Josh Neal: Stepping Up to the 32s

The EKA's own Josh Neal talks Europeans, home debuts, and what the heavier bell really teaches you

There's a certain kind of athlete who looks at a comfortable podium position and decides to walk away from it in pursuit of something harder. Josh Neal is that kind of athlete. Ahead of his move to the 32kg bell at this year's Europeans, we sat down with the coach, competitor, and self-confessed internal monologue swearer to find out what's really going on.

You're stepping up to a heavier weight at Europeans this year — brave move or reckless confidence? What made you decide it was time?

I see it as the natural progression of things. I've been hitting good numbers on the 24s and felt the 32s were a good goal to work towards. I could have stayed on the 24s as an amateur or veteran and performed better in terms of podium position, but I'll now be competing against the best in the world, which is a huge privilege. Even if I finish last!

Everyone says moving up a bell is a "different game." What's been the biggest shock to the system so far — lungs, legs, or ego?

The biggest shock is how small the margin of error is on every rep. One small mistake takes a huge cost in terms of energy. And on longer sets, how quickly I lose the feeling in my arms — and how long it takes to come back — was surprising.

You're competing in York this year. Does lifting on home soil add pressure… or just extra motivation to show off?

I don't think being on home soil will add pressure. I've stepped into the unknown, so even being on stage on the 32s will feel less pressured in many ways. I am, however, very pleased that my debut as a professional lifter will be on home soil.

As both a coach and an athlete, which version of Josh Neal is harder to deal with — the one giving the advice or the one actually doing the lifting?

I'd say the athlete. It's all too easy to sack off a training session when you know it's going to be hard, and when you still ache from the previous one. Convincing myself to do the work on the 32s has been more challenging. But that's where the coach comes in. I give my clients a hard time about being inconsistent, so I give myself a hard time too. And my actual coach keeps me on track as well.

Be honest: when the set gets ugly halfway through, what's the voice in your head saying — encouragement, swearing, or "why did I sign up for this?"

Life choices will always be questioned when you're under the bells! The voice in my head usually shouts abuse at me, which does help to encourage me in a strange way. Either that, or it's the mantra of just one more rep on repeat.

Josh Neal competes at the British Championships in York before heading to Europeans later this year. Follow his progress on the EKA website and social channels.