Chasing Dreams: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Before you enjoy this article about the reality of Weightlifting, we are looking for partners with the immediate need on sending our onsite athletes to the American Open. We are not looking for handouts. Here is what we are offering:

• Free Consultation with me that is Coach Mash for a Donation in any amount. We can cover any topic that you need help with: programming, business, technique, muscular balance, or any other topic
• Free “I Do What I Want” T-Shirt and a Consultation for a Donation above $50
• Free 12 Week Personalized Program along with the Consultation and T-Shirt with any donation above $175

Here is where you Donate:

Help Support Team Mash Mafia Weightlifting

Chasing Dreams: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

My team, Mash Mafia Weightlifting, is made up of several men and women that have moved from all over the country to chase their dreams in the sport of weightlifting. Soon I want the same for powerlifting, but right now we are focused mainly on Olympic weightlifting. In the last few years, people have moved to my small section of North Carolina from all over the world. We’ve had people from Alaska, Nebraska, California, and even London.

Sometime people hear their stories, and see their lives as exciting and adventurous. While this is true, people need to hear the other end of that story. Too many times I will have someone just show up, and then they expect me to make life easy on them. Look that is not the deal! I am here to coach you, provide a well-equipped facility, and to guide you along this journey. All to often the life of a weightlifter is just too hard for most.

Today I want you to hear the truth. Then you can make a wise decision as whether or not to pursue the Olympic Dream. My team has an average age of somewhere between 19 and 20-years-old. Two of my team members are retired army personnel. One of them has their B.S. in Physics, so my crew is no joke. They are smart and hardworking. They simply want to put their careers on hold while they seek to take the sport that they have fallen in love with as far as possible.

I respect that because I did the same thing. Yes it is a freeing lifestyle, but now the work begins. Here are the expectations:

• 7-12 sessions per week
• 7-12 squat sessions per week
• A Version of Snatch and Clean & Jerk 3-5 times of each per week
• Daily assistance work to strengthen their weaknesses
• 3-5 General Physical Preparedness Sessions per week to remain in shape and athletic
• Daily mobility sessions to improve movement
• Preferably 1-2 Sports Medicine visits
• 2-3 salt baths per week
• 9-10 hours of sleep per day
• 3,000-6,000 Calories are to be consumed daily

Here’s the best part! Unless you are the top 1%, you are doing this for FREE. Until you are considered by USA Weightlifting to be a real Olympic Hopeful, it’s just a hobby that you consider to be Life. This is where the rubber meets the road as my Father-In-Law always says. Are you willing and able to make all of this fit into your life.

Here is what people don’t consider:

• How are you going to pay your bills?
• Do you have a skill that can be used to make money around your training schedule?
• Are you willing to work a job that you don’t love to pay the bills while you train?
• Where are you going to live? How are you going to pay for it?
• How can you afford food?
• How about medical?
• Are you willing to put the party scene completely on the back burner during this short time of your life?

Let me tell you one thing, my boys and girls are the most focused group of athletes that you will ever encounter. They never miss training. They are never late for training. They have figured out all of the necessary steps to allow for their training. I am talking about 18 and 19-year-old boys that are more focused than grown men because they want to succeed in this sport more than they want to breathe. Can you even grasp that? I mean really grasp that?

Sometimes my boys and girls post some crazy videos to get the Internet world all flustered like 500lb back squats cold or Jerks with hurt wrists. Did you ever stop to think that this is what they want you to see? The real story is too boring! They train, eat, sleep, and repeat! That is the truth.

These men and women are the most supportive and loyal group that I have ever has the privilege of coaching. I can honestly say that I would die for each and every one of them. They are my children, and I love them. That means if you hurt them, I am going to hurt you. Ok, ok, ok I got a little emotional, but I want you all to understand how amazing these kids are.

That is why that I am working harder than ever to provide them with everything that they need to succeed. Right now I am in the process of:

• Partnering with a local University to begin another University Program to grow this beloved sport even bigger. The University Program would provide them with scholarship opportunities, better facilities, sports medicine, and more
• We are bringing in all new equipment starting next week to give them the best facilities that I can provide.
• Whether we become a University Program or not, we are becoming a Non Profit to make it easier to partner with bigger corporations to provide more funding for travel, expenses, and equipment.
• The Non-Profit will also make it easier to pursue my dream of a youth outreach. I want to work with kids in the community that are troubled and/or in a lower economic status.

