Check out the “Mash Squat Every Day” E-Book with 4 twelve week programs for weightlifting, powerlifting, super total, and bodybuilding. Find out more below:
Join Team Mash Mafia for weightlifting, powerlifting, athletic performance, bodybuilding, running, or a hybrid approach. This team is already taking over weightlifting, and I plan on taking over all of the other disciplines one at a time. Check it out below:
The Squat Every Day Learn 2 Lift Clinic is coming to Orlando, Kentucky, and Canada. To find out more, check out the link below:
Mash Mafia Squat Every Day Learn 2 Lift Clinic
Junior Pan American Championships 2016 in El Salvador Part II
Last night we took a bus to the training hall, and we were all impressed with the venue. It looks like an old school coliseum, so the team will have a since of going to battle. The atmosphere in the training hall was electrifying. The entire team seems to gel as if they had trained together for ten years.
This atmosphere brought on some amazing lifting. We actually had two PRs in the back room. Nathan Damron was the first one to strike with a 180k/396lb Power Clean & Jerk, and then he started calling out Josh Ji, the monster 105k lifter on the team. Then Josh quieted the crowd with a 190k/418lb Power Clean.
I am telling you this team is special. Everyone was making their lifts, having fun, and handling business. I am truly blessed to the Men’s Head Coach of such an amazing team. I was actually overwhelmed with emotion as I realized just how special this group of men and women really are.
We were probably louder than most teams in the past. You know what? That’s ok. We are Americans. I think that it is time that we act like Americans, and quit trying to be some other country. Trying to imitate other countries hasn’t gotten Team USA anywhere. We have great talent and great coaches. We need to trust our coaches and our own culture.
Well all of this is just my opinion. If you want a quiet training hall, that’s up to you. I am all for everyone doing their own thing, but personally I want to take a different approach. All that I can say is that I love this team, and I am not talking about the guys that are on Team Mash Mafia. I am talking about Team USA. I love each and every individual on this great team, and I pray that they all go out there and hit the numbers that they are capable of.
I am definitely enjoying the conversations with the other coaches. Yesterday CJ Martin for Invictus arrived, and it was pretty awesome meeting him and talking shop. Kevin Simons (Harrison Maurus’s coach) and Ben Overkamp (Tom Summa’s OG Coach) have been amazing to chat with and hang out with. There is a wealth of knowledge in these coaches, and I intend on taking full advantage of learning and adding to my bag of tools.
Kevin Simons really stands out because I think that he has either read or is reading every great strength and conditioning/exercise science/weightlifting book in the world. However, he hasn’t read Stu McGill yet, but I am sure that he got on that last night. Right Kevin?
I will try to keep track of all the new things that I am learning and pass it on to all of you. One thing that I want to leave with you is the variability of tapers. I recommend that all of you track each and every taper. If the competition goes awesome, keep that taper. If it doesn’t, then switch it up the next competition.
I recommend keeping a little black book, where you track taper results, feedback from athletes, and competition results. By doing this, you will be able to track patterns, and then you can taper your athletes with some concrete data to assure that you are on the right track.
John Stang is up first at 2p EST, so Stay Tuned!
Don’t forget about the Mash Elite Weightlifting Team Camp:
We are hosting a three-day camp July 8-10 at the Mash Compound. It’s going to look like this:
• Day 1 Max Out Friday with the team and social afterwards
• Day 2 Clinic with Coach McCauley, Coach Wilkes, me and the team
• Day 3 Clinic about meet day prep and strategy, and then a sanctioned meet
We’ve decided to limit the camp to only 20 people, so don’t wait if you’re interested. Here’s the link to find out more: