Intro to Weightlifting Workshop Canceled

The Intro to WL for Sports Performance Clinic Saturday 7/24 has been canceled.

Inaugural Crossfit/USA Weightlifting Joint Comp Announced

"(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Weightlifting is pleased to announce that the inaugural CrossFit / USA Weightlifting Open will be held from Oct. 1-3 at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs."

Read More Here No word on if USAW athletes must wear board shorts during the triplet competition, or if Crossfitters must wear singlets. Stay tuned!

Join the Weightlifting Club at a New, Low Summer Rate

We have a goal to have 20 active members by the end of the month so we are lowering our monthly dues.

Membership Dues

Day Pass $15.00 1 Month $50.00

Even if you aren't interested in Oly WL as a sport, if you are an athlete in any other sport and aren't doing the Olympic lifts, you are cheating yourself out of higher performance.

If you are a coach and you don't have your athletes performing the Olympic lifts your program isn't all it could be; plus you are cheating your athletes out of the speed, strength, explosiveness and durability these exercises provide.

Becoming stronger, faster, more explosive with no gain in body weight is advantageous to many sports. If you need to gain weight for your sport and want the same strength and speed gains we can do that too. 

Join the club! Check it out. It's not going to get any cheaper!

Summer Weightlifting & Kettlebell Lesson Sale

All lessons by appointment at Flatirons Crossfit with advanced payment via PayPal.

Lesson Purchase Options

1/2 hour Lesson $25.00 45 minute Lesson $40.00 5 - 1/2 hour lessons $100.00 5 - 45 minute lessons $180.00

No Weightlifting Friday 6/11 Due to USAW Nationals

Hey All,

Wish Veronica Aguila (V) well as she travels to Peoria, Illinois to compete in the 63kg class. Coaches David Miller and Randy Hauer will be in Peoria all weekend at the meet so there will be no Weightlfting Club Friday evening.

American Sets Oly WL World Record

Well, not quite yet. But 85kg Kendrick Farris is in hot pursuit of a WR in the Clean and Jerk. Here is some training footage of Kendrick knocking down 211kg in a pretty squat jerk.This is 2kg more than the best C&J in the 85s at last year's World Championships.

218 is the current WR...he can do it!

USA Weightlifting's New Online Magazine

USAW recently put out their new online magazine called "Strength +". 70 pages long it has some really good articles about the goings on at the Olympic Training Center, athlete and coach profiles and event results. 

Athlete, editor and feature writer Rachel Crass did a great job putting this together.

Here is the link: http://assets.usoc.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/25551/Issue_1_May_2010.pdf

Boulder Olympic Weightlifting Training Center

We believe that physical strength is the foundation for health, happiness and high performance. We believe that every human being has the right to enjoy the experience of being up to whatever task life throws at them. Everything we do is designed to optimize your physical performance in your day to activities and in your sport. We use scientifically proven training methods and time tested tools like kettlebells and barbells. The work is hard and technically demanding but it is highly effective. It requires focus and concentration. It is engaging and it is fun. We aren't for the Health Club gym rats or gym bunnies, this is the real deal. Real world strength training for real world performance. Based at Flatirons Crossfit in Boulder Colorado, we are the only club in the area with USAW International, Senior and Club Coaches available at every workout. Private instruction and personalized programming available. We forge champions. Want to join?

Weightlifting Shoes

At some point in your practice of Olympic Weightlifting, you will probably want to consider buying a pair of weightlifting shoes. Unlike running shoes, weightlifting shoes have a hard sole designed to be stable under extreme loads and they provide a little heel lift to facilitate an upright torso when in the various squat positions. The hard sole also efficiently transmits force whereas a running shoe absorbs force. Bud Charniga, who runs dynamic-eleiko, has written a great article on why we have weight lifting shoes.

So where to buy? No athletic shoe store or sporting goods store carries them so you will have to order them online. Best to get a current measurement of your foot, US size and International equivalent.

Here's some options: www.dynamic-eleiko.com carries a full line products for all your weightlifting needs, including Adidas shoes. Adidas is far and above the most popular brand of weightlifting shoes out there. You pay more for them, but they are the best.

werksanusa.com carries Werk-San shoes, Wan Hoa (the Chinese Team shoe) as well as a full line of other weightlifting equipment. These shoes are cheaper than Adidas, many lifters like them.

http://www.roguefitness.com carries Do-Win Chinese shoes. Again, less expensive than the Adidas shoes, and many lifters really like them.

Finally, Ristosports.com carries Risto shoes which can be customized and they also carry the shoe designed by the great Bulgarian weightlifter Stefan Botev.

VS Athletics has a shoe also...I don't know much about these except that they resemble the Chinese shoes in design.

The selection and availability of weightlifting shoes is becoming greater every day. These are the ones I'm aware of at the moment. Please feel free to add any other suggestions in the comments. So, shop around, find a style you like in the price range you can afford and buy a pair. Good shoes are maybe the second most important piece of weightlifting equipment after a good bar.

Rocky Mountain State Games

Want to compete at the Olympic Training Center?  The next big meet is the Rocky Mountain State Games in Colorado Springs.

There are dozens of sports from walking to archery to powerlifting to track and field. And of course Olympic Weightlifting.

The meet is July 31st. Early registration is due July 16th. but you must register no later than July 26th. Open to boys and girls from 12 years old and up. Men and women of all ages and Masters competition.

More information and online registration here: Rocky Mountain State Games 

Remember, we have expert coaching available here at Flatirons Crossfit. You don't need to be a member of Crossfit to train weightlifting here, but you do need to join our weightlifting club.

If you compete in another sport and are heading off to college this fall you owe it to yourself to learn the Olympic lifts. Most college programs use them so you will be ahead of the game by coming in over the summer and learning how to do the lifts correctly.