The British Weight Lifters' Association (BWLA), the national governing body for weightlifting and weight training, was formed in 1910, becoming a limited company on 25 June, 1957. Now primarily recognized as the guardian and governing body of the Olympic sport of weightlifting in the UK, it remains deeply involved in weight training of all types, particularly as an aid to improved performance in other sports. As part of its aim to develop weightlifting and weight training, the BWLA has been involved in education for much of its history. In the late 1940s, it pioneered the application of resistance training to other sports, collaborating with Athletics and Swimming, and drawing on the advanced, research-based knowledge of the Russian system. Recent work with sports coach UK has now set the BWLA's coach award scheme to fall in line with the UK Coaching Certificate and the BWLA is committed to the UK Coaching Framework. The BWLA now has a small but knowledgeable group of coaches adept at the instruction of weightlifting and weight training with a strong grounding in academic theory, and, above all, an unrivalled level of practical skill in both performance and teaching. Len Williams is an International Weightlifting Referee and a Senior Coach for the British Weight Lifters' Association. He tutors at colleges and universities on various training courses. Len is currently in the squad of officials preparing for the 2012 Olympic games in London. Derek Groves is a professional sports coach and a staff coach with the British Weight Lifters' Association and a Consultant Staff Coach to the Saudi Arabian Federation of Sport for Disability Powerlifting. He has over 30 years' experience of strength training and conditioning for elite athletes and is currently an International Classifier for IPC Paralympic Powerlifting. Glen Thurgood is a professional BWLA coach and Head of Strength and Conditioning at Notts County FC. With over 10 years' combined experience as an elite athlete and coach, he has worked with rugby union, football, and baseball teams at university, professional, and national levels.