Pursuing the sport of Olympic weightlifting is a long and hard road. Most of your time will be spent in the training hall where there is not crowd cheering and no Gold Medals. You will have way more bad days than good days. If you train properly, your entire body is going to ache all the time except competition day. The majority of your friends aren’t going to know what you are doing.

This is the truth. Do you still want to do it? I hope so because it is a beautiful sport. It is also a sport that is growing. This American Open is going to be the biggest weightlifting competition in the history of the sport. With growth come opportunities, and that is my hope for my team members.

What we need right now are partners to help with this process, and to help provide the tools needed by my existing team to reach their goals. I am not looking for a handout for this team. We want to partner with all of you, and/or provide a service in return. Here is what we can provide:

• Free Consultation with me that is Coach Mash for a Donation in any amount. We can cover any topic that you need help with: programming, business, technique, muscular balance, or any other topic
• Free “I Do What I Want” T-Shirt and a Consultation for a Donation above $50

• Free 12 Week Personalized Program along with the Consultation and T-Shirt with any donation above $175

Here is where you Donate:

Help Support Team Mash Mafia Weightlifting

We are also looking to partner with Corporations and other Small Businesses. We are in the process of putting those packages together now, but this will be better when the Non-Profit is complete. Here are the things that we are planning:

• A Page Dedicated to our partners on our website!
• Homepage spots for our Premier Sponsors
• Plugs on The Barbell Life Podcast, Videos, and/or Newsletter
• Appearances and/or Seminars by the Team
• Personalized visits to the Mash Facility to hangout, train, and get to know the team.

By the way, my team is comprised of an entire team of athletes that are Nationally Qualified and ranked including the following:

• Dylan Cooper- Junior World Team Member and Junior Pan American Bronze Medalist, and he is only 18-years-olds.
• Nathan Damron- Junior World and Pan American Team Member, Multi-Time Youth and Junior National Champion, and he is 19-Years-Old
• Tom Summa- Junior World and Pan American Team Member, Multi-Time Youth and Junior National Champion, and he is 19-Years-Old
• Matt Wininger- Youth National Medalist, 15-years-old
• Hannah Black- Junior National Medalist 18-years-old

As you can see, I already have some of the best youth and junior weightlifters in the country. This list isn’t including the many that are on my Online Team. My main focus is to provide as much as possible for these young men and women to pursue their dreams of taking the sport of Olympic Weightlifting as far as possible.

We are also planning on making several changes to provide all of you a way to get to know all of these athletes, and we are working on ways to provide more information to help you all reach your own goals. We are doing all of these for FREE. Here is what we are cooking up:

• High Quality Vlogs on YouTube that are: educational, entertaining, and that show the personality of the athletes
• Daily Training Logs and comments of the Individual athletes, so that you can learn from the different individuals and understand the daily struggles and victories
• More Open House Events so that you can get to know the team on a personal level

I love the sport of Weightlifting. I love the movement, the athleticism, and the strength required to move big weights. Most of all I love the dedication and drive of the athletes. This isn’t the NFL or the NBA. These athletes pursue this sport because they love it. With your help, we can help these driven athletes reach their dreams. I already appreciate the thousands of you that already support us with your encouragement on a daily basis.

Now I am asking you guys to partner with me to help these men and women. Believe me, any donation and you will officially be a part of this team: The Mash Mafia Weightlifting Team!

Remember, this is what we are providing for your Team Donations:

• Free Consultation with me that is Coach Mash for a Donation in any amount. We can cover any topic that you need help with: programming, business, technique, muscular balance, or any other topic
• Free “I Do What I Want” T-Shirt and a Consultation for a Donation above $50
• Free 12 Week Personalized Program along with the Consultation and T-Shirt with any donation above $175

This is where you donate:

Help Support Team Mash Mafia Weightlifting

You will be sent an email within a day to set up you consultation and/or programming. We will also contact you for shipping addresses. Thanks in advance and welcome to the Team!