We Finally Opened

We finished our first week here at CrossFit Dark Athletics.  It was a fun week; we met some cool people during our Grand Opening and it continued through the week.  We are the new kids in town and not many people know us, but I assure you in a few months they will!  We have been running a FREE trial period for the month of March, just to introduce ourselves to the community.  A few people have taken advantage of it so far and if you haven't don't worry we will have more promotions down the road, but drop-in anyway.  We don't bite!

This week I think the question we've received the most is, "Should I buy...(Enter piece of equipment/accessory)?" My response to that question depends on who asked.  This week it has been asked by mostly people new to this whole CrossFit/Weightlifting thing.  I think a big part of CrossFit is the availability of all the accessories you can buy and sometimes don't need.  The newer you are to something I generally respond with, "just bring workout clothes and an open mind."  The bare minimum.  Having the newest CrossFit shoes won't improve your mobility, so why buy them? Buying a belt with a catch phrase on it won't help you squat better.  You will be better off when you learn how to squat without it.

The thing people get caught up in when they want to make a change in their lives is that they need to go all out from the start.  False. Gradually make a change and build from there.  Just walking into a gym and exercising when you never exercise is more than enough change for a week.  Start there.  Do it consistently under a watchful eye [ours-:-P] for a month.  Your body will begin to change and you will feel better about yourself.  Now next week/month change a little bit more: maybe you cut out some of the junk foods that you normally eat, not all of it just a little bit.  Instead of eating a big bowl of pasta with no meat and lots of cheese 3x a week, try cutting one of those meals out and adding a piece of lean chicken breast.  Your meal doesn't have to be bland, use can still add all types of seasoning and sauce, just try to get more meats and veggies in your diet and less sweets and junk.  I say that as a general rule, because most people who have issues with weight don't generally portion their macro-nutrients well. Protein generally becomes the forgotten child.  If that isn't the case, take a look at what you are eating; really try to understand it and make a slight change to it.  Don't be afraid to experiment a little.  It's your body and what works for you may not work for me or anyone else.  However, the fact is if you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.  If you have any questions beyond that, ask us and we will do our best to help guide you.

My point here is that you will benefit the most out of gradually changing your habits as opposed to just trying to go cold turkey with them and buying all of this fancy equipment.  If it's your first time working out in this type of gym, definitely save your money on all that equipment and supplements.  Joining a gym like this can be a big financial commitment, take some time to get adjusted to this lifestyle and gradually add to it as you go along. You won't be required to move as fast as humanly possible, but you will be required to move as fast as your version of good technique will allow. Whatever perception you have of CrossFit with the crazy movements and people running all over the gym screaming... just know that we just want to see you guys encourage each other and work together.  We all have the same goals here, to get better and stronger!  Working alongside people who have the same goals as you is the best way to improve yourself.  The classes are mixed up of all levels so don't worry about what everyone else is doing, as long as you're moving properly and hustling you will make progress and see results! If you try to rush into things and become impatient you most likely won't last very long with the program.  So be patient, stay focused, and Join the Dark Side!

TL;DR- Our Grand Opening was great! If you missed it, drop by the gym to try us out.  If you're new to CrossFit/Weightlifting you don't need to buy fancy things.  Just come with some workout clothes and an open mind.  We will take it from there!

The Anticipation is Killing Me

We are about 2 months away from opening our first business, CrossFit Dark Athletics in Freehold, NJ and I can't tell you how anxious I am! Getting the gym prepared to open is an intense experience.  Between signing the lease and opening our doors, we faced a host of unforeseen expenses and timely delays.

I've been on the verge of a breakdown for the better part of a year, worried if I was going to make enough money to survive each month.  I've been eating away at my savings chasing a dream to become a better Coach and Educator in the fitness Industry.  I currently work training people out of my partner's garage and it has been a struggle to say the least, yet more preferable to the way I was living prior.

