December 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Game of Lifts Recap
Membership Payment Changes: ACH
Holiday Hours
2025 SoCal Academy
POD Meeting December/January Schedule
December Athlete of the Month - Jaylee Casiano
December Spirit of the Month - Zack Minott
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Dec 5-8 AO Finals in Tuscon, AZ
Dec 6-15 World Championships in Bahrain
Dec 14 Onyx Winter Classic
Dec 31 End of Year Party & Banner Ceremony
AO Finals Schedule Dec 5-8
Here is the schedule of SoCal athletes for AO Finals in Tuscon, AZ. We will also be live streaming the event at the gym for anyone who wants to watch!
Thursday
Vivian Murray | 8am | 55D | Red
Marc Tumamak | 8pm | 73C | White
Friday
Anna Maguire | 2pm | 64B | White
Georgia Cameron | 4pm | 59A | Blue
Saturday
Krista Dornbush | 10am | 81E | White
Isaac Cruz | 2pm | 89B | Red
Jacob Laster | 4pm | 89A | Red
Stefani Warnick | 6pm | 81B | Blue
Sunday
Cesar Flores | 2pm | 109+A | Red
Denali Scoular | 2pm | 109A | White
Sarah Tyler | 2pm | 87+A | Blue
End of Year Party & Banner Ceremony
It’s that time of year again…time to celebrate the past year of PR’s, training hours, good times, and friendships made. Tickets are $15/person and will include a taco bar for dinner. You can purchase your ticket HERE. We will also be presenting banners to those athletes that have won at national events over the past year so they can be added to the gym!
Game of Lifts Fundraiser Recap
In true SoCal fashion, you guys pulled through in a big way for us, and we are so very touched. We cannot begin to express how thankful we are to everyone who participated in the event, offered services & goods, and donated. We raised just over $2,000 which covers a huge chunk of the costs to send Chris to Bahrain in December to coach Kayla at Worlds. We are so lucky to to have an awesome community of people, and with that we want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone!
Payment Changes: Switching to ACH
Starting December 1st, we will be changing how we receive membership payments. If you opt to pay your membership dues with an ACH account, there will be no annual increase on your membership. If you want to continue using a credit card, the processing fees will be transferred to you during the payment process. With a credit card, there will be no increase on your membership but you will pay more due to covering the processing fees. If you want to switch to the ACH option, add your payment information to your account and email us at info@socalwlc.com to let us know to switch your December billing to this option. You can access your account HERE. If you have questions or need help making the switch just see Danielle or email info@socalwlc.com
Holiday Hours
The Holidays fall on some wonky days this year so please see below for adjusted coaching hours through the end of the year and into the beginning of 2025:
Dec 24 9am-12pm
Dec 25 NO COACHING HOURS
Dec 26 NO COACHING HOURS
Dec 27 4pm-8pm
Dec 28 9am-1pm
Dec 31 9am-12pm
Jan 1 NO COACHING HOURS
Jan 2 NO COACHING HOURS
2025 SoCal Academy
We’re excited to showcase the latest updates to our SoCal Academy launching in January. This program is designed to help weightlifting coaches and enthusiasts take their knowledge to the next level through expert-led content, interactive learning opportunities, and community engagement. One of the key features of the academy is the Weightlifting Forum—a collaborative space where coaches, athletes, and enthusiasts can connect, share ideas, and ask questions. Whether you’re a coach looking to refine your programming skills or an athlete eager to understand the "why" behind the training, the Forum is packed with valuable insights from experienced professionals including guest speakers. While the academy is tailored for weightlifting coaches, we believe many of our gym members will also find the Forum particularly beneficial. It’s a fantastic resource for anyone passionate about improving their ‘Weightlifting IQ’ as we like to call it - an understanding of weightlifting techniques, training strategies, and the science behind the sport. If you or someone you know—like a coach, athlete, or weightlifting enthusiast—could benefit from this exciting program, we encourage you to explore it further at our website.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes as well as a All Gym pod. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for December-January:
Dec 3: National 6:45pm
Dec 10: Masters 6:45pm
Dec 17: National 6:45pm
Dec 24: NO POD MEETING
Dec 31: NO POD MEETING
Jan 7: All Gym 6:45pm
Jan 14: National 6:45pm
Jan 21: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Jan 28: Masters 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
December Athlete of the Month: Jaylee Casiano
Jaylee has been part of SoCal since her youth days and has still managed to stay connected to weightlifting in some regard all these years! Fast forward to now, she recently turned 18 this past October and has blossomed into a mature strong minded woman. Jaylee has recently been on a tear with her weightlifting after expressing strong interest in pursuing junior nationals and taking up an additional training day. Her total close to the beginning of the year was 84kg. Now her total has skyrocketed to 102kg! With a 9kg increase in both her snatch and c&j, she put 18kg on her total over the course of this year. In the beginning of the year Jaylee, her mother, and I sat down to talk about her new goals in weightlifting which oriented around her making more time with training, prioritizing nutrition, and increasing her max strength. She really buckled down and got her nutrition dialed, made time for a 4th training day, and attacked heavy days in the gym to get her squatting & pulling strength up. All while juggling her 2x/week jui jitsu and school. In her spare time, Jaylee loves writing her own songs and playing a variety of instruments! As Jaylee checks multiple boxes off her list both inside and outside the gym, this young lady never ceases to not have a smile on her face when she comes into the gym and to greet her coaches and fellow teammates. She is a great spirit here at SoCal and her vibrance and grace shines through whether she’s throwing weight around or joking around with members of the community. We are so proud of Jaylee for continuing to strive for excellence and chase her dreams through the years in each avenue of her life. Excited to see her grow and SoCal is so lucky to have her include us in this journey of hers.
December Spirit of the Month: Zack Minott
Zack is our Spirit of The Month for December, and he has earned it since day one back in May. Sometimes we can look at the spirit as somebody who is extroverted and who is known for bringing the energy, but Zack has embodied what it means to be spirit in more subtle, but equally powerful ways. He came to us looking to completely rework his technique and to become a better version of himself, and since then has done everything that we have asked of him and more. Over the last few months, Zack has taken control of his nutrition, his morning and nighttime routine, and his approach to training. Not only has he tightened up those areas of his life in order to be a better athlete, but he has actively sought out accountability partners to make sure that he does not stray from the path that he has set for himself (every Monday he walks straight up to a coach to show them his food log and is ready for any feedback we give him). Zack has an incredible work ethic and finds a way to be his best self every time that he sets foot into the gym. He also strikes the difficult balance between developing autonomy and seeking guidance when necessary. He is never too proud to admit when something isn’t working or if he is having a tough day, and immediately takes accountability and explores what he can do better. Finally, Zack has an unstoppable drive to succeed, and speaks humbly but confidently about his goals in weightlifting. He is relentlessly pursuing excellence in this sport and we cannot wait to see him continue to grow here and begin to do some damage on the national scene in 2025!
November 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Membership Payment Changes: ACH
Holiday Hours
POD Meeting November/December Schedule
November Athlete of the Month - Julia Tomasello
November Spirit of the Month - Sunny Richesson
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Nov 11-16 Athlete Appreciation Week
Nov 16 Game of Lifts & Fundraiser Carnival
Nov 23 Intro to Weightlifting
Dec 6-15 World Championships in Bahrain
Dec 14-15 Onyx Winter Classic
Dec 31 End of Year Party & Banner Ceremony
Game of Lifts & Carnival Fundraiser
Alright SoCal, we need your help... As most of you know, our very own Kayla Kass has made the USA World Team and will be competing in Bahrain this December! It’s an extraordinary accomplishment and we can’t wait to see her throw down for team USA. While Kayla herself is fully funded as an athlete, her coach unfortunately is not. We’ll be hosting a fundraising competition and carnival to help raise funds to cover the costs for Chris to go over there and coach her at Worlds. We have a fundraising goal of $3,000 to help cover airfare and lodging. Details below:
Game of Lifts - $60 entry fee per team (teams of 2)
Water Pong Tournament - $20 entry fee per team
Corn Hole Tournament - $20 entry fee per team
Pie Your Coach in the Face - $10
Bake Sale - purchase baked goods lovingly made by Krista Dornbush & Emily Barcikowski
Prizes TBD
Pizza and beverages will be provided, but feel free to bring something to share!
Payment Changes: Switching to ACH
Starting December 1st, we will be changing how we receive membership payments. If you opt to pay your membership dues with an ACH account, there will be no annual increase on your membership. If you want to continue using a credit card, the processing fees will be transferred to you during the payment process. With a credit card, there will be no increase on your membership but you will pay more due to covering the processing fees. If you want to switch to the ACH option, add your payment information to your account prior to November 15, 2024 and email us at info@socalwlc.com to let us know to switch your December billing to this option. You can access your account HERE. If you have questions or need help making the switch just see Danielle or email info@socalwlc.com
Thanksgiving Holiday Hours
Thursday Nov 28: NO COACHING HOURS
Friday Nov 29: Coaching hours 2:30pm-8:30pm
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for November-December:
Nov 5: National 6:45pm
Nov 12: Masters 6:45pm
Nov 19: National 6:45pm
Nov 26: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Dec 3: National 6:45pm
Dec 10: Masters 6:45pm
Dec 17: National 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
November Athlete of the Month: Julia Tomasello
Julia has been an absolute monster since Day 1 of joining SoCal. Over the course of only a handful of months, she has improved her lifts by several kilos. Julia’s hunger to improve her weightlifting has been felt and seen across the gym. She dedicates so much time and effort to make her training happen. She juggles coaching the morning crossfit class at SoCal, then going to her own crossfit gym to coach, then she goes to her lab at UCI, and then back to SoCal to get her weightlifting training in. Julia is no stranger to hard work and grit, which she shows not only on the weightlifting platforms, but also on the rugby field where she is trucking ladies and taking names. On the same note, Julia is pursuing a PHD in immunology where she flexes her other muscle, her big bumpy brain to handle mice brains and coordinate experiments for disease. Julia competed at her first ever AO series earlier this year and crushed it, but she wasn’t satisfied and wanted more. Specifically, she wanted 65/85 on the platform and signed up for the Barbarian meet no less than a week after returning from AO2. She went on to smoke the barbarian meet with a 68/85 to complete a 6kg competition PR total and won her 1st in the 55kg class and 3rd best overall women lifter! This total qualified for AO Finals and Nationals towards the end of the year. We are so proud of Julia and love seeing her dedication and hard work truly pay off while she pursues excellence in so many other facets of life. SoCal is so lucky to have an athlete and an employee like Julia who gives her best in everything she does and doesn’t take a challenge lightly!
