Icon Training has announced a new collaboration with British Weight Lifting (BWL) to broaden education and understanding of the fast-growing sport.

Recent successes at international events, including the Commonwealth Games – along with the rise in CrossFit training – has seen the sport grow in popularity across gyms, leisure centres and fitness clubs.

As a result, the sport’s national governing body BWL has joined forces with Icon to offer a greater number of weight lifting coaching and instructing courses across the UK. Icon has established four tutors trained to deliver the courses out of three approved centres, complementing the existing BWL programme.

James St Leger is one of the qualified Icon coaches and will cover the South West region. A competitive athlete, he is well known in the CrossFit arena and came ninth recently in the Athlete Games – one of the largest CrossFit events in Europe.

“I am delighted to be delivering BWL courses as I feel they are a valuable part of the UK fitness industry,” said St Leger.

“I firmly believe courses from this leading governing body will be extremely well received and utilised in CrossFit gyms, especially where Olympic Weight Lifting is so prominent, and also amongst individuals wishing to improve their own understanding of complex lifts.”

The three national training centres for the courses are CrossFit Portishead in the South West, 360 Ultimate Fitness in the South East, and MSC Performance in the North.

“The sport of Weight Lifting is growing rapidly across the UK and there is increasing demand for high quality learning and education packages to help drive that growth,” said David Gent, British Weight Lifting development director.

“BWL has designed its qualifications to meet that demand and so is delighted to be working with Icon Training as a national award winning industry-training provider, to ensure that excellence of high quality of delivery across the country.”