Before committing myself full time to coaching and fitness I was working in the restaurant business for 12 years.  I began working in the catering hall as a server and worked my way up to Production Manager.  It was a great experience and I learned a lot from it.  As head of production I was working 60+ hours a week and trying to use the remainder of my time to lift heavy weights... you can imagine how that went.  For the amount of hours I was working I wasn't earning that much and on top of that I was burning out.  I knew it was time for a change.  I quit in April of 2014 and began working for my coaches at South Brooklyn Weightlifting Club.  Unfortunately this didn't work out and I left shortly after.  Let's just call it a miscommunication on both our parts and leave it at that.  I am thankful that they gave me an out from the restaurant.  After I left there I was unsure how I was going to move forward.  I was intent on continuing my career in fitness and not return to the restaurant so I decided to set up my own gym out of my partner's garage.  It was not the best decision monetarily, but I was eventually able to acquire a decent amount of clients to train.  Some months were a struggle as I was making less than $500! If I didn't have the support from everyone around me I would have quit a long time ago.  I keep at it because I know the experience is worth more than the dollar I make for it.

We signed the lease in October and were hoping to hit the ground running, gathering all of the contractors necessary to complete the job as fast as possible.  Finally, I thought... I will be able to breathe for a while... nope.  We found out right away it was going to be a bumpy ride.  Permits, building codes and regulations, letters to city officials and more.  Even getting our business name approved took a few submissions.

As we get closer and closer to opening and as the end of the year creeps up on us, I've become more and more stressed out.  We were hoping for a January Opening, but we've been pushed back to February and possibly March.  This means more time spent waiting and biding our time until we can officially say, YES, WE ARE OPEN! I'm anxious to begin working, programming and meeting new people.  This by no means will be easy.  With all my fears and anxiety, I believe that if we can power through the first few months and endure the inevitable exhaustion of working morning to night, we will be alright.  Hopefully CrossFit Dark Athletics will be the light at the end of this very dark tunnel. (No Pun Intended!)

Pros and Cons of Lifting in a Garage in Brooklyn

For the past 15 months I've been primarily training out of my Garage.  There are definitely perks to be able to just walk outside and lift, but there is a downside.  The Garage has served has my home after I left my job at SBWC.  In there I was able to conduct business and survive over a year without having to wake up and "Go to work".  I had my own space, equipment and my own mini team that I was able to vibe with best I could given the situation.  The Garage if you are unfamiliar is a two Car set up and the useable gym space is about a 13' x 10' with enough ceiling height to go overhead.   It has all of the equipment necessary to lift, If I can do it anyone can, but there are definitely limitations. 

The benefits of having this space in a Garage were amazing.  I was able to set up a Mini- Gym designed for Weightlifting where people were able to drop weight and not have to worry about disturbing neighbors.  We could lift at anytime, but most people wanted to lift at the same time which became an issue.  In the Summer, weather permitted, it was great.  The doors were open, we were able to go outside and use the backyard area, even though you would be lifting on a slight incline.  It still served it's purpose.  In the Winter, when weather got really bad and all of the other gyms were closed, I would be able to go outside and lift.  The Garage was never really closed unless I wasn't there, which was rare.  It was private.  You came to the back, to the Garage and you had your own workout area. No one really stared or knew what was going on back there, which I guess could be a negative thing for me.  The benefit being the limited distractions of being around a bunch of other people always getting in your way weren't there.  Only about 4-5 people could be in there lifting at the same time and that's only if they were doing similar things.  2-3 was pushing it at most times.  Not exactly the way I envisioned it, but what are you gonna do?  It's what I had and I ran with it as best I could.  

What could possibly be bad about lifting in a tight Garage? The size of the space was a bit tight.  If the weight bounced the wrong way, the platform shifted on numerous occasions, the Garage door track would be hit when going overhead (sometimes), in the cold winter... brutal, 2 people at a time mainly (Any more would be crowded), if the weather was bad going outside was out so the exercises inside became limited for some of the General members.  Lifting alone sucks.  At some points I would be outside by myself and that caused me to be very unmotivated. I would get frustrated with lifting and then in turn get frustrated with things around me that I couldn't move.  Like I said before we were in the backyard so nobody knew what was going on back there and the turnover rate was pretty bad.  I had more people leaving than coming in.  I couldn't do much about that, most people actually left due to life and jobs taking them elsewhere.  I'm pretty sure nobody left because they thought I was doing a bad job, at least they didn't say that.  It was hard to keep people coming through the door where I was, but I did what I could. 