November Spirit of the Month: Sunny Richesson
Sunny is getting the nod of the Spirit of the Month for various reasons. Anyone can pick up on the athleticism and/or spot the PR Train rolling week after week, but that is only the surface-level stuff. I want to unpack the WHY that is leading to Sunny’s early success in the sport and how it represents the spirit of the gym we all should strive for. Let’s first take a look at her attitude. It is pretty clear to me that anything Sunny does, she will do to the best of her abilities and with the intent to be successful. Nothing is half-assed. When she decided to commit to weightlifting, she started pursuing every outlet for information to improve. She began asking questions about training more effectively and wanted to know about competitions and how to ascend the ranks. She started talking with her teammates to learn as much as possible about the sport. Secondary to her commitment, she embraces the saying, “If you want to go far, go together.” Sunny has made a conscious effort to build a network of relationships and support that helps her in various ways. She has developed meaningful friendships in the gym that she can lean on when training is rough. She has an entire support network around her outside of the gym to help with the rehabilitation of old injuries, nutrition, mindset, and much more. She fully understands that when you try to pursue achieving anything at a high level, it is much more meaningful to pour into your team and your community and fall in love with the process of mastery, not just the result. Most importantly, she has an unwavering approach to kaizen despite whatever challenge she is facing. Every day is an opportunity to get better and continue toward growth. She has shown time and time again that accountability and responsibility are in no short order for her. Sunny has a clear mission of what she wants to accomplish, and once she shifts her mindset to achieve those goals, the rest starts falling into place. The success is not by accident. It is not just genetics or age. Sunny is constantly working on accessing the best version of herself in all areas of her life. The byproduct of that is the fast ascension of her weightlifting. This holistic approach of developing every aspect of herself into becoming a pro should be examined and adopted by anyone who wants to achieve greatness. Will it look different? Obviously. Does it need to be replicated exactly? Of course not. The principles of having a solid vision, the daily discipline to achieve it, understanding the value of unity, and the constant pursuit of excellence will only improve the lives of others.
October 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Barbells, Bottles, & Binkies
POD Meeting October/November Schedule
October Athlete of the Month - Hannah Myers
October Spirit of the Month - Brian Dickinson
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Oct 5 In-House Meet & SoCal Brunch
Oct 12 Intro to Weightlifting Class @ Sports Basement
Oct 19 Octobar Fest @ Barbarian
Oct 26 Snatch Seminar
Oct 26 Halloween Water Pong Tournament & Costume Contest
Nov 2-3 USAW L2 Certification Course
Dec 14-15 SoCal Winter Classic
Octobar Fest at Barbarian Barbell: Saturday Oct 19, 2024
Below is the list of our athletes that will be lifting at Octobar Fest. Come out to Barbarian Barbell in Van Nuys and cheer your teammates on!
Ashley Alegria
Nicole Arnold
Andrew Davis
Matt Eckmann
Daisee Fink
Sam Harrison
Kayla Kass
Anna Maguire
Vivian Murray
Hannah Parducho
Julia Tomasello
Barbells, Bottles, & Binkies
We are thrilled to share some wonderful news with you all! SoCal Weightlifting will be adding a new little athlete... Chris & Sarah are expecting a baby boy! Please join us in congratulating them as they embark on this incredible journey and prepare for this new chapter in their lives. Baby Boy Amenta coming to the competition floor April 2025!
We are also excited to announce the arrival of Colton James Eckmann! Proud parents, Matt and Nicole are over the moon and can't wait to embark on this incredible journey of parenthood. Join us in celebrating this wonderful addition to their family!
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for October-November:
Oct 1: National 6:45pm
Oct 8: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Oct 15: National 6:45pm
Oct 22: Masters 6:45pm
Oct 29: National 6:45pm
Nov 5: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Nov 12: National 6:45pm
Nov 19: Masters 6:45pm
Nov 26: National 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
Halloween Water Pong Tournament & Costume Contest Oct 26
It’s that time of year! Come dressed in your most goulish attire and enjoy a little friendly water pong competition if you feel so inclined. Party starts at 6:30pm until about 9:30pm. As Beetlejuice would say….it’s showtime!
October Athlete of the Month: Hannah Myers
Shortly after joining SoCal back in February of this year, Hannah showed signs of sticking to weightlifting and improving by any means necessary. After her initial 5 personal training sessions, she quickly purchased a PVC pipe from Home Depot to continue practicing her positions at home and seeking immediate feedback. She knew she struggled heavily with the technical aspects of our sport like any new athlete would, but didn’t let that discourage her from trudging on and making progressions. She has hammered all her errors and made it to coaching hours these past months to the point where she has doubled her 1RM snatch in complexes and made close to 10kg on her actual max snatch/C&J to really ironing out that notorious straight back leg in the jerk. The amount of confidence and poise she has shown in her lifts over the short months of her time here has not only been noticed by her coaches, but heavily noticed by her fellow teammates of all skill levels! Whether they are late night sessions or early morning ones, Hannah has made completing her sessions a priority regardless of how demanding her job as managing a radio station has been. The countless cues, warm-ups, and new challenging training blocks that are thrown at her have been absorbed and improved upon week after week to the point where she has transformed herself mentally and physically into a true up and coming weightlifter! So excited to see her go through this journey with SoCal and continue to find new challenges to conquer.
October Spirit of the Month: Brian Dickinson
Brian has been an absolute ray of positivity and light since day one of joining SoCal. He comes in with a smile on his face day in and day out even after coming in after several hours of performing surgery as a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach. Brian has embodied what a true teammate should be, someone who constantly is in your corner regardless of talent or stature. He cheers for everyone’s lifts and notices small progressions in everyone’s progress no matter how small, which is so important in the sport of weightlifting because progress can be very minimal due to the difficult nature of the sport. The culture that has been established around Brian has been quite infectious-from his radiating positivity, to his “Wednesdays we wear pink” theme, to his dedication to mobility and constant improvement of health. At 50 years old, Brian doesn’t let that stop him from chasing goals inside and outside of the gym. He constantly finds ways to stay active from cycling, weightlifting, rowing, mobility work, running half marathons, to doing HYROX competitions. Brian has never been one to shy away from a challenge and competed in his first weightlifting competition at the Summer Classic where he went 6/6 and will be competing again in this year’s Winter Classic as well. Whether he is showing up to perform surgeries in his cowboy boots or lacing up his lifters here at SoCal, you can be sure of one thing: Brian Dickinson will be LOCKED IN and ready to bring the energy everywhere he goes!
September 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting September/October Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
September Athlete of the Month - Ken Cue
September Spirit of the Month - Will Hong
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Aug 29-Sept 1 AO2 in Fort Worth, TX
Sept 7 Barbell Brigade Weightlifting Open
Sept 14-15 USAW L1 @ Stratum Fitness
Sept 21 In-House Meet
Sept 28-29 Fall Ball (So Hard) @ The Strength Tank
Oct 5 SoCal Brunch
Oct 12 Intro to Weightlifting Class @ Sports Basement
Oct 19 Octobar Fest @ Barbarian
Oct 26 Halloween Water Pong Tournament & Costume Contest
Nov 2-3 USAW L2 Certification Course
AO2 Aug 29-Sept 1
Below is a list of our athletes that will be lifting at the AO2 in Fort Worth, TX. We’ll be live streaming at the gym so you can cheer your teammates on!
Aug 29 | 3:30pm | Julia Tomasello | Blue Aug 29 | 5:50pm | Georgia Cameron | White
Aug 30 | 3:20pm | Daisee Fink | Red Aug 30 | 3:20pm | Sommer Reed | White Aug 31 | 6:00am | Krista Dornbush | White Aug 31 | 10:40am | Marissa Campbell | Blue
Aug 31 | 3:20pm | Sunny Richesson | White Aug 31 | 3:20pm | Jenna Schumway | Blue Sept 1 | 1:00pm | Ashley Ferguson | White
Sept 1 | 1:00pm | Kayla Kass | White
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for September-October:
Sept 3: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Sept 10: National 6:45pm
Sept 17: National 6:45pm
Sept 24: Masters 6:45pm
Oct 1: National 6:45pm
Oct 8: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Oct 15: National 6:45pm
Oct 22: Masters 6:45pm
Oct 29: National 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
September Athlete of the Month: Ken Cue
Ken has been an exceptional addition to Team SoCal to say the least. Since he signed up with us earlier this year in March, Ken has excelled significantly in all capacities of being a weightlifter. Mr. KEN-Tastic or KEN-Sation (as fellow teammate Liz calls him) is super diligent with every aspect of programming from warm-up all the way to cooling down and rarely if ever misses his sessions. He also is in contention for sweatiest athlete in the gym, I think he is in a battle between Zach, Marc, and Stuart for the official title.
The progression he has made over the last 4 months has been significant with huge advances in his technique and kilos on the bar. Through his time here he has made a huge impact on the morning/afternoon crew that he trains with and has brought the spark and energy needed for a quality session. With increasing his total by close to 15kg and shooting his strength lifts up too, he has proven to the coaches and community that he means business! When he isn’t slaying weights in the gym, Ken enjoys slaying some beasts in Dungeons & Dragons with his homies to take the edge off of work. Ken has made a huge transformation in his life through fitness and now has opened up an even newer chapter in his life by joining SoCal. In the brief time Ken has been here he has made leaps and bounds to better himself as a weightlifter and we all don’t see him slowing down anytime soon!
September Spirit of the Month: Will Hong
Since his first PT where he brought in a full outline of previous training notes and was actively taking notes throughout the session, Will established himself as someone who was dedicated to learning the sport of weightlifting. That spirit of constantly trying to improve and push his boundaries has stayed with him over the 8 months that Will has been a part of SoCal. During those 8 months, Will has brought the HEAT to every session and is always down to push the envelope. His spike in total and recent huge 160kg back squat triple is proof that that fire in him is stoking just fine.
Will’s urge to improve and capitalize on his time here at SoCal has been infectious to his fellow teammates where the staff can clearly see his positive effect on the community. Also, we love to see how he takes the time to get to know his teammates and not only talks to them during training but also asks them about their own goals/aspirations in regard to weightlifting. No matter how hard a training session is or how stressed he is from work, Will has a smile on his face and is ready for whatever is thrown at him. He combines 2 very important qualities that make up a quality weightlifter and teammate: Hard-work and the ability to have fun. His time here has been under a year technically, but his impact on the community and the staff has shown promise to last a lifetime.
August 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting August/September Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
10 Year Anniversary Party Re-cap
August Athlete of the Month - Emily Barcikowski
August Spirit of the Month - Cory Tricamo
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
August 3-4 USAW L1 Certification Course @ The Strength Tank
Aug 10 Intro to Weightlifting Class
Aug 29-Sept 1 AO2 in Fort Worth, TX
Sept 14-15 USAW L1 @ Stratum Fitness
Nov 2-3 USAW L2 Certification Course
AO2 Aug 29-Sept 1
Below is a list of our athletes that will be lifting at the AO2 in Fort Worth, TX. We’ll be live streaming at the gym so you can cheer your teammates on! Competition times and live stream details to follow.
