Competitions

Starting Strength Fall Classic Oakland Details

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Fall Classic Dino

The 2015 Starting Strength Fall Classic will take place on Sunday, October 25th at CrossFit Oakland’s Emeryville location and I’ve got details for you. 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
10:10 – Lifting commences
12:00 – Yep, still lifting
15:00 – Probably getting closer to done
16:00 – Probable awards ceremony

Continue reading Starting Strength Fall Classic Oakland Details →

Competitions

Details for 2015 Oakland Strengthlifting Meet

TRex Black and White

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 →

Competitions

2015 Oakland Strengthlifting Meet

Deadlift

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:

Date Sunday, 3 May 2015
Time 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (approximate end time)
Location CrossFit Oakland Emeryville
1313 67th Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
http://goo.gl/maps/mO5vY
Cost $65
Sign Ups Eventbrite Sign Up Link
Rules Oakland Strengthlifting Meet Rules 2015
Singlet Required? Yep!

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.

Strength Training

A Video Worth Watching

I shot the video below in October 2014 while I was attending the Starting Strength Coaches Association Conference. It centers on a 91 year old woman who goes by the nickname “Gus.” She started training with barbells at the Wichita Falls Athletic Club and has realized an increased quality of life, including ditching her walker. Give it a watch.

Seminars

Starting Strength European Tour 2014

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Jordan Feignbaum and I will be returning to Europe over the holidays to hold Starting Strength Camps in Europe. The camps are half-day sessions that allow participants to learn and practice one or two lifts following the Starting Strength Model. The procedings will begin in mid-December when I arrive in Dublin. Jordan will join me in London the next weekend. After that we will go to Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The map above and the table below provide the locations and links for sign ups. Each camp costs $285 USD per person, with the exception of Jordan’s nutrition lecture, which costs $75 USD.

Gym Date Camp Staff Lifters
Dublin
CrossFit Perpetua		 13 Dec 13:30 Squat Tom 8
Dublin
CrossFit Perpetua		 14 Dec 8:00 Squat Tom 8
Dublin
CrossFit Perpetua		 14 Dec 14:30 Deadlift and Power Clean Tom 8
London
CrossFit Evolving Holloway		 20 Dec 13:00 Squat Tom and Jordan 16
London
CrossFit Evolving Holloway		 21 Dec 15:30 Deadlift and Power Clean Tom and Jordan 16
London
CrossFit Perpetua London		 23 Dec 19:00 Nutrition
Lecture		 Jordan 40
Amsterdam
Reebok CrossFit 020		 27 Dec 13:00 Squat Tom and Jordan 16
Amsterdam
Reebok CrossFit 020		 28 Dec 14:30 Deadlift and Power Clean Tom and Jordan 16
Copenhagen
Butcher’s Lab		 3 Jan 15:00 Squat Tom and Jordan 16
Copenhagen
Butcher’s Lab		 4 Jan 14:00 Deadlift and Power Clean
 SOLD OUT		 Tom 8

More About the Camps

Starting Strength Camps are a unique learning experience. They last approximately five hours and provide an opportunity to study one or two lifts in detail. The camps start with a lecture covering pertinent anatomy, physics, and form hallmarks of the Starting Strength Method for the given lift. Participants then put the concepts addressed in the lecture into practice while receiving coaching through their warm ups and work sets. We wrap up the camps with  discussions regarding strength programming, injury prevention, and a question and answer session.

There are no prerequisites for attendance. The camps are open to beginning lifters as well as those further along in their training advancement. If you desire a deeper understanding of the lifts, or need some help to nail down your technique from coaches that thoroughly understand these exercises as laid out in Starting Strength, then these camps are for you.

This year, Jordan will hold a nutrition lecture covering topics ranging from muscle protein synthesis, diet compliance,  and macronutrient requirements to cutting edge sports supplementation for strength athletes. The evening will end with a question and answer session. The total running time will be between two to three hours.

Both Jordan and I are Starting Strength Coaches and members of Mark Rippetoe’s staff. We conduct these half day camps as well as the full the full two-and-a-half day Starting Strength seminars throughout the USA and internationally and have been doing so for years.  Additionally, Jordan has an extensive academic background and a wealth of both  personal and professional experience in sports nutrition. You will be in good hands. We look forward to seeing you there.

Competitions

October Iron Fest 2014 Details

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Oakland October Iron Fest LogoWe 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 →

Competitions

Rules for October Iron Fest

October Iron Fest LogoThe 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.

Competitions

October Iron Fest – A Starting Strength Event

Pre-SquatI 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:

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.