You have to be very creative when dealing with people who want to exercise and you have a limited number of things you can throw at them (especially if some of the things you want to do with them they nix right from the start.) I told them from the start what I was going to do with them.  This is not a personal training studio, this is my gym and I lift weights.  I told everyone, I will teach you how to Squat, Press and Deadlift and  throw some conditioning at you.  If what I was doing wasn't what they wanted I adjusted it to meet their needs, but the people that always came in saying, "OK, I trust you." saw the best results.   It kept me learning and guessing about how to keep them working.  I did my best to keep the people that came to me pushing themselves past where they were ready to handle.  If you do nothing regularly, doing anything will get you some sort of result, if you do it long enough, but what most people don't realize is that the amount of time you spent doing nothing or just working on one aspect of training it takes twice as long to change it and you have to work twice as hard to change your body.  It is not magic, I am no magician I cannot grant you wishes.  All I can do is show you what to do and how to do it, the rest is up to you to keep coming and push forward.  

These past 15+ months of being in the Garage were definitely Educational.  I spent most of the time learning how to train different people for different things.  I learned about how to organize times and with the limited space I was able to manage different things going on at the same time.  Everybody I had the privilege of working with has taught me something.  The people that stuck with me the entire time I thank you so much for your support and trust.  I'm certain you guys have seen the best results.  Honestly I am thankful for everyone who even tried the Garage.  It's a miracle I got anyone in that place.  Most people are always looking to try something different and I was realistic.  This was going to be a temporary situation for me, and I couldn't really expect the masses to come through.  But for those who spent some time with me, I hope you learned something about exercise and about yourselves.    There were some hard times, still are, but I've gotten through most of them.  If I had to do it all over again, I would.  I am grateful for the support and I look forward to the road ahead and the hard times to come.  

Trip to Cali

Long time no blog. 

Just got back from Sunny California visiting Erin's family and relaxing a bit.  Erin's family happens to be good friends with the Great Coach Mike Burgener of Mike's Gym so we got to work with him for a week while we were out there.  This is one of the most well respected individuals in the Crossfit Community and throughout the year him and his team will travel all over the country to do seminars for Crossfit coaches to help them become more well rounded coaches and athletes.  In his home he has 4 platforms with ample amounts of bars and plates and a spacious warm-up area with rowers and GHDs and anything you need to be a better Weightlifter.  He supplies you with all of the bells and whistles needed and will spend time working with you on drills and skill transfer exercises.  I got to see his signature, 'Junkyard Dog' warm-up in action as he employed it on a visiting lifter.  

One of the things I enjoyed the most while lifting out there was him working with other individuals.  The way he worked minor faults and corrected them was more educational than having him work on my own.  I was able to see how a master operates and bring that home to work on myself.  Little drills and corrections go a long way and if you have someone as experienced as he is working with you then it's safe to say you are in good hands.  Listening to him coach was more important to me because not only did he give you a drill, but he explained its purpose and had you explain it back each time.  Becoming robotic and mechanical is very important when doing a job.  Once you have a specific approach to your job (To Lift Weights) it will become second nature and when you understand why you are doing what you are doing without thinking about it your body will automatically do the right thing and you will get better and faster at doing your job.  Become robotic and become automatic that is the desired goal or at least should be in everyone's training.  I enjoyed his programming ideas and look forward to using some of them in my future training as well as with my athletes.  I would like to thank the Burgener Family for being so welcoming and accommodating this past week and for teaching me more about the art of Weightlifting.  

A Special thanks goes out to Erin's Parents for being just amazing people.  We had a great time with you guys and I can't wait to visit again and do some more cooking! It was a great week thanks again and I hope to see you soon!

Patience, and why you should have it.

Weightlifting can be frustrating at times. You will develop a Love-Hate relationship with the barbell and most of the time you are going to feel more hatred than love.  This relationship takes time to develop and does not come easy to anyone.  Ask anyone they will probably tell you the countless times they wanted to give up and never look at the bar again.  I know I have on more than one occasion been so frustrated I just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.  (Last week included) Patience is the name of the game.  Have faith in the process of lifting.  If you are a novice and are trying to learn this craft on your own, I strongly encourage you to either find a training partner or find a coach, because you will get nowhere and give up faster than you started without at least one of those things.

If you have both a training partner and a coach and still find it frustrating, don't fret.  That happens as well.  No one said this is going to be easy and if you thought it was going to be, you are way off.  You have to spend time working on your weaknesses.  This can get demanding and very aggravating because who wants to work on things they suck at?  Unfortunately that's the only short cut to getting better.  Improve your weaknesses to gain Strength.  Take your time with your working sets and make sure you are executing every rep to precision.  Your training partner or coach should be able to tell you when you are ready to kick it up a notch or take it back because you aren't getting it.  Be Patient with this process as it can be very tedious and stressful.