Georgia Cameron
Marissa Campbell
Krista Dornbush
Ashley Ferguson
Kayla Kass
Sommer Reed
Sunny Richesson
Jenna Schumway Julia Tomasello Marc Tumamak
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for August-September:
Aug 6: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Aug 13: National 6:45pm
Aug 20: Masters 6:45pm
Aug 27: NO POD MEETING
Sept 3: National 6:45pm
Sept 10: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Sept 17: National 6:45pm
Sept 24: Masters 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
10 Year Anniversary Party Re-cap
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate a decade of SoCal Weightlifting with us last month! We had an awesome time and we hope you all did too. It was beyond rad to see over 100 of our athletes, friends, and family members there. If you missed out on the festivities, we wanted to fill you in on some new traditions we started. We now have anniversary pins for all of our athletes. Each color represents a different year, so each year on your anniversary you can collect the next one in the sequence and rep them on your gym bags and backpacks! If you haven’t gotten yours yet, just ask any of the staff members the next time you come in to train and we’ll get them for you. The other benchmark tradition we’re rolling out are framed photos of of our athletes that have been here for 4 or more years. Once you hit your 4 year mark, you’ll earn a permanent spot on the walls of SoCal Weightlifting.
August Athlete of the Month: Emily Barcikowski
Emily joined SoCal earlier this year back in February. She originally took our Intro to Weightlifting class in November of last year, but didn’t make the leap of faith to officially join us until after some careful thinking and positive peer pressure. Prior to coming to us, Emily spent 5 years in the Marine Corp serving her country alongside fellow teammate and bestie Mackenzie Williams. Ever since Emily has arrived she has not only warmed our hearts with her kind/caring aura, but also with her warmed baked goods that she enjoys spoiling us with on a weekly basis. When Emily isn’t flexing on everybody with her baking & lifting skills, she’s studying hard as she pursues the field of psychology to eventually work in the trauma field.
Emily recently competed in her very first competition at the recent SoCal Summer Classic where she went 6/6 and truly displayed all the hard work and dedication she’s put in over the past several months. Leading up to this meet she was very nervous and had some doubts, but overcame those thoughts and really committed to herself and we could not be more proud of her.
The coaches can attest to how much Emily has improved from both a technical and mental aspect in her approach to lifting. Her lifts have sky-rocketed back to nearly her old numbers prior to taking a long break but this time with better technique all around. Emily has begun to really step into her own as an athlete at SoCal and even started to be more direct with her weightlifting goals.
It’s only been a little under half a year with us and Emily has made leaps and bounds as a weightlifter in her own right, but also as an anchor of joy and smiles for our community. SoCal as a whole is excited to see the ceilings you continue to break within and beyond these 4-walls and all the lives you have already touched throughout this beautiful journey of yours.
August Spirit of the Month: Cory Tricamo
Cory Tricamo is our Spirit of the Month for August, and this man has embodied this role since he started back in 2017! Cory was a part of the rag tag team of SoCal athletes that took this club to the next level and after a hiatus from the sport, he has returned and has brought the same energy back into this gym.
Whether he is hiding Jo and Josh's shoes in the rafters, smashing PR's in a crop top, or absolutely covering himself in chalk at the SoCal meet, you can bet that there is none other like Cory. The OG athletes will remember him and Jared going back and forth at each other seeing who could make things more uncomfortable as they tackled the night session. It might not quite be the same, but he is still here saying and doing the most off the wall stuff to put a smile on someone's face.
All of the antics aside, Cory has been one of the most loyal athletes to SoCal throughout the years. People get fooled by his laid back personality, but Cory is an absolute savage and made his return to the platform after battling through an injury for the entire prep. He found a way to make it happen each week and did it with a smile on his face the entire time. When it came time to compete, Cory put on a show for everyone and had all of us grinning ear to ear every time he stepped onto the platform.
Even though Cory is an OG, he is not bound to one group of people as has made friends with all of the newer faces in the gym since his return, only further proving why he truly embodies the spirit of what it means to be a SoCal athlete. This recognition was a long time coming and we couldn't be more proud to have Cory back at SoCal as the Spirit of the Month! Make sure to peep the chalk smiley face on his singlet in the picture.
July 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
July Holiday Hours
10 Year Anniversary Party
POD Meeting July/August Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
July Athlete of the Month - Denali Scoular
July Spirit of the Month - Andrew Davis
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
July 6-7 Virus Summer Classic
July 20 SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party
August 3-4 USAW L1 Certification Course @ The Strength Tank
Aug 10 Intro to Weightlifting Class
Aug 29-Sept 1 AO2 in Fort Worth, TX
Sept 14-15 USAW L1 @ Stratum Fitness
Nov 2-3 USAW L2 Certification Course
Adjusted Holiday Hours
There will be no coaching hours on July 4th in observance of the Independence Day holiday. July 5th will be normal coaching hours.
SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party July 20
Can you believe it’s been TEN YEARS?! A whole decade of hard work, endless hours of training, competitions, PR’s, social events, and friendships. We definitely think that’s cause to celebrate! We’ll be partying it up at The Residences in Huntington Beach from 6pm-10pm. This is what your ticket gets you:
Catered Dinner
Open Bar with Bartender
Raffle Entry to Win a 3-Night Trip
30+ Silent Auction Items to Bid on and Win
Bring your spouse, significant other, friends, and family and grab your tickets for $65 HERE. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Location The Residences at Pacific City 21040 Pacific City Cir. Suite 100 Huntington Beach, CA 92648
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for July-August:
July 2: Masters 6:45pm
July 9: National 6:45pm
July 16: Local, Regional 6:45pm
July 23: National 6:45pm
July 30: Masters 6:45pm
Aug 6: National 6:45pm
Aug 13: Local, Regional 6:45pm
Aug 20: National 6:45pm
Aug 27: Masters 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
July Athlete of the Month: Denali Scoular
Congratulations to Denali Scoular for being selected as this month’s Athlete of the month! Some of you might not know who Denali is, and that is because he lives just north of Denver, CO, and has been working with us remotely for the last year and a half. Denali came to SoCal with multiple junior & university medals, and he added another medal at last year’s U25 Nationals. The only catch was a silver medal for the third year in a row. Denali went on a 12-month mission to ensure he could finish his time in the U25 with a gold medal at the 2024 U25 Nationals. No knock to Denali here, but there was a lot that we needed to undo before we could start moving forward, starting with his consistency. This kid knows how to clutch up and return after two misses, which we’ve repeatedly seen him do. He and I both knew that although it was valuable to have a game-time player learn how to step up when it counts, it would not play in his favor in the long run. Denali has hammered sub-maximal weights for the last six months, ensuring each lift was as technically proficient as possible. Coming into this competition, it was apparent that his teammate Patrick was his biggest competition, standing in the way of his top-spot goal. Both of these guys had equal but opposite strengths. Patrick’s snatch was slightly better than Denali’s, but Denali had him on the Clean & Jerk. As the meet got closer, Spencer and I kept telling them whoever made more of their lifts would come out on top. The snatch session was fascinating, with both of them trading off snatches. Going into the Clean & Jerk, Patrick had a 4kg Lead on Denali, but it was not enough to hold back Denali’s big Clean & Jerk. Denali opened at 168kg, securing the gold medal before successfully making his 2nd attempt at 174kg. Denali finished the day with a 305kg total, 4kg higher than last year and seven kilos higher than Patrick, who took 2nd place with a 298kg total. The thousands of reps, hundreds of hours, and an immense amount of discipline Denali had to manage two jobs, a small Weightlifting club, and still dedicate everything he had to training led to the outcome and Denali’s first National Gold Medal. Congratulations to both of these fine gentlemen for battling it out and never losing sight of the mutual respect and the coaching staff. You both represented this club professionally—Denali, Congratulations on your first National Championship and for all the work that went into your performance. I do no doubt that we will continue to see exhilarating battles between these two in the future!
July Spirit of the Month: Andrew Davis
Davis has become an integral part of team SoCal since the first day he joined. Not only from an athlete perspective where he’s excelled rapidly with a plethora of PRs recently, but from a teammate role especially. When Davis isn’t in here throwing barbells around, he’s crunching numbers in excel at a law firm. But don’t let those spiffy work clothes fool you, Davis loves to come in and get after it like the rest of us.
Davis was a D1 swimmer at Indiana prior to ditching the pool for the weight room full time, and he has brought a lot of that culture/support from his time at Indiana to the gym in the form of always open to talking to current members, veteran ones, and new ones like himself. He has injected a lot of life into the gym with his ability to create the spark in sessions and get both intense/good vibes going.
Over time, Davis has shown so much passion for weightlifting that it has become infectious to other members and it’s undeniable how enjoyable it is to watch from a coaching perspective. It’s difficult to advance in weightlifting w/ the countless technique errors to correct and grueling training that follows, but to do so and elevate your fellow teammates along while doing so is an even tougher ask. Davis has been able to advance his own weightlifting along w/ being a positive influence in our gym that has yet to see a chance at dimming anytime soon.
June 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting June/July Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
June Athlete of the Month - Taylor White
June Spirit of the Month - Morgan Baumgartner
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for June-August.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
June 8 SoCal Summer Kickoff BBQ & Tie Dye Party
June 15-23 Nationals Week in Pittsburgh, PA
July 6-7 Virus Summer Classic
July 20 SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party
August 3-4 USAW L1 Certification Course @ The Strength Tank
SoCal BBQ & Tie Dye Party June 8
Join us for a BBQ after Saturday training to kick off the summer season and Nationals Week! Burgers, hot dogs, cornhole, & water pong tables will be provided. We will also have white SoCal t-shirts available to purchase and tie dye to your liking. You can sign up HERE if you would like to bring anything else to contribute!
SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party July 20
Can you believe it’s been TEN YEARS?! A whole decade of hard work, endless hours of training, competitions, PR’s, social events, and friendships. We definitely think that’s cause to celebrate! Our actual 10 year anniversary is July 14th, but we will be celebrating on Saturday, July 20th. Keep an eye out for updates as we source a location for this epic event.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for June-July:
June 4: Masters 6:45pm
June 11: National 6:45pm
June 18: Local, Regional 6:45pm
June 25: National 6:45pm
July 2: Masters 6:45pm
July 9: National 6:45pm
July 16: Local, Regional 6:45pm
July 23: National 6:45pm
July 30: Masters 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
June Athlete of the Month: Taylor White
Taylor White (Known as “Yung Blood”, “T-White”, “T-Wizzle”) is our athlete of the month for June! Since she joined SoCal back in 2022 she has been determined to improve her weightlifting by any means. She struggled with some mobility challenges in the beginning that have come leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. When she isn’t bumping, setting, and spiking on the volleyball courts or slamming bars here at SoCal, she is making some ground-breaking work with implantable heart valves as a senior designer assurance engineer. Her attention to detail for both understanding the program and the technique side of things has proven her dedication to improving & becoming the best weightlifter that she can be.
The amount of patience she has put into constant improvement has shown through her lifts both through PRs and technical improvements. In the beginning of 2023, her best snatch and clean & jerk were 20kg and 33kg respectively. Fast forward to the present, she now has snatched 28kg in a recent complex and c&j 44kg. As she has developed as an athlete, she has become less hesitant on pushing the strength lifts and really pushing herself to see what she can do. No matter what is on the program, she does it without question (with a little complaining here and there), but tackles every exercise with maximal intent. The extra mobility work that was tacked onto her program in the past months has been tedious and repetitive, but Taylor knows that's a primary weakness that she needs to face head on. So excited & proud to see how far you have come and the amount of enjoyment you have developed for the sport of weightlifting. As time goes on and seeing more of your personality shine through training and throughout the gym- we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you and your time here with us at SoCal!
