Kids is one of Canada’s largest one-day fitness fundraisers. The event supports GoodLife Kids Foundation’s efforts to help kids with intellectual disabilities and autism get physically active. Be part of the thousands of participants across Canada who participate! Each event features great music, special guests, silent auction items, decorations and costumes.

The Lift for Kids Challenge is running at 19 GoodLife locations across Canada:

Brampton McLaughlin Corners, Calgary Canyon Meadows, Edmonton Mill Woods, Halifax Park Lane, Kelowna Capri Centre, Mississauga Meadowvale, North York – Sheppard East, Ottawa Orleans and Ottawa Queensview, Peterborough Monaghan, Quispamsis, Red Deer Parkland Mall, Regina Victoria Square, Toronto Richmond and Bathurst and Richmond and John; Victoria West, Waterloo Weber Street, Windsor Tecumseh, Woodstock Dundas.

There will be three lifting stations where you will Squat, Bench Press or Deadlift. Your team must complete each station at least twice, but each team member does not have to perform each lift.  Pick the best of your team members for each lift (maximum three lift attempts for each participant), as the team that lifts the most weight versus their bodyweight will be the winner of the Team Lifting Challenge!

With Spin4Kids and Lift for Kids, we’ll help break down barriers so that more kids with special needs will have the chance to build belonging, confidence and healthy, active lives.

So how do you prepare for these lifts? 

  • You should be familiar with the lift that you are performing and have significant experience in completing it
  • Lift as much as you want, but stay within your personal limits to avoid injury
  • Form is paramount because each lift will be subject to the approval of a certified canfitpro Trainer, who will be judging each lift.

    For any competition, here are 9 tips to follow:
  • Be sure that you have been following a periodized strength training phase for the past 8-12 weeks before the event that progressively prepares your body for working in the 90%+ rep max range
  • Your last deadlift should be 7-20 days prior to the competition, depending on your body weight. The larger you are, the longer the recovery that you need.
  • Your last squat and bench should be done 5-10 days out, again depending on your weight class.
  • Be sure of your mobility: Hip and shoulder internal rotation are major factors in putting the body in the right position to utilize leverages. When you lack rotation, you lose force production and risk injury significantly.
  • Rest and recovery the week before the competition. Keep things light, eat/drink as well as possible so that your body is ready for the battle ahead.
  • Do NOT pick lifting attempts that are too hard -- especially your first two. See #7
  • On meet day, choose attempts in the following order:
    1. 1st attempt is something you have done for 5 in training.
    2. 2nd attempt is something you have done for an easy double or hard triple in training.
    3. 3rd attempt is where you go for a new Personal Record (PR) or if you don’t feel well, pick a weight you know that you can lift for a single on your worst day. That way you still add to your total.
  • Do a bag check the night before and mark off a checklist of all of your equipment, snacks, hydration, supplements etc. that you will need the day of competition. You cannot be over prepared!
  • HAVE FUN! Your only competition is you. Even a 2.5 Kilo PR on a lift or a total means that you got BETTER. Even if you don’t set a PR, but maybe you overcame a lot in your life (let’s face It, in 12 weeks many challenges can arise) and you still showed up and put your best effort forward. That is what the sport is all about: Showing up on the platform and putting your best out there. Spectators care little about the weight on the bar, but how well it is lifted and how much effort is applied.