One thing I constantly hear which I think is just laughable is, "If CrossFit was around when I was younger I would be so good! I would be a professional (Insert Any Sport) by now."

Let me tell you why that's BULLSHIT! 

CrossFit is a great way to exercise and has introduced a lot of people to various exercises and routines.  Because of it's randomness and surprising approach to workouts athletes are constantly tested to their limits with every WOD. That's great and I am very happy that CrossFit exists, but if it was around when you or I were younger (Which for these purposes I mean if CrossFit Style gyms were more available, clearly that style was around it's just a type of circuit training) You would have quit that also and clung on to another trending fitness regiment.  Think about it, most people that say these things were involved in some sort of competitive sport, me included.  I played baseball.  Baseball camps were around, coaches were available to me, information was around why wasn't I good at baseball? Or some of you were into something else. Soccer, Football, Gymnastics, Dancing... whatever it was, all of the information and coaching was available to you at the time you were doing it.  All you had to do was stick with it and have patience and maybe by now you would be professional, however CrossFit boxes weren't around so that's why you failed? Give me a break. Many people excelled and broke records well before Crossfit was even an idea.  If you had patience and stuck with one discipline for longer than a half an hour you may have gotten somewhere with it, but instead it got to a point where it became too difficult and you lost interest.  I admit I am definitely guilty of those feelings. They are perfectly natural.  The people that excel in one or more disciplines are the ones that take the time to embrace the sticking points and work through them to better themselves.  

Another Patience issue is constantly fumbling around with your program.  If you are constantly changing your program style up and not sticking to one idea, but jumping around your progress will most likely be put on hold.  Stick with one idea for a little while make progress and then reassess the ideas after a certain period of time.  If you are constantly saying to yourself, "I have to try this or that" then your body will be too confused to make gains.  Be patient. Pick one thing at a time to improve. Improve the most basic parts and move on from there.  Constantly fighting your program will halt your gains in the gym.  If you are on a program but in the back of your mind are questioning the effectiveness of the program it definitely won't work because you don't want it to.  You have to have a positive attitude going into this otherwise you won't ever be satisfied.  If you walk up to the bar and have the slightest bit of doubt that you will be able to lift that weight, guess what it's not going to go well for you! You have to be positive and know what you want out of yourself! Know what you want, be positive and you will achieve!

Another example of needing patience is You have been stuck on the same numbers for a while and you don't know what to do! You have been hitting the same weights for over 4 months and they don't seem to be moving better.  So now you feel worthless because you go to the gym all the time and you put in all this work and what's the point if I'm not getting better? If you want to get better work lighter and perfect your lifts.  Work at a point where it isn't too heavy where your form breaks down and hit doubles or triples and Repeat! If you are constantly failing at 400lbs and all you do is try to squat 400lbs maybe you shouldn't be practicing with 400lbs!!! Take the weight down and work at a weight where you can control the weight and build some confidence! Work on things you are bad at! Things that frustrate you are the most important things to work on because when you fix them you will no longer be annoyed at the gym and everything will become more fun! It's work! It is not something that will happen over night and it does take time... unfortunately. But keep at it and it will work itself out! Don't expect to be the worlds greatest because you watched a bunch of videos online and joined a gym... you still have to put in the work!

If you don't spend time working on the things you're really bad at you won't make the progress you need to.  Take time and have patience developing the skill to perform in order to increase your strength overall.  Trying to rush things never works out for anyone, ever.  You have to put in the work to Earn the Strength!

Wednesday

Still on my DeLoad week.  I hit some light front squats on Monday and I benched a little bit trying to feel out best positions.  I have been trying to work on my arch in the bench... boy is that tough.  I think I'll stick to Oly for a little while longer... ha. Going to Bro-Out the rest of the week with some Strict Press and Some Arm exercises just for fun.  I also have been challenged by a few friends to do a few Crossfit workouts. I have three to choose from:

1) King Kong
           - 3 Rounds
               • 1 Rep 455lb/207kg Deadlift
               • 2 Muscle Ups
               • 3 Cleans 250lbs/115kg
               • 4 Hand Stand Push Ups (I think I will put my hands on some plates for fun.

2) Some Floyd Bennet Field Workout.
     5-3-1
 365 Deadlift
Muscle Ups

     9-6-3
335 Deadlift
Strict Chest to Bar Pull Ups

    12-9-6
315 Deadlift
Pull Ups - In Crossfit is that weird butterfly kip thing.... Whatever Haha

3) Some Other Deadlift Workout

30s Work. 30s Rest
3 Reps Deadlift
135-185-225-275-315-365-405
After the last 3 at 405, rest 30s Rep out 405 for a minute.
(This is all from Memory I forget if this is accurate.)

The Second workout I don't want to do it's going to take too long and I don't wanna do that many pull ups. HAHA The Pull Ups are the hard part in that work out.  I have some work to do next week.

Lebo you need to get the Camera Ready for it! I'll try to get video of whatever I do. The King Kong workout is the only one I actively wanted to do because of the cleans and deadlift... The other deadlift workout seems ok.  Kind of boring, but whatever.  See what Happens. Ok Bro Week Here I come!

Tuesday

This past week really took it out of me.  I stressed out super hard with my training that I almost didn't compete.  I am glad I settled down and lifted this weekend, because honestly it was the best I have ever lifted, even though I missed both of my third attempts.  I think the black magic I got from Beth Terranova really worked because the lifts I did make felt and looked solid, aside from the Jerk on 135, that was a little weird but I held it together.  My snatches felt great, if I didn't push the bar away from me on 112 (my third attempt) I would have nailed it.  I let it get away just a hair and lost the lift.  I felt like getting right back on that bar and just hitting the lift, I wonder if anyone would have cared? On my third Clean and Jerk, I smoked the clean, but somehow lost consciousness when setting up for the Jerk and blacked out.  Damn YOU BLACKOUTS!!! It's all a part of the game, you only get three attempts and I used them all at that point.  No big deal because I had a great time lifting next to some great lifters and warming up with the coolest guy I know, Wilfredo de Jesus! It's not everyday you get to work next to a descendant of a prophet! He actually kept me calm and it was just a lot more fun when you have someone to lift with who you trust, so thanks Fredo, hopefully we will work together soon.  

Marc Chasnov was watching a bunch of people that day, there from 7AM til 9PM and I happened to be one of the lifters he helped out! Marc I know you don't read this but thank you so much for helping me out, I'm going make it to some practices with you in the near future! 

Team Celeritas was there in the Morning shift, the Man Dan Casey and Mike Gui Basciano lifted next to some tough competition.  They rocked it out in the early session and continued through the rest of the day.  Beth and Sam Perez hit some monster lifts in their session and the team as a whole looked very solid.  It was awesome watching them on the platform and seeing them do well!

I'm all over the place with this post, but I'm almost done wrapping it up.  The long day came to an end with two bad ass lifters, Frankie Murray and Donny Shankle.  Honestly when I heard Shankle's name called for the weigh in I was standing right next to him and as he walked by me I didn't think it was him.  I thought it was some guy that kind of looked like him and as he paced around the room just watching the competition it was surreal to see him live because we only know him through internet videos.  He lifted like a beast this comp, and closed out the show hitting 140/180.  It was a lot of fun to see him lift.  If you haven't checked out my videos of him and Frankie lifting, check them out but it doesn't compare to seeing him do it in person. Shankle is probably one of the most intense people I have ever been around.  It was kind of amazing to be next to him in the warm up area.  I hope it's not the last time. Maybe I'll get good one day enough to do it again.  One can only hope. Until then I'll just keep lifting as should you!

Wednesday

It has been a weird week and a weird cycle for me, I think I have made a bunch of mistakes that I hope to correct in the future. First off I'm going to stop training like a Psycho.  I think these past couple of weeks I have pushed myself way too hard and got it into my head that that was the smart thing to do.  Training to the brink of destruction every time usually means you are going to erupt and have a bad day or two soon! Which is kind of what happened this past week leading to this competition.  I have been stressing hard about my weight and my lifts and everything has suffered horrendously because of it.  If I can find a way to just relax and treat this competition like a glorified practice it will go a lot smoother.  I have done this before and I should just let go and see what happens.  It should be a fun time nonetheless and I sure learned something from this cycle.  I will correct it with the next one.  Be Positive and Positive things will come.

Secondly I think I will try to focus more on lighter weights this next cycle as opposed to keep trying to hit it heavy every practice.  Sometimes I get caught up in what everyone else is doing that I want to put up big numbers in practice and when I don't I go into my self diagnosed "Baby Mode".  It isn't pretty and usually costs me a bunch of money and my friends usually make fun of me for it.  Be reasonable about your goals and they will come if you expect to just put up a shit ton of weight all the time you better get on a stack or two because that shit just isn't reality unless you've absolutely earned it and took your time getting to that point.  Don't rush it! Develop the skills and the Gainz will follow! I just have to listen to my own advice!