June Spirit of the Month: Morgan Baumgartner
Morgan is our Spirit of the Month for June and has been a model for Spirit since she joined in December of 2020. Morgan has always had the unique ability to strike a balance between fun and intensity during training as well as competitions. She never backed down from anything that we put on the bar, and was an absolute gamer every time she was asked to step up. Her string of exceptional performances was something to behold and truly showcased her competitive spirit. With all of that being said, Morgan means so much more to this gym and the athletes inside of it than her performances in training and competition. She has always been somebody that we could count on to welcome any and every new member to the gym. I have watched many shy new athletes try to hide in the corner, only to have Morgan find a way to bring them into the fold.
There are those among us who have the ability to suffer gracefully, and Morgan has done just that for as long as we can remember. She unfortunately has issues with her knees that are out of her control and has had to find a way to train through intense pain and discomfort for the entirety of her career. Not only did she do exactly that, but she found a way to smile through all of it with many athletes never knowing the suffering that she had to endure. Though she has been removed from the platform/training hall for a while, Morgan has continued to support SoCal and the athletes within these walls. When the Spring meet came around, she was right there to volunteer her time as well as train up the new group of volunteers. It takes effort to smile through this brutal sport, but it takes unquestionable character to be able to do that when you are dealing with pain and circumstances that are trying to rip you away from what you love. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do Morgan. You are a fantastic representation of what the Spirit of SoCal means.
May 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
2POOD Spring Classic Recap
POD Meeting May/June Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
May Athlete of the Month - Daisee Fink
May Spirit of the Month - Erica Lillquist
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for May-July.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
May 4 SoCal Brunch @ 12pm SIGN UP HERE
May 11-12 USAW L2 - this is the first L2 in Southern California in YEARS! Grab your spot if you’ve already completed your L1.
May 25 Bar Slams & Grand Slams (Angels vs Guardians) @ SoCal
June 15-23 Nationals Week in Pittsburgh, PA
July 6-7 Virus Summer Classic
July 13 SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party
Bar Slams & Grand Slams May 25
It’s field trip time for all Southern California Weightlifting athletes! This event is open to all athletes in the weightlifting community. Athletes will head over to SoCal Weightlifting to get their training in from 8am-2pm with Coach Chris, Spencer and Stef from The Strength Tank.
After training, we will be meeting at Karl Strauss Brewing Co across the street from the stadium before the game if you want hang out prior to the game starting, and then we will make our way on over to Angel Stadium, taking in the Angels game at 6:38pm and having a good time! There will be fireworks and a concert by Kip Moore after the game at the stadium.
SoCal 10 Year Anniversary Party July 13
Can you believe it’s been TEN YEARS?! A whole decade of hard work, endless hours of training, competitions, PR’s, social events, and friendships. We definitely think that’s cause to celebrate! Our actual 10 year anniversary is July 14th, so we’re aiming to celebrate on Saturday, July 13th (date subject to change). Keep an eye out for updates as we source a location for this epic event.
2POOD Spring Classic Recap
Here is the recap of our athletes that competed in the 2POOD Spring Classic:
Vivian Murray 30 sn (2 kg comp PR)/ 38 CJ (2 kg comp PR)/ 68 kg total (4 kg comp PR)
Jaylee Casiano 41 sn (5 kg comp PR)/ 49 CJ (2 kg comp PR)/ 89 kg total (5 kg comp PR)
Lydia Philp 50 sn/ 70 CJ (4 kg comp PR)/ 120 kg total (4 kg comp PR)
Blair Jackson 57 sn (5 kg comp PR)/ 70 CJ (3 kg comp PR)/ 127 kg total (8 kg comp PR)
Daisee Fink 60 kg sn/82 kg CJ/ 142 Total (6 for 6 first meet ever)
Julia Tomasello 62 kg sn (5 kg comp PR) /81 kg clean and jerk (8 kg Comp PR)/ 143 Total (13 kg comp PR)
CJ Soriaso 57 sn (comp PR match)/ 85 CJ (4 kg comp PR)/ 142 kg total (4 kg comp PR)
Cynthia Brown 70 kg sn (1 kg comp PR and heaviest opener ever)
Ashley Arroyo 62 kg Sn/ 88 kg CJ/ 150 Total
Taylor Roberts 74 kg sn/89 kg CJ/ 163 kg Total
Alana Hodge 78 kg sn/98 kg CJ/ 176 kg Total
Ashley Ferguson 79 kg sn (3 kg comp PR) / 93 kg CJ (1 kg comp PR)/ 172 kg Total (5 kg comp PR)
Jordan Vigil 73 kg sn/100 kg CJ/ 173 kg Total (First meet back in 3 years)
Josh Truong 83 kg sn (4 kg comp PR) / 98 kg CJ (comp PR match) / 181 kg Total (5 kg comp PR)
Isamu Harrison 85 kg sn/110 kg CJ/195 kg Total
Matthew Eckman 99 kg sn (1 kg comp PR)/ 126 kg CJ (2 kg comp PR)/ 225 kg Total (3 kg comp PR)
Matthew Kaplan 94 kg sn/130 kg CJ/224 kg Total
Noah Mancini 107 kg sn (4 kg comp PR)/ 140 kg CJ (7 kg comp PR)/ 247 kg total (14 kg comp PR)
Ethan Iles 112 kg sn (7 kg comp PR)/ 132 kg CJ (6 kg comp PR)/ 244 kg Total (13 kg comp PR)
JT Ober III 117 kg sn (6 kg comp PR)/ 130 kg CJ (10 kg comp PR) 247 kg total (16 kg comp PR)
Joziah Johns 113 kg sn (1 kg comp PR) / 148 kg CJ (1 kg comp PR) / 261 kg total (4 kg comp PR)
We also wanted to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to everyone who volunteered and helped out during our Spring Classic meet. It was so awesome seeing so many new faces in the mix and watching the veterans step up to show everyone the ropes. We could not have done it without you and we couldn’t have asked for a more smoothly run meet. Another huge shout out to Krista Dornbush who stepped up to be the Volunteer Coordinator. She took the time to teach, delegate, and organize, and it added one more layer to show that we really do run the best meets around! All of our volunteers received a SoCal Weightlifting water bottle as a small token of our appreciation. Thanks to our friends at 2POOD, we were also able to raffle off six 2POOD belts to the volunteers as well. The winners were Brandi Fallica, Cesar Rivera, Jess Salas, Sunny Richesson, Hannah Myers, and Jake Sparrer. If you volunteered and have not received your water bottle yet, please see Danielle. If you think the water bottles are just dope and you want one too, they can be purchased for $25.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for May-June:
May 7: Masters 6:45pm
May 14: National 6:45pm
May 21: Local, Regional 6:45pm
May 28: National 6:45pm
June 4: Masters 6:45pm
June 11: National 6:45pm
June 18: Local, Regional 6:45pm
June 25: National 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
ACH Now Accepted
If you prefer to make payments via ACH, you can now do so in our system - and we would love you for it since the transaction fees are drastically cheaper! You can update your payment method here and then let us know to switch over your future bills by emailing danielle@socalwlc.com.
May Athlete of the Month: Daisee Fink
Daisee Fink is our Athlete of the Month for May and what a big splash she has made! Daisee joined back in November and we knew from the first session that she would be an athlete to keep an eye on. Former gymnasts have classically been able to jump over to weightlifting and excel quickly, but it is much more than talent that has allowed Daisee to progress. She is extremely driven and holds herself to very high standards. She is constantly improving and is hell bent on learning as much as she can about the snatch and clean and jerk. She has also integrated herself into the community rapidly by showing up to every event possible and by jumping right into the POD system with both feet. While she has skills on the floor, Daisee is also completely comfortable critiquing her weaknesses (sometimes to a fault), and this allows her to remain realistic with the work that needs to be done. Daisee just recently went through her first legitimate weightlifting training cycle and picked up a 63 kg snatch and an 85 kg clean and jerk weighing just over 60 kgs, and shows no signs of slowing down. Everything culminated at the Spring Classic with her going 6 for 6 on the day while hitting a 60 kg snatch and an 82 kg clean and jerk. She was composed in the back through all of the chaos of the meet, receptive to everything we had her do, and was able to remain laser focused on the task at hand. Daisee was right back in the gym on Monday, ready to attack the weaknesses, and we have no doubt that she will be leaving her current numbers in the dust very quickly. Daisee we are so excited to see you continue to progress in this sport and know that there are some massive things coming your way!
May Spirit of the Month: Erica Lillquist
Erica Lillquist is our Spirit of the Month for May, and what a hell of a story she has written to get here. We spoke a few months ago and got clear on her goals for the first time in a long time. Goal number one was to be taken seriously as an athlete again. Erica was sick of feeling stuck in limbo with weightlifting and wasn’t ready to walk away just yet. We put a plan together to go to Masters Nationals and to prioritize the hell out of training in the lead up. What we saw was a complete transformation over the next few months. She came in and attacked each session and began to roll with the punches that come with the sport much more effectively than she had previously. Even with this shift in intent, I distinctly remember her coming to a masters POD meeting about 5 weeks out and still struggling with her mindset a bit. Work and life continued to throw her curveballs, and she felt as though she may not be prepared for the meet. Even with this fear, Erica pushed forward and showed up as her best available self every damn session. What we saw was a ferocious 4 weeks, culminating in her first PR in over two years when she hit an 86 kg clean and jerk followed by an 89 kg clean. We saw a moment of elation and pride unlike anything we had seen from anyone in quite some time. Not only did she overcome every odd stacked against her, but she proved to herself that she is NOT DONE YET. Masters Nationals may not have gone how we wanted, but even in defeat, Erica was a consummate professional and represented herself and SoCal with grace. She embodied exactly what the Spirit of SoCal is in all phases of training and changed the trajectory of her athletic career. She was on the brink of walking away for good, but showed herself and everyone else that she still has gas in the tank. This trend continued post meet with Erica hitting a lifetime PR front squat at 109kg just last week which would have sounded outlandish to her just a short 3 months ago. Erica we are so incredibly proud of your grit and determination. You are a force to be reckoned with and can rest assured that you will never be doubted again!
April 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting April/May Schedule
ACH Now Accepted
April Athlete of the Month - Krista Dornbush
April Spirit of the Month - Jordan Vigil
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for March-April.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
April 6-7 USAW L1 Coaching Course
April 13 Weightlifting Meet @ Barbarian Barbell
April 27-28 SoCal Spring Classic | Please volunteer! Sign up HERE to help out your teammates.
May 11-12 USAW L2 - this is the first L2 in Southern California in YEARS! Grab your spot if you’ve already completed your L1.
May 25 Bar Slams & Grand Slams (Yankees vs Padres) @ Strength Tank
April Pulls 5 Weightlifting Meet at Barbarian Barbell: Saturday April 13, 2024
Below is a list of our athletes that will be lifting at the April Pulls 5 meet. Come out to Barbarian Barbell in Van Nuys and cheer your teammates on!
