The results from the meet are now ready for your perusal. A recap and more pictures will be following shortly. Until then, enjoy the results:

Oakland Strengthlifting Meet Final Results

The 2015 Oakland Strengthlifting Meet will take place on Sunday, May 3rd at CrossFit Oakland’s Emeryville location and some details would be of use. Firstly, the anticipated schedule is shown below:

07:30 – Doors Open
08:00 – Weigh In Commences by Lot Number
09:15 – Rules Briefing
09:30 – Warm ups begin, Judges and Spotters Meeting
10:00 – Lifting commences
12:00 – Yep, still lifting
15:00 – Probably getting closer to done
16:00 – Probable awards ceremony

Continue reading Details for 2015 Oakland Strengthlifting Meet →

I am pleased to announce the 2015 Oakland Strengthlifting Meet to be held at CrossFit Oakland. The contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift. This is an unsanctioned meet. No federation membership cards are required for purchase. Here are the details:

Your entrance fee assures you a spot in the premiere strengthlifting meet to be held anywhere in Emeryville on the third of May. It also gets you a 100% cotton American Apparel t-shirt that is likely to prominently feature a dinosaur on it. T-shirts from previous meets have become highly coveted items that mark their wearers as individuals possessed of outstanding taste and refinement.

Singlets, long socks, and shoes of some sort are required equipment for the meet. I will be building upon the tradition of the last two strengthlifting meets, ensuring an efficiently-run and enjoyable competition for both lifters and spectators. I have room for 42 competitors this time around. Sign up and set some personal records on the platform.

We are a little bit less than a week away from the 2014 October Iron Fest taking place at CrossFit Oakland’s Emeryville location and it is time to provide some details. Firstly, the anticipated schedule is shown below:

07:30 – Doors Open
08:00 – Weigh In Commences by Lot Number
09:15 – Rules Briefing
09:30 – Warm ups begin, Judges and Spotters Meeting
10:00 – Lifting commences
12:00 – Yep, still lifting
15:00 – Probably getting closer to done
16:00 – Probable awards ceremony

Continue reading October Iron Fest 2014 Details →

Above is a map showing the locations of the October Iron Fest meets in North America. If you click on one of the red place marks, you can find information about the meet as well as a link to register. Enjoy.

The rules for the upcoming October Iron Fest are now available for your perusal. They are almost identical to the ones used in the meet I put on in April. The changes include:

• Singlets are not required. Shorts and t-shirt are okay for this meet. I argued in favor of singlets, but was voted down. Next time…
• Shins still need to be protected with long socks for the deadlift. Tights or sweat pants will also be permitted. However, don’t wear sweatpants. Just get the socks, or wear tights. The judges cannot really see if your knees are locked out in sweats. This is another one where I was voted down.
• If you are on the edge of a weight class and need to strip down to make weight, we will assign a sex-appropriate official to weigh you in a private location.

The meet is now sold out. Thank you to everyone who registered.

I am going to be holding another strengthlifting meet at CrossFit Oakland’s Emeryville location on Saturday, October 25th. Details and a full set of rules specific to this competition will follow.  However, the same basic rules from the previous meet will apply. Lifters will have three attempts to establish a one-repetition maximum for the squat, press, and deadlift. The cost for the meet is $60 and that includes a t-shirt that may or may not have a dinosaur on it.

Sign Up Here for the Meet

There is a twist, however.  Starting Strength coaches from across the US and Canada will be holding a meet with the same rules on the same Saturday, too.  Not only will you be able to compete against those who show up in Emeryville, but you will have your results combined with meets taking place at the following gyms:

• Westminster Strength & Conditioning, Westminster, MD
• Amarillo Strength & Conditioning, Amarillo, TX
• Element CrossFit, Mississauga, ON, Canada
• Crystal Coast Strength & Conditioning, Bogue, NC
• AK CrossFit, Atlanta, GA
• 210 CrossFit, San Antonio, TX
• CrossFit Gantry, Long Island City, NY

More details will be published in the coming days and weeks. The meet back in April was a big success and I am looking forward to holding this one. I do not know of many powerlifting federations, if any, that have held meets around the US  and Canada at the same time and combined their results, either. The rules governing this meet were developed by Mark Rippetoe and are taking place under the aegis of Starting Strength. It is not sanctioned by any powerlifting federation, nor is there any federation card to purchase. I look forward to seeing you in October.

The Oakland Strengthlifting Meet has drawn to a close. We had 30 competitors vying for a chance to walk home with a stuffed dinosaur. At the end of the day, Sean Stangl and Kristy Hawkins earned the highly sought-after prizes. A full set of results are available below:

Oakland Strengthlifting Meet 2014 Results PDF

A sincere thanks to my loaders, judges, and volunteers who ensured the meet moved along so smoothly. Also, thank you to everyone who signed up and lifted on Sunday. With some luck perhaps we can all get together and do this again.

Tomorrow is the day of the meet. I created a video going over some rules and a few other details, but who wants to watch me talking about the meet for five or six minutes? There are faster ways to communicate the information. Continue reading A Few Details →

In just a few days, thirty-two individuals will square off to determine who will walk away with a stuffed dinosaur.  A video will be forthcoming, perhaps today or tomorrow going over a few things about how the meet will flow along with a reminder on some of the rules.

The general schedule will be as follows:

07:30 – Doors Open
08:00 – Weigh In Commences by Lot Number
09:15 – Rules Briefing
09:30 – Warm ups begin, Judges and Spotters Meeting
10:00 – Lifting commences
12:00 – Yep, still lifting
15:00 – Probably getting closer to done
16:00 – Probable awards ceremony

Continue reading Meet Schedule and Lot Numbers →