Last I need to have more fun.  Weightlifting is fun and when you start taking things too seriously the dreams fade and all you see is darkness.  When you're not having fun with it nobody wants to be around you and when you are everything will be going your way more people will want to see you lift and you will put up bigger numbers because of it.  So have fun with your lifting.  I am not saying you can't ever be serious but train yourself to be smooth and take it easy on yourself.  The world won't end if you miss that lift so chill the fuck out and just have some fun.  It's a sport and it's supposed to be fun GODDAMMIT!!

Tuesday

5 days until LBH Competition. I have a couple more lbs to lose or 1kg either way and I am going to chill out today and hit openers tomorrow.  I just need to relax a little bit and if I can get out of my head during the meet and just have fun with it I will be ok. Either way it should be a good time.  I look forward to seeing some familiar faces out there and seeing some good lifting.  Going to try and get my website up sometime soon, so I will keep you all posted.

If anyone isn't competing this week and wishes to, there is a meet in Connecticut in one month! Sign up  through connecticutweightlifting.com Its a good time and Gary Valentine does a good meet.

Power lifters should be taking it easy this week and take their time doing a deload week of about 50-60% of lifts.  Get into the gym at least once this week and move around.  I suggest "Bro-ing" out and hit some curls and bodybuilding exercises this week.  Light stuff and your homework is to Flex in the mirrror to show off your massive gains from this past weekend.  Extra points for Mirror Selfies!

Meltdown

So today I had a huge meltdown at my "competition simulation".  I certainly simulated it accurately because I missed just about all of my lifts and went into panic mode where I couldn't clean more than 127.  I had video of it but upon looking at my miss at 112 I smashed the phone against the floor and it no longer works.  So if you have tried to contact me and I haven't replied it's because I can't read my messages.  I have tried to reply best I could because my phone turns on and I can use the voice commands, however the screen is completely smashed and doesn't light up anymore. 

I apologize to anyone I ignored at the gym today and anyone who witnessed my idiocy.  I think better of myself and missing lifts like that shouldn't happen even though they do.  I will continue to work and see what happens next week.  I am considering not competing next week, in fact I most likely will not due to the nightmare of a practice that I had today... if I can't hold it together in practice how can I expect to do well in a competition?  I think I need to seriously rethink what I need to do and what I need to work on.  If I don't I will continue on this path downhill and it will be the death of me.  So once again I apologize to anyone who I may have annoyed at Greenpoint today.  I will try to be better.  I hope to have my phone situation fixed soon, but if you need to get a hold of me my facebook still works.  Thanks see ya soon.

Saturday

I took yesterday off also. I decided I needed the extra day to simulate my competition today, which is what I'm going to do. I'm going to hit the numbers I expect to hit next Saturday in today's workout this way there are no surprises next week. I have my warm up sets ready and my attempts.  Should be just another day of practice for me. I will get video and put it up later.

South Brooklyn power lifting meet starts today at 9! I will be gOing for day 2 and focusing my guys plan of attack for tomorrow.  Should be a great day of lifting.  I can't wait to see how everyone is doing!

Enjoy the weekend and your lifting session!

Stay tight!

Thursday

Been beating myself up these last few days. Today I am feeling kind of tired so I will be taking it easy today and try to relax because tomorrow I want to hit it hard. I'm going to try and simulate my competition tomorrow and drill those numbers.  I want to go 103,108,112 on the Snatch and 127,135,140 on the clean and jerk.  So I will try to hit it hard tomorrow and see what happens.  

This weekend is the SBWC Powerlifting meet. I'm excited to go back over there and see some good lifting and good friends.  Then my training will commence directly afterwards on Saturday Afternoon.  For now I will be taking it easy, working on getting my website ready for launch and putting all of the bells and whistles on it. It's not ready yet still waiting on a few things to work out all the kinks but should be done by end of month along with some cool videos from the meet. Hopefully Rocco will stop by again with his insight on the meet these next couple of weekends. I'll see if he has time.

Have a good day everyone,  Train hard.

"You can't do like me, I'm by myself
I do it so good, I don't need nobody else"

- Grover Cleveland, while answering the White House Phone.