Jacob Laster 3pm
Patrick Whitmore 3pm
Cesar Flores 3pm
Nyssa Leon 5:15pm
Jordyn Cooley 5:15pm
Georgia Cameron 5:15pm
Bailee Pharris 5:15pm
Kayla Kass 5:15pm
ACH Now Accepted
If you prefer to make payments via ACH, you can now do so in our system - and we would love you for it since the transaction fees are drastically cheaper! You can update your payment method here and then let us know to switch over your future bills by emailing danielle@socalwlc.com.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for March-April:
April 2: National 6:45pm
April 9: Masters 6:45pm
April 16: National 6:45pm
April 23: Local, Regional 6:45pm
May 7: Masters 6:45pm
May 14: National 6:45pm
May 21: Local, Regional 6:45pm
May 28: National 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
April Athlete of the Month: Krista Dornbush
Krista has intertwined herself into the fabric of SoCal Weightlifting since she began here in 2019. She has competed in sports nonstop since high school, and finding someone with as much competitive drive as she has is not easy. She even competes with how much she can volunteer when we host a competition, ensuring she volunteers more than anyone else. This year she has even stepped up to be the Vounteer Coordinator for our meets which has been a huge help to all of us. Krista has always been great at focusing on the technical aspect of Olympic weightlifting and it has shown in her movement a lot from where she started. Her journey has taken her all over the US, and most recently, she went to Reno at the Masters National Championship, where she went 6/6 for the very first time at any level meet. Krista totaled 110kg, which is an all-time personal record and well deserved after a very focused block of training working on all the weak points and trusting herself to perform when it counts. Krista is very special to SoCal because of who she is as a person and her commitment to the pursuit of excellence. Not to mention she bakes the best cakes in the entire world and always shows up to our social events with at least one to share with everyone. We’re looking forward to seeing what she does next, and whatever it may be, we know it will be done with extreme dedication and attention to detail.
April Spirit of the Month: Jordan Vigil
Jordan joined SoCal at the end of October 2023, and has been such a breath of fresh air for our gym. With his bright smile and contagious carefree attitude, he makes the SoCal team and staff love coming in each day. He is the first person to ask you how you’re doing or how your week has been and he’ll remember to check in on whatever the last topic it was that you discussed with him. He’s not someone who just talks the talk, he walks the walk by always making it in whether it’s morning or night to get his training in all while juggling his crazy work schedule as an EMT, sometimes coming off of only a few short hours of sleep. One of the best things about Jordan is that he can walk that very fine line of not taking himself too seriously while also dialing in with extreme focus when it’s time to get to business and put the work in. It’s hard to find an athlete who can balance both, and Jordan seems to do it with ease. With his recent clean and jerk PR at 100kg, he has shown his dedication to his training and it has certainly paid off. Although it’s only been 5 months since Jordan joined us at SoCal, you would think he’s been here for forever with how quickly he has extablished solid friendships with so many different people here at the gym. We are excited to see Jordan’s development, not only as an athlete here at SoCal, but as a key member of our culture who befriends old and new members alike, and continues to put a smile on everyone’s face everytime he’s here.
March 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting March/April Schedule
Sports Massage by Patrick
March Athlete of the Month - Cesar Flores
March Spirit of the Month - Tony Sosa
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for March-April.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
March 2 Trunk Stability Seminar with Christine Na, DPT
March 8 Ducks Game at Honda Center - get your tickets by March 4 at the link above so we can purchase the correct amount!
March 16 In-House Meet | Please volunteer! Sign up to HERE help out your teammates.
March 23 Intro to Weightlifting Class at 1pm
March 27 Associate Coaching Course Cohort 2 Start Date
March 30 Clean & Jerk Seminar at CrossFit CrownTown in Corona
April 6-7 USAW L1 Coaching Course
April 27-28 SoCal Spring Classic | Please volunteer! Sign up HERE to help out your teammates.
May 11-12 USAW L2 - this is the first L2 in Southern California in YEARS! Grab your spot if you’ve already completed your L1.
Trunk Stability Seminar with Christine Na, DPT: March 2
This will be a 90 minute hands-on seminar reviewing and teaching proper breathing and bracing for weightlifting. If you feel like your weightlifting gains are limited by re-occuring back pain, this seminar is for you! We will also be covering how to maximize your power through your pull/deadlift in the clean and snatch. Lastly, we will teach you a practical approach of modifying exercises for your specific needs. So come ready to move! Everyone of all ages and levels are welcome to join.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars: March 8
Join us on Friday night to head to Honda Center and watch the Ducks take on the Dallas Stars. Purchase your tickets at the link above by March 4 so we can do a group purchase and all sit together. 8 tickets are sold already, we’d love to have more of you!
In-House Meet: March 16
This meet is for any of our new SoCal athletes who have never competed before. If you’re interested in giving competition a try, this is the perfect opportunity to do it in a stress-free, fun environment with all of your teammates there to cheer you on. The meet will start after training on Saturday. If you’re an athlete that trains on Saturdays, please consider hanging out for a couple hours afterwards to help out. Volunteer list can be found HERE. The competition will be capped at 15 athletes and will be just one session based on entry total.
Intro to Weightlifting Class: March 23 at 1pm
This free class is for beginners who want to learn more about weightlifting but aren’t sure how to get started. This is PERFECT to bring your friends to! Brandon will lead the group as we spend some time chatting about weightlifting and then get onto the floor to try out the movements ourselves.
Associate Coaching Course Cohort 2 Start Date: March 27
Have you ever wanted to nerd out on weightlifting and learn more about what your weightlifting coaches know? Chris and Spencer run a weightlifting coaching class 1hr/week and we are starting a new cohort on March 27! You can learn more about this 16 week course here.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for March-April:
March 5: National 6:45pm
March 12: Masters 6:45pm
March 19: National 6:45pm
March 26: Local, Regional 6:45pm
April 2: National 6:45pm
April 9: Masters 6:45pm
April 16: National 6:45pm
April 23: Local, Regional 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
Sports Massage by Patrick Whitmore
Patrick is trained in a variety different massage techniques including ART (Active Release Technique) and Graston Scraping. After recognizing the value of this treatment within his own competitive weightlifting career, Patrick learned how to incorporate this craft with his own clients, and now brings this service into SoCal to help keep our member base healthy and mobile. Patrick understands the unique demands of Olympic Weightlifting, and the way this sports produces wear and tear on the body. Whether it be chronic tightness, chronic pain, or just general fatigue, he can help keep you healthy and pushing towards PR’s without worrying about pain or injuries. Book your complimentary 25 minute introductory session by reaching out to Patrick at (530) 321-2069. Patrick will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, March 9th with 25min complimentary sessions all day long. There will be a sign up sheet for time slots at the gym.
March Athlete of the Month: Cesar Flores
On October 3rd, 2020, I witnessed an athlete attempt a 5kg PR snatch at 165kg thirteen times. Yes, that is correct. Thirteen attempts, none successful. Cesar Flores was not a SoCal athlete at this time; it would have taken another two months and an unfortunate wrist injury before he switched teams and joined SoCal. I sat in my chair, observing this situation, trying to capture every moment and detail to understand better who Cesar was. Is he taking it again? How strong must he be to catapult 165kg that high with such bad technique? Who takes a PR at that weight that many times? Is this kid ever going to throw in the towel? I am writing about that almost comical day to make sure the Big Dog gets his serving of humble pie for the day and to highlight the type of individual Cesar is. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve accomplished; going under a 363lb snatch thirteen times takes a serious dose of courage and commitment, especially moving the way Cesar did then! After that day, I knew his path and mine would converge. I saw the talent, the potential, the dedication, and the stubbornness—all the right ingredients to make a good Weightlifter. In the last three years coaching Cesar, we have had glimpses of his potential, but we’ve struggled to stay healthy long enough to see all that come together on the big stage. Last year was the year he had been waiting for. Third place at AO 1, third place in the Clean & Jerk, fourth overall at Senior Nationals, and another third-place finish at AO Finals with a new PR total to round off the year. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, Cesar finally stepped into his own. Into the Cesar, we all know he is capable of becoming. Most importantly, he started to accept responsibility for himself and his future goals and allow himself to go after them. He finally started to get out of his way. Fast forward to now, only eight weeks into the 2024 Nationals cycle, and Cesar’s progress is only accelerating. 140 is now a daily weight, and 150 is going overhead weekly. He hit a world-class (that’s not hyperbole) Front Squat at 300kg, and his technique continues improving. He is separating himself from a mid-pack super heavyweight into a threat that everybody in his weight class is paying attention to. The takeaway for all of us is that when you organize your life, commit to the vision you have set out for yourself, and do the work, you may surprise yourself with what you are capable of. Cesar is on the move and more committed to making his vision a reality than he was on that October day.
By Chris Amenta
March Spirit of the Month: Tony Sosa
The Pursuit of Excellence is one of our Core Values here at SoCal Weightlifting, and Tony Sosa has embodied that since day one. He trains with ferocious intensity, is constantly looking to improve, and is one of the absolute best at taking ownership in every situation he is in. What makes Tony a perfect candidate for Spirit of the Month is what he has done when things haven’t gone his way. Tony had a tough competition at AO2 and instead of sulking about it, he found a way to make things happen on the platform and preserved the momentum that our team needed during a long weekend. Upon returning to SoCal, Tony immediately got to work on his Plus Delta, which recognizes everything that went well and everything that could be improved on. He took the time to look inward first and took complete ownership over the things in his control and made a plan to improve them. Just recently, Tony has encountered shoulder issues and has had to put weightlifting on the back burner while he heals up. In the interim Tony has found a way to be excellent in the training that he is ABLE to do. He has worked on his pulling mechanics, has pushed the strength movements, and has kept a positive outlook on his training process. Tony has also been a part of the POD meetings and is right in the mix with everyone despite not being able to prepare for a competition at the moment. He didn’t hesitate to jump in with ideas and was upstairs with a pen and a paper taking notes because he knows that when he returns to training, he will be able to apply the things he is learning at the moment. It is incredibly easy to embody a core value when things are going well, but to maintain that level of excellence when things go south is an entirely different ballgame. Tony has stepped up for himself as well as for this gym and has consistently gone above and beyond for himself and those around him. Thank you for being that example Tony. We cannot wait until you are putting a barbell over your head on the lanes and on the big stage again! Your refusal to roll over and your relentless commitment to progress will absolutely pay off!
By Spencer Troutman
February 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
POD Meeting Feb/March Schedule
Athlete & Volunteer Liason
SoCal Social Committee
February Athlete of the Month - Marissa Campbell
February Spirit of the Month - Chris Fox
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for January - February.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Feb 3 - SoCal Brunch
Feb 9 - Hangout at Karl Strauss @7:30pm (organized by Social Committee)
Feb 10 - Galentine’s Lift & Clothing Swap
This is for ALL gals in our weightlifting community - not just SoCal athletes. Free drop in to train for those joining us for the clothing swap. Training ends at 12pm, champagne gets popped, and swapping begins!
