The first time I ever participated in any type of athletic development/testing was in 8th grade, next year I would be an incoming freshman to high school and the football team was testing its athletes on various methods (40yd dash, L-drill, bench press, etc.). From memory I was not a very athletic kid, straining my hip flexor on my first attempt to run the 40 yd dash I had no idea how to use my body, going into the weight room I then benched 95 lbs for a measly set of 3, I weighted approximately 185...what an outing.
Being extremely coachable I would listen and take everything 100% as the truth. If coach said jump I would, that how it was, never questioning anything and just doing the work. This even was exploited during the whole, "your knees shouldn't pass your toes in a squat", the next day I squatted doing the exact motion this certified personal trainer told me to do, hamstring pull, oh great. Now every person I came into contact with wasn't a complete fool when it came to athlete development/training. I learned many things along the way. Most of this learning came during my collegiate career as a NCAA Division 1 athlete at Stony Brook University. Finally I was able to learn from professionals and extremely passionate coaches.
Leading up to me walking on Stony Books Track & Field team I couldn't sit on the sidelines. I had to use my body in some athletic way, going from club boxing, mma classes, club wrestling, and learning the Olympic lifts. Coming out of high school my best "power clean", which was basically a muscle because I didn't have contact, was 225 lbs. Not bad but not efficient considering the real lifters were using there legs to accelerate the bar. Insert Klokov and Clarance Kennedy YouTube binges. Still I was only power cleaning and power snatching because dropping into the hole wasn't happening. Fast forward to senior year of college and I clean 345 lbs , out of nowhere, as a 250 lb athlete. Without real formal training to weightlifting this is a big lift.
Post graduation I came to a realization that coaching and helping somebody who was once in my position develop into an athlete is a dream come true. Heavy research now began on training methodologies and periodization for all strength sports and team sports. Anybody that knows me understands the amount of effort and time I put into things that matter. We are out here grinding.
Now 1.5 years into coaching I have a team of several lifters in weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman. Even taking lifters to national level weightlifting meets, hosting seminars, and helping people do some amazing things. Currently a year into officially starting my weightlifting career, aka jerking and full snatching, and my prs on at comp stand at 120 kgs snatch, 144 kg clean & jerk as a 109kg, in the gym 122.5 kg snatch and 152 kg clean & jerk. All this at 23 years young... working as a full time Civil Engineer and a part time gymnastics coach.
-(NYS Championships) photo cred @everyday_lifters
I welcome you to the Team Stank era and I hope to build an amazing contribution to the world and all that I can come in contact with.
I coach for all the athletes who has been told that they have no chance.
I coach for all the future walk-on's with a chip on their shoulder.
I coach to help people develop into the best version of themselves and realize their full potential.
I coach to help create the opportunity for somebody to accomplish what they thought was impossible.
I coach because I want to be a Senior International Weightlifting coach.
I coach because I want to help make dreams come true.
"Its the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting" - Paulo Cohelo
Comments