So O.G. he served two Non-Consecutive Terms. Never Quit!

Tuesday

Snatched Yesterday twice had in total 8 Misses all at over 90% weights so not a terrible day, but I need to tighten it up a lot!

Today Squat Day

AM Session
Front Squats Triple Heavy as I can
Front Squat Pauses triples at 80% of top Triple

PM Session
Back Squat Triples
Pauses same way

Back Work/Abs

See what happens today.

Had a good session yesterday at Greenpoint with the Crew.  Bucky looks solid for his Powerlifting meet this weekend at South Brooklyn.  The Oly Crew had a decent workout as well. Should be an exciting weekend.

Had a conversation with one of the guys at Greenpoint about his programming. So I kind of took it as a challenge.  I am going to study a little before I put it out there but I will put some Conditioning stuff on here soon, if you want to follow it go right ahead if not whatever it will be a little experiment for me.

Stay on Track, No fear and commit to Progress!

Monday

2 Weeks out from Competition.

AM Session

Snatch today work up to a Heavy Double
Snatch Pulls

PM Session

Clean up to a Heavy Double
Clean Deadlifts
Strict Press

Warm up Accordingly

Powerlifting Meet this weekend at South Brooklyn Weightlifting Club

Powerlifters who are competing:

Openers today Repeat Once each.

Non- Competitive Powerlifters I have a Program I will Upload for you to follow. If anyone has questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Have a Good Training Day.

Friday Plan

I'm resting today,  but that doesn't mean you have to!

If you want to lift today here is my plan for you:

First warm up your shoulders properly with some PVC Dislocates. Throw in some presses also just to make sure your shoulders are prepared for overhead movements.

Then hit some Jerk footwork drills. There are three parts to the footwork drills that I use. I will try to post a video later for you guys.

After you do 3 rounds of that, the next drill you can do is:

Tall Jerks.

Start with the PVC then move to the bar. If you aren't familiar with these I will provide a video later on in the day for this also.

Then keep warming up with the bar and do a set of:

3 Strict Press
3 Push Press
3 Power Jerks
3 Split Jerks

Video later.

Take your time with these warm ups and make sure your footwork is decent. If you aren't getting some things, spend some extra time with the warm ups and really get the movement down.

Have fun with the Jerks today.  I will try and post some video instruction today! Thanks for reading.

Thursday

When talking to people about my gym and showing them videos of myself or the people I train with, the most common response I get is, "I can't do that."

Every time I hear that I laugh because of course you can't do that... yet! I wouldn't even try to teach you the Olympic lifts at all until you were ready and we got your training to an acceptable place for you to begin to learn these lifts.  I believe that most people who want to learn to lift need a Body building foundation.  Before you can safely do any Olympic Movements you need to get your body in the proper positions.  If you are unable to properly front squat or overhead squat well then you need to spend time working your body into these positions.

If you find it difficult to do a proper air squat without your body collapsing on itself, then it is safe to say you need to spend some time with mobility exercises and some basic strength exercises.  You need to get some experience with the barbell and it could take some time to develop that relationship.  Be patient and understand that you have been "training" without a barbell and doing things with your body for x amount of years and it will take time to bring it all together.  If this is new, embrace the experience and have fun in the fact that you are learning a new skill.

Learn a new skill and hang with the cool kids at Marble Weightlifting.  Everybody is doing it! I can show you the way!

"Bitch I'm fo sho wit it don't make me pop that trunk to the 'Lac
Bitch I will go get it and I ain't selfish I will let you and your hoe feel it"

-President Chester A. Arthur
1883 Congressional Address.

This was in response to Rutherford B Hayes' accusations that Chester A Arthur was bluffing about his tariff rates and his position on the Pendleton Act. I believe we all know what happened after this.

Tuesday

Had a weird day yesterday. Trained in the morning and hit some rough triples in the snatch at 100kg.  They were not my best.  in my PM session I hit some rough Back Squats at 145kg for sets of 5.  By the time I got to Greenpoint I had felt defeated and just exhausted from my two rough workouts.  I arrived and asked Louis Martinelli what he was working on today and he said Snatches. For some reason I woke up right away and decided to do some Snatch work with him and Kevin.  It worked out really well ended up working to a heavy single and hitting 120kg/265lbs on the snatch. Went for 270lbs but failed it twice.  I really didn't want it I don't think, I was content with hitting the 120, which is more or less a match of my PR.  So thanks guys for a great session yesterday, was a lot of fun.