Feb 16 - SoCal Skate Night at FV Skate
Feb 17 - Pre-training meet up at Portola Coffee @9:00am (organized by Social Committee)
Feb 17-18 - USAW L1 Coaching Certification at SoCal with Chris
Feb 23 - Hangout at Salty Bear Brewery @7:30pm (organized by Social Committee)
March 2 - Trunk Stability Seminar with Christine Na, DPT
March 8 - Ducks Game at Honda Center
March 16 - In-House Meet
April 27-28 - SoCal Spring Classic | We need volunteers! Sign up HERE to help out your teammates.
POD Meeting Schedule
If you’re new to SoCal, you can learn about our POD system by watching the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for February-March:
March 5: National 6:45pm
March 12: Masters 6:45pm
March 19: National 6:45pm
March 26: Local, Regional 6:45pm
February 6: National 6:45pm
February 13: Masters 6:45pm
February 20: National 6:45pm
February 27: Local, Regional 6:45pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
Athlete & Volunteer Liason
As you all know, SoCal is known for running the best meets around, and none if it would be possible without the help of all of our awesome volunteers that continually show up to support SoCal as well as their teammates. Krista Dornbush has graciously volunteered to be our Athlete & Volunteer Liason to help organize and streamline the entire process for us. Krista has a ton of experience both competing and volunteering at our meets so she’s very knowledgable of everything that goes into it. She has rolled out an awesome new sign up system and will be in charge of communication & logistics with the volunteers. Any general inquiries can also be brought to Danielle as she will be supporting Krista in her role.
SoCal Social Committee
Krista Dornbush, Jordyn Cooley, and Morgan Baumgartner have joined forces to create the SoCal Social Committee! They will be coordinating casual social outings for athletes to hang out, get to know each other outside of training, and generally just have a great time with old and new friends. See above calendar of events for upcoming hangouts and make sure you’re watching our instagram (@socalwlc) stories for any announcements!
February Athlete of the Month: Marissa Campbell
Marissa Campbell is February’s Athlete of the Month. She embodies everything that we look for when athletes come into SoCal Weightlifting. Marissa is a welcoming person who cares about everyone around her. She always has a positive mindset that she brings to every session and is always looking for more when it comes to training. When she first joined SoCal in September, she came from a CrossFit background, so we had to work on some mobility and movement pattern corrections. Without hesitation, she was very open to this new training. There was no push back and she was 100% open to all the new coaching she was getting. Marissa has improved so much in the short amount of time in SoCal. Her willingness to be coached and take cues speaks volumes about the type of person she is. Marissa is always looking for more opportunities to get better in the sport of weightlifting. From more training days, to looking for different Premiers to work on technique, to more accessory work. She does everything that we ask her, from the warm-ups all the way into finishing all of her accessory work even if it takes multiple hours. Marissa has some big goals this year and is looking to compete at her first weightlifting meet this year at our in-house meet in March, and then will be looking to do the Mavrik Summer Classic. We appreciate the positivity that you bring to the gym and look forward to watching you crush your goals this year. Keep up the great work Marissa.
February Spirit of the Month: Chris Fox
Chris Fox has been one of the most dedicated members since he walked in our old location in June of 2021. His goals were a bit different than our typical member, but he was absolutely ready to make a change in his life. Since that first meeting, Chris has chipped away at his training and has quietly made some of the most dramatic changes in the entire gym. When he joined, Chris was unable to get anywhere near depth on a squat, and now routinely squats to depth with over double the weight that he started out with. That is just one example of the progress that Chris has made since joining SoCal. His commitment to himself and his training has only increased along with his time here which is why he is our Spirit of the Month. Chris has not allowed himself to get complacent with training or with his improvement in general. He has used the momentum that he gained in training and has applied it to other areas of life with incredible success. Chris is also one of the most refreshing people in our gym. I always look forward to a great conversation when I see him and know that I am going to walk away having learned somethings new or will simply be in a better mood. That ability right there is yet another reason why he embodies the Spirit of SoCal. We all get so caught up in training sometimes, so those moments of connection are so damn important. Chris has provided so many of those moments all while still coming in and working his ass off each day he is here. His progress has been jaw dropping and he shows no signs of slowing down. Chris, we are so thankful that you walked through our doors two and a half years ago, and are even more grateful that you have stuck with it!
January 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Intro to Weightlifting Class - invite your friends/family!
POD Meeting Jan/Feb Schedule
January Athlete of the Month - Matt Kaplan
January Spirit of the Month - Logan Bechtold
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for January - February.
REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Jan 6 - HB Dog Beach Outing
Join us at 2pm at Goldenwest x PCH ON the beach with your pup for an hour or two of play! Sarah will be there with Zoë | No registration necessary
Jan 20 - Intro to Weightlifting Class (free to register for NEW individuals!)
Feb 3 - Strength Supremacy
Feb 10 - Galentine’s Lift & Clothing Swap
More details to come but this is for ALL gals in our weightlifting community - not just SoCal athletes.
Feb 17-18 - USAW L1 Coaching Certification at SoCal with Chris
April 27 - SoCal Spring Classic | Registration opens Jan 23rd at 9am PST!
Intro to Weightlifting: Saturday January 20th
We are hosting an Intro to Weightlifting class on January 20th from 1pm-2pm and we would love for you to invite any friends or family members who may be interested in trying out weightlifting but have never done it before. This class is for beginners who want to learn more about weightlifting but aren’t sure how to get started. We’ll spend some time chatting about weightlifting and then get onto the floor to try out the movements ourselves!
POD Meeting Schedule
We’re rolling out our POD system in 2024! If you missed the presentation at the End of Year Party, you can watch the video HERE. We developed the POD system to ensure that every athlete has the resources available to them to crush their goals this year. Every athlete will belong to a POD that will meet with their coach 1-2 times per month. These PODS will consist of Local, Regional, National, and Masters athletes. These meetings will provide valuable face to face time with your coach and ensure that you’re on track with your goals and training for upcoming meets. All meetings will be held on Tuesdays in the Onyx office and will also be available on Zoom if you are unable to attend in person. If you’re not sure which POD you’re in, you can check HERE. This will be the upcoming POD meeting schedule for January-February:
February 6: National 6:30pm
February 13: Masters 6:30pm
February 20: National 6:30pm
February 27: Local, Regional 6:30pm
January 2: National 6:30pm
January 9: Local, Regional, Masters 6:30pm
January 16: Masters 6:30pm
January 23: National 6:30pm
January 30: Local, Regional 6:30pm
To access the Zoom link for ALL meetings, click here.
January Athlete of the Month: Matt Kaplan
Matthew Kaplan is our Athlete of the Month for January, and he earned the hell out of it. Matt has always been the silent hard worker in the room. He comes in carrying an overflowing plate of responsibility from work and life, but still finds a way to train with complete focus and intensity. He has never wanted any of the coaches to sugarcoat things, and is constantly looking for ways to improve himself as an athlete. His work ethic is unquestionable, and his ability to overcome external stressors is unparalleled. With all of that being said, Matt has been chasing the elusive standout competition performance that we all knew he was capable of. We sat down early in 2023 and came up with a plan to make this happen, and I am so proud to say that we accomplished exactly that. We started by attacking his starting position and his understanding of the second pull, then we moved to his third pull and receiving position. Shortly after that, we started attacking the jerk and just plugged away for months and got a bit better each week. We didn’t do anything fancy, but because of Matt’s ability to get in and execute, we didn’t need anything except the basics. Finally, Matt worked extremely hard on keeping his mind calm and collected throughout the ups and downs of training. He didn’t get too wrapped up in the tough days, and didn’t over celebrate his good days. Instead, he took the ups and downs in stride and kept his mind completely focused on the task at hand, which just so happened to be the biggest meet of his career. It is one thing to implement change at the local level, but an entirely different thing to do it on a national platform. When we arrived in North Carolina, I could see a different Matt. He was completely dialed in at the training hall, but he balanced this with a very relaxed demeanor the rest of the time. He was in complete control of his weight cut, and also took steps to minimize his never ending work stress while he was out there. This all led to a pivotal performance on Saturday. Matt stepped up and kept our team from losing momentum by implementing everything he had worked so hard on this past year. He was calm in the back room, focused when he needed to take a warmup lift, and completely in control of his process when he took the stage. This resulted in him hitting 98/133/231 for a comp snatch, clean and jerk, and total PR on the big stage. He nearly walked away with a 101 snatch but was called on a slight press out, and somehow found a way to pull under a 137 clean with almost no recovery time. This performance was what he needed in order to show himself that the work he put in had paid off, but more importantly, it was the performance the team desperately needed in order to keep our momentum going. We still have things to work on, and Matt will undoubtedly be ready to attack 2024 with even bigger performances in mind!
January Spirit of the Month: Logan Bechtold
Logan Bechtold embodies everything we look for in a SoCal Spirit of the Month. He is a key part of our culture from the first day that he showed up in April of 2023. How he shows up every day regardless of the type of day he had or coming off a long shift at work. Being a Firefighter and training is no easy task. He continues to cheer on his fellow teammates and pushes everyone around him. Which helps elevate the entire gym and draws people to him. When you see Logan in the gym, it’s always with a big smile and a beautiful mustache. He is so coachable and able to to cues from all the coaches which I believe speaks highly to his character and the type of person Logan is. Logan competed in his first meet at the Onyx Winter Classic. For it being his first meet, we were highly impressed with his demeanor and calmness in the backroom. He controlled his emotions on the platform and after he made his first snatch, we knew it was going to be a great day for him. Logan went 5 for 6 and hit a 75kg snatch and a 83kg Clean & Jerk for a 158 total. It was like almost someone had been fire tested before.For someone who was sick for two weeks before the meet, I would say he handled it like a professional. With everything going on in his life leading up to the meet we are highly impressed with the outcome. We are extremely proud of you Logan and we are so happy to have you at SoCal. You are a core piece of SoCal in such a short amount of time here. We look forward to seeing your growth in 2024. Keep up the great work.
December 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Local Meets: Onyx Winter Classic (volunteers needed!)
AO Finals in Wilmington, NC
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Holiday Hours
Intro to Weightlifting Class - invite your friends!
End of Year Party!
Associate Coaching Course
December Athlete of the Month - Patrick Whitmore
December Spirit of the Month - Georgia Cameron
Onyx Winter Classic: Dec 16-17 2023
We will be hosting the Onyx Winter Classic Weightlifting Meet on December 16-17, 2023!
Prizes
All athletes will receive giveaway swag bags valued at over $100!
Weight class winners will receive a leather weightlifting belt from Onyx Weightlifting Co. valued at $279!
Volunteers still needed! SIGN UP HERE
AO Finals Registrants and Prelim Start List
Below is the start list and times the athletes will be lifting at AO Finals. Livestream the competition HERE and watch your friends lift, maybe even throw a watch party! Times are in PST.