Had another great AM Session with Ron Yellin this morning. Hit some decent Doubles on the Jerk at my 80% (120kg) Some Solid lifts and a little body building.  Was a great way to start the day. Later on I will hit some light conditioning and if I feel inclined some other Jerks but nothing too heavy.

I'm going to work on some Power Lifting Programs.  I will post it when I finish tweaking it a bit.  A small template for a beginner lifter or the more intermediate lifter.  I will keep you all in the loop.  Thanks for listening.  Thanks to the guys at Crossfit Greenpoint for great sessions these past couple days.  Continue on for Gainz!

Monday

Back to the Garage and the Grind.

If you are just starting out with lifting it is important to have a goal in mind to reach and to set up a plan to reach that goal.  It is just as important to do that when you are a more advanced student of lifting, but that goes without saying doesn't it?

If you are unsure of where to start I will lay out a plan for you to begin your journey.

Beginning Weightlifters.

It is important to establish your level prior to beginning some of the lifts.  You should have someone credible to assess your readiness for the lifts. i.e: Check your Front Squat, Overhead Squat, Strict Press and Snatch Grip Deadlift.

If you are having trouble with any of those movements it is important to understand why and to address those issues immediately before pressing forward.  A big mistake a lot of beginners make is not to address poor mobility and reinforcing the improper body mechanics.  DO it RIGHT Do it LIGHT!

Practice these 4 Movements 3x a Week and if you are having issues with them, you can ask someone who knows better (myself included). Train with a Partner who is around your level.  It is important to have someone to train with especially in the beginning because you will one, want to go to the gym to work on things and two you will be able to grow much greater with someone who has similar interests.

For the Lifters who have these movements down at least in a basic way.

Practice the Snatch, Clean and Jerks and Squats. Add some accessory work as well

Snatch twice a week
Clean twice a week
Jerk Separately once a week
Back Squat 1 a week
Front Squat 1 a week
Abs 3x a week
Back Work 2-3x a week

Your Week may look something like this:

Day1:
Snatch 3r3s
Snatch Pulls3r4s
DB Shoulder Press 5r3s
Ab work

Day2:
Jerks 3r4s
Back Squat3r5s
Good Mornings 6r4s
Ab Work

Day 3:
Cleans3r3s
Clean Pulls3r4s
Hand Stand Push Ups
Box Jumps

Day 4:
Snatch 2r3s
Clean and Jerk 1r4s Not a Max!
Front Squat 3r4s

The Squats should start around 70-75% as to be able to add 2kg (or 5lbs) Each week. Alternate the days of Back Squat and Front Squat Each Week.

This is a basic 4 day Template that can be used as a guideline to set your own Program. Use it if you want.  I Hope you have good luck with it.

I am working on a Basic PowerLifting Template. Will be back shortly with that.

Thanks and have a good day.

 

Sunday

Heading back to New York soon after a great weekend at Raleigh CrossFit for the USAPL Certification with Matt Gary and Suzanne Sioux-z-Hartwig Gary of SSPT (Supreme Sports Performance Training) I learned a lot from these guys and hope to see them at future events.  If you guys aren't familiar with these guys look them up, Sioux-z is probably one of the best if not the best squatter in the world so check her out on the YouTubes and I'm certain you will not be disappointed.

I'm looking forward to getting back to Brooklyn and continuing on my journey in this fitness world. All of the things I've learned this weekend I will begin to incorporate in my training as well as my coaching.  Everyday is a new day to learn and try new things so hopefully I am on the right track.  I still have a long way to go so I will keep at it and hopefully meet some more interesting people along the way.  See you guys tomorrow back at it in the Garage!

Sioux-z-Hartwig Gary 

Matt Gary (672lbs)

Friday

Had a great session coaching these guys last night at the Garage! A lot of energy, a lot of great lifts, everybody was on point and we again celebrated the great session with a trip to Roll n Roaster.  If you haven't checked out Marble Weightlifting seriously what are you waiting for? Whenever you do decide to check it out, I'll be here ready for you.

Anyway, heading out to North Carolina for a USAPL (Power Lifting) Certification today. Ten hours in the car, yeah! I better pass this test! Wish me luck. Thanks in advance for the support. As always I will keep you all posted on my experiences. I hope I get there in one piece. See you guys next week.