Friday, December 8th
Danny Ear 81D 9am
Jordyn Cooley 59B 11am
Georgia Cameron 59B 11am
Saturday, December 9th
Bailee Pharris 76C 11am
Matt Kaplan 96C 1pm
Jacob Laster 89A 3pm
Sunday, December 10th
Denali Scoular 109kg 5am
Patrick Whitmore 109B 9:20am
Stefani Warnick 87A 11am
Kayla Kass 87A 11am
Cesar Flores 109+A 1:15pm
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars, certification courses, & social events for December - February. The USAW L1 course will be hosted at SoCal Weightlifting. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Shoulder Mobility Seminar with Christine Na, DPT Dec 2
Onyx Winter Classic Dec 16-17 - volunteers needed!
Award Presentations at the End of Year Party Dec 31
Strength Supremacy Jan 13
HB Dog Beach Outing Jan 13
Intro to Weightlifting Class Jan 20 (free to register for NEW individuals!)
Skate Night Jan 26
SoCal Brunch Feb 3
Associate Coaching Course Feb 6
USAW L1 Coaching Certification February 17-18
Adjusted Holiday Hours
We will only have one coach on the floor from Dec 26-30 to give our coaches a break, thanks for your understanding!
Monday Dec 25: no coaching hours
Tuesday 4p-8p Spencer
Wednesday 4p-8p Brandon
Thursday 4p-8p Kody
Friday 4p-8p Sutter
Saturday 8a-12p Chris
Monday Jan 1 - Will be NORMAL coaching hours
Intro to Weightlifting: Saturday January 20th
We are hosting an Intro to Weightlifting class on January 20th from 1pm-2pm and we would love for you to invite any friends or family members who may be interested in trying out weightlifting but have never done it before. This class is for beginners who want to learn more about weightlifting but aren’t sure how to get started. We’ll spend some time chatting about weightlifting and then get onto the floor to try out the movements ourselves!
End of Year Holiday Party: Sunday, December 31
It’s that time of year again! Join us at our End of Year Holiday Party while we take a look back at 2023, roll out some exciting stuff for 2024, and celebrate with all your friends. We decided to shake it up this year and make it a theme - so whether you prefer groovy flower power or disco glam… or you were just a big fan of That 70’s Show, any kind of 1970’s attire will do! We will have food, music, dancing, awards, and more! Party starts at 6pm and will go til about 9pm. Purchase your ticket HERE and come boogie the night away!
Associate Coaching Course: Coming February 2024
We have some exciting news! We’re rolling out a brand new 15-week LIVE coaching course with Coach Chris and Spencer. The goal of this coaching course is to advance your knowledge of weightlifting for yourself and for your athletes. The course will focus on the development of your skills in 5 different areas of coaching: Programming, Athlete Development, Athlete/Coach Relationship, Coaching Development and Mechanics of the Lifts. You will come away from this course having developed a substantial level of knowledge as a coach in the sport of weightlifting. Get more info at our events page.
December Athlete of the Month: Patrick Whitmore
Patrick Whitmore is our athlete of the month for December and he has earned it for the entire 12 months that he has been back in this gym. Pay was with us from 2019-2021 but had to step away from the gym and the sport in order to focus on getting his life on track. He left in 2021 with a massive uphill battle, but has returned to us a completely reformed man. The work that has been put in over the last few years is nothing short of astounding and it has all culminated in one of the most dominant years of weightlifting that we have seen in this gym. Patrick took ownership over every single mistake that he made, got his ass to work and showed up last December ready to make amends and make progress in the sport of weightlifting. It’s safe to say he accomplished that AND more this this year. Patrick came in with a 130 kg snatch and a 161 kg clean and jerk which were already respectable numbers. Not only did he surpass them, but he blew them out of the water. Patrick has added 21 kg to his training total, hitting 141/171 and also qualified for his first ever American Open Finals in the process. The man has been on an absolute tear in competition this year as well, taking his competition total from 288 to 306 in exactly six months which is absolutely absurd. If you have been in the gym while Patrick is training, you understand how he accomplished everything that he has. The man trains with ferocious intensity, and is built for game day. If you need him to show the hell up, he answers the call every single time. Patrick, we are so proud of the work you have done to become the athlete and man that you are today, and can’t wait to watch you put everyone on notice at the American Open!
December Spirit of the Month: Georgia Cameron
It may have taken a year of training for Georgia to land on this board, but she has embodied the spirit of this team since day one. When looking at her training through our core values, she goes above and beyond in all areas. She is methodical & diligent with her daily process before, during, and after training to set herself up for success. Georgia takes ownership & responsibility for every component of the training process. For example, with only three weeks left in the prep for AO Finals, Georgia brought up a change in her exercise selection that she felt would help get her snatch feeling more connected. Opposed to sitting back and not taking action, she took it upon herself to discuss a change that she believed would give her a slight edge. After communicating this small adjustment with me, we both agreed the change seemed logical with no downsides. We implemented the change and saw immediate positive results. If things are not going her way, she doesn’t look to blame others or make excuses. She is constantly finding ways to get results & improve performance. Georgia’s positive & focused training mindset is infectious and has helped her integrate into this team quickly and easily. All of these factors plus many more, are all foundational building blocks that will pay off in the long run, not only for her, but for all of us. When we surround ourselves with like-minded, forward-thinking individuals who are striving for excellence across all areas of their lives, everybody’s “normal” is elevated. Georgia, you have been an amazing addition to our team. Keep training hard, stay focused on your process, and be committed to building a better version of yourself. Your future looks bright!
November 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Local Meets: Onyx Winter Classic (volunteers needed!)
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Thanksgiving Holiday Hours
Intro to Weightlifting Class - invite your friends!
Athlete Appreciation Week
Live Coaching Course
November Athlete of the Month - Gianna DiLiberto
November Spirit of the Month - Ashley Ferguson
Onyx Winter Classic: Dec 16-17 2023
We will be hosting the Onyx Winter Classic Weightlifting Meet on December 16-17, 2023!
Prizes
All athletes will receive giveaway swag bags valued at over $100!
Weight class winners will receive a leather weightlifting belt from Onyx Weightlifting Co. valued at $279!
Volunteers needed! SIGN UP HERE
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Here are the upcoming seminars and certification courses for October & November. The USAW L1 course will be hosted at SoCal Weightlifting. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Weightlifting Seminar at VNTR Fitness Nov 4
USAW L1 Coaching Certification Nov 11-12
Athlete Appreciation Week Nov 13-18 (no registration needed)
Intro to Weightlifting Class Nov 16
Award Presentations at the End of Year Party Dec 31
Athlete Appreciation Week Nov 13-18
Each day during this week athletes that are present at the gym will receive a small token of our appreciation in the form of gifts, discounts from local businesses as well as SoCal gear & retail items, and more! Each day will be something different so you’ll have to show up to find out and be showered with appreciation.
Intro to Weightlifting: Thursday, November 16th at 7-8pm
We are hosting our first Intro to Weightlifting class on November 16 and we would love for you to invite any friend or family member who may be interested in trying out weightlifting but has never done it before. This class is for beginners who want to learn more about weightlifting but aren’t sure how to get started. We’ll spend some time chatting about weightlifting and then get onto the floor to try out the movements ourselves!
Adjusted Holiday Hours
Thursday Nov 23: no coaching hours
Friday Nov 24: coaching hours 9am-11am & 4pm-7:30pm
Live Coaching Course: Coming February 2024
We have some exciting news! We’re rolling out a brand new 15-week LIVE coaching course with Coach Chris and Spencer. The goal of this coaching course is to advance your knowledge of weightlifting for yourself and for your athletes. The course will focus on the development of your skills in 5 different areas of coaching: Programming, Athlete Development, Athlete/Coach Relationship, Coaching Development and Mechanics of the Lifts. You will come away from this course having developed a substantial level of knowledge as a coach in the sport of weightlifting. Get more info at our events page.
November Athlete of the Month: Gianna DiLiberto Gianna is our athlete of the month! Over the last three months she has been on an absolute tear. She has completely changed how she has committed to her training in all aspects. Gianna has fully bought into improving her weightlifting and taking a chance to become the best she can be—taking her training to another level and committing to doing everything she can to recover properly. It is already starting to show, as she has put on 8kg on her total with a 67kg Snatch and 81kg Clean & Jerk. Gianna recently competed at the Barbarian Octobarfest Meet and crushed it. She hit a meet PR Snatch at 63kg and meet PR Clean & Jerk at 78kg. Gianna is headed in the right direction to accomplish her goal of qualifying for Senior Nationals. We still have a lot of work to do but we are all very proud of the direction that you are heading. Keep working hard and before you know it we will be where you want to be.
November Spirit of the Month: Ashley Ferguson Ashley Ferguson is our spirit of the month for November! She joined us back in March and has been a model athlete and member since day one. Ashley is an extremely driven individual and a total boss inside and outside of the gym. Not only does she find time to manage her own business and clients, but she comes in here, ready to work and perform at the highest level possible every single day. Just recently Ashley competed for the first time, going five for six on the day while hitting a 76 kg snatch and a 87 kg clean and jerk! We saw the results of the dedication she has shown in this gym, as well as the attitude that she brings the training every single day. She listens to every single coach and applies what each one of us has to say, gets along with and trains alongside any and every athlete in this gym, and strives to be the absolute best version of herself every day. We saw a cool calm and collected athlete step out onto that stage and got a small glimpse at what this woman is capable of. Ashely is poised to hit massive numbers in her career and will do all of it with a big smile on her face!
October 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
Upcoming Local Meets: Octobar Fest & Onyx Winter Classic (Sold out!)
Upcoming Seminars
Christine Na DPT Seminar at SoCal October 14
SoCal Halloween Water Pong Tournament & Costume Competition
Intro to Weightlifting Class - invite your friends!
October Athlete of the Month - Brenda Moreno
October Spirit of the Month - Fred Aviles
Octobar Fest at Barbarian Barbell: Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Below is the list of our athletes that will be lifting at Octobar Fest. Come out to Barbarian Barbell in Van Nuys and cheer your teammates on!
Krista Dornbush
Mel Prokop
Ashley Ferguson
Jacob Laster
Kayla Kass
Gianna Diliberto
Cesar Flores
Katie Jones
Erica Lillquist
Ethan Iles
Denali Scoular
Kevin Tran
Luis Valdez
Deanna Lopez
Lydia Philp
Isamu Harrison
Danny Ear
Joshua Saetern
Megan Bradley
Onyx Winter Classic: Dec 16-17 2023
We will be hosting the Onyx Winter Classic Weightlifting Meet on December 16-17, 2023!
Prizes
All athletes will receive giveaway swag bags valued at over $100!
Weight class winners will receive a leather weightlifting belt from Onyx Weightlifting Co. valued at $279!
Registration is currently closed. If you would like to join the waitlist CLICK HERE
Upcoming Seminars
Here are the upcoming seminars and certification courses for October & November. The USAW L1 course will be hosted at SoCal Weightlifting. REGISTER HERE for any of the below events:
Hip Mobility Seminar with Christine Na, DPT Oct 14
Snatch Seminar at Old Town Gym Oct 28
Weightlifting Seminar at VNTR Fitness Nov 4
USAW L1 Coaching Certification Nov 11-12
Annual SoCal Halloween Water Pong & Costume Competition
It’s that time of year! Come dressed in your most goulish attire and enjoy a little friendly water pong competition if you feel so inclined. Party starts at 6:30pm until about 9:30pm. As Beetlejuice would say….it’s showtime!
Intro to Weightlifting: Thurs, November 9 at 7-8pm
We are hosting our first Intro to Weightlifting class on November 9 and we would love for you to invite any friend or family member who may be interested in trying out weightlifting but has never done it before. This class is for beginners who want to learn more about weightlifting but aren’t sure how to get started. We’ll spend some time chatting about weightlifting and then get onto the floor to try out the movements ourselves!
October Athlete of the Month - Brenda Moreno
The always fabulous Brenda Moreno is our athlete of the month! Brenda has been with us for just over a year and a half and has truly come into her own over these last few months. She has always been an incredibly diligent athlete who has put a ton of effort into understanding and refining her technique. She has experienced the ups and downs of being a weightlifter, and has had triumphant days as well as frustrating ones. Through it all, Brenda has maintained a relentless approach in the pursuit of excellence in weightlifting. Recently she put more time into practicing on her off days, has listened to and applied all of the techniques and cues each coach has given her, and is constantly learning from the athletes she trains with. This humility and willingness to learn as shown up in her training recently. Brenda has made incredible progress on both lifts as well as the strength lifts and is on the verge of putting up some very impressive numbers over the next few months. We are so proud of all of the work that you’ve put in Brenda and can’t wait to see you continue to grow!
October Spirit of the Month - Fred Aviles
Fred embodies everything that we look for in a SoCal Athlete. It doesn’t matter how training is going, it’s not an excuse to give in on gameday. Fred had a training block leading up to AO2 in Pleasanton, but when it mattered...Fred showed up. He went 2 for 3 in the snatch with a close miss at 81kg. Even though it wasn’t a heavier attempt, Freddie looked terrific and confident in his warm-ups. Once we began to warm up for the clean & jerks, we knew Fred was about to go off. He pulled us aside and said “Let me out coach, I want to open heavier today.” He certainly did show up and crushed all of his attempts going 3/3 and ending with 115kg. We are incredibly proud of how you showed up every day with a smile on your face and a positive outlook even when things weren’t going your way. We look forward to seeing you back on the platform soon. Great work Fred! Don’t forget the six-month bet you have with Sutter!
September 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
New Operations Manager - Danielle Pugliese
August Athlete of the Month - Brandi Fallica
August Spirit of the Month - Karen Sarinana
September Spirit of the Month - Nicole Arnold
September Athlete of the Month - Kayla Kass
AO2 Registrants and Prelim Start List
Below is the start list and times the athletes will be lifting at AO2. LINK TO STREAM THE MEET IS HERE. We have also submitted a team of 5 athletes (they take scores from the top 4) to score us points for the team award at AO2 so we’ll see how we stack up vs the other teams at the end of the weekend!
Thursday, September 14
Gianna Dilberto 55A 6 pm
Jordyn Cooley 59A 6 pm
Georgia Cameron 59A 6 pm
Friday, September 15
Nicole Deditz 71F 10am
Nancy Giang 71D 2pm
Fred Aviles 81G 2 pm
Tay Schimmers 64B 4 pm
Sommer Reed 71C 4 pm
Ryan Espiritu 89F 6 pm
Saturday, September 16
Neel Jaiswal 89B 2pm
Tony Sosa 96D 4 pm
Sunday, September 17
Brandi Fallica 87B 8 am
Justin Brake 96B 8 am
Cody Nabong 102B 10 am
Bailee Pharris 81A 12 pm
Kara Steele 81A 12 pm
Stefani Warnick 81A 12 pm
Jenna Shumway 87A 12 pm
Stu Nichols 109+A 4 pm
Adjusted Coaching Schedule
We will have an adjusted coaching schedule at the gym September 13-16 due to Chris, Spencer and Sutter being up in Pleasanton for AO2. Kody and Brandon will be stepping up to cover floor hours so you will see different coaches on the floor during Chris, Spencer and Sutter’s coaching hours. Thanks for your patience as we support 22 athletes competing at AO2!
Upcoming Local Meets
If you are looking to compete at the Onyx Winter Classic, registration is now open. There are no restrictions on who can register. The Rep Max Fall Face Off will be happening on Saturday, September 30 which we are taking a handful of athletes to. We will also be taking a group of athletes to Barbarian’s Octobarfest on October 21st so feel free to register for that meet instead of the Winter Classic if you are interested!
New Operations Manager: Danielle Pugliese
We are very excited to welcome previous member, Danielle Pugliese, to our staff starting mid-September. Danielle was a member from July 2020 - December 2021 but had to take a break from lifting to have back surgery. She is joining our team as the Operations Manager and will be taking over on the back end of the business to help the organization and operations run smoothly. Danielle has done a lot of cool stuff in her life, including writing a book, voice over work, and stand up comedy. She is a great addition to the team so if you see her around, be sure to say hi!
August Athlete of the Month - Brandi Fallica
Brandi is our Athlete of The Month for August! This wonderful human has been through an absolute hell of a past few years and scraped and clawed her way back to the platform at the Mavrik Summer Classic! Brandi committed to getting back into the training in early May and hasn’t looked back since. She has been on an absolute tear since she has been back and everything culminated on the platform! After having a tougher snatch session, Brandi pulled everything together and hit an all time clean & jerk pr at 62 kgs! This was an extremely special moment for me as a coach because I have seen Brandi have to go through the struggle over the past few years. She has been knocked down time and time again, but she found her way back, put herself first, and walked away with two medals to boot! Watching her out on that platform was a reminder that this gym is about much more than just the snatch and clean & jerk. Brandi was right back in the gym EARLY on Monday absolutely crushing the back squat superset torture that was waiting for her. She has always been driven to do great things ion this sport, and this meet is just a springboard of momentum for her. I have no doubt that she will get right back on that platform and hit the PR’s that are there for the taking. Welcome back Brandi and congratulations on your stellar performance! We are so damn proud of you!
August Spirit of the Month - Karen Sarinana
Karen joined the SoCal team in February 2023 and has made such a huge impact within the last 6 months. Once you meet Karen it becomes obvious why she is our Spirit of the Month, her kind and outgoing personality is infectious within the gym. Karen also has such a positive outlook on her life and training, which is proven in the pure drive and succcess in her crazy strong lifts. If you check out her Instagram, you can be immediately impressed by her insane 147 kg back squat and 125 kg front squat, but also by her creative memes she likes to post. Here at SoCal, we are driven by a strong community that is able to bring light and humor to the gym, while also continously becoming a better athlete and focusing on lifts when it matters. Karen is the ideal and perfect example of this sort of lifter, and we cannot wait to continue to see her grow.
September Spirit of the Month - Nicole Arnold
Nicole is one of our longest standing members, coming up on 6 years in January. When she joined, she had doubts because of a slipped disc squatting 75kg 2 years prior to joining SoCal. Now she snatches 59kg and can clean and jerk 78kg, well over what had injured her before. She grew up as the only girl on her basketball and hockey teams before finally finding weightlifting (by accident* ask her about it). Nicole has her double masters in medieval history and library science and when she's not weightlifting or playing one of her 5 guitars, she's working as a librarian at UCI. Nicole is such an integral part to the gym and we can't wait to see her crush it for another 6 years.
September Athlete of the Month - Kayla Kass
After the highest placing at senior nationals from a SoCal athlete to date, this months’ AOTM goes to Kayla Kass! We can talk all about the preparation, dedication to the plan & daily commitment to pursuing her goals that lead to the results, but we are all aware of how Kayla shows up to train. We have all witnessed the focus & intensity that she brings to every day. The story that I want to share is the actual event itself to show everyone what it looks like and feels like when it all comes together. Going into this event, we knew that if she makes lifts, she has a strong opportunity to finish on the podium. The Snatch warmups went extremely well, all perfectly timed and every lift looking fast & strong. The goal was to make all three snatches and focus on our own game. We came into the competition at 97kg, which gave her the 2nd to highest opener, but 1-3kg over the other two athletes. We stayed out in front with her 2nd attempt at 100kg, which was higher than the 3rd attempts made by the other girls. To push our lead even further, we took 103kg for a all time Snatch PR. The 1st place athlete had a gold medal snatch at 111kg, which essentially made the top podium finish out of reach on this day. Going into the Clean & Jerks, we knew the silver medal was ours for the taking. We needed a solid strategy to stay out in front of the other two girls in contention. We declared 121kg as the other two girls came in at 115kg & 120kg. Looking at the attempts of the athlete coming in at 115kg, it was clear to me this race was going to come down to Kayla and one other girl. We had a 5kg lead over her, so as long as we matched her CJ’s, we had a strong chance. I decided to bring her opener down to 120kg and stay in the driver seat. Both Kayla and the other competitor made their first attempts. I was looking at 124kg for her 2nd attempt and as we worked our changes to get up there, I noticed that the coach was mimicking every change we made. We took 124kg on the 2nd attempt which was quickly followed up by a successful lift from the competitor. As it came down to the last CJ, the goal was to go for something big that would either force the competitor to take a massive jump, or the weight would be slightly out of reach for both girls, resulting in us securing 2nd. We pushed both up to 129kg, and although both missed their final attempt, the primary goal of 2nd place finish was achieved. We finished at 227kg total, a 6kg improvement from last years Nationals. Amidst all of the strategies & mindgames that were going on amongst the coaches at the card table, Kayla was solely focused on her game. She relinquished all control to the coaching staff and fully entrusted us in the attempt selection. She did not care what the weight on the bar was. Her sole focus was on making every single lift in front of her. Her ability to focus on her task at hand, and allow the coaches to do their job, allowed us to walk away with a near perfect day. With every peak reached, we continue to set the bar even higher. Although the performance was incredible in so many ways, it is now time to focus on the next goal we have set for ourselves. This may not show up for another 18 months, but we are now focused on that. This quote from James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems” was playing through my mind during this performance. I had the confidence of sending Kayla out on that stage because I knew all the preparation that she put it. No stone was left unturned, no detail was overlooked. This is what it takes in order to make it into the upper echelons of sport mastery.
July/August 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
AO2 Registration & Meeting
Hiring a Fitness Coach
Slow Pitch Tournament
Nationals Recap & Results
Mavrik Summer Classic Recap & Results
Shoulder, Knee, and Hip Rehab Program
July Athlete of the Month - Ashley Ferguson
July Spirit of the Month - John Bauerle
New Coach - Brandon Huang
AO2 Registration & Meeting
There is a meeting TONIGHT on Zoom for those looking to register for AO2 and compete. We will have an exceptional amount of athletes competing at this meet and it’s important we are all organized and that you are able to get registered prior to any price bumps. The Zoom link is below, and you can come back to this link once the meeting is complete to watch the recording if you miss the meeting.
Hiring a Fitness Coach
We are hiring a fitness coach for the following classes. We pay $23/class and are looking to hire 2 coaches. If you are interested and available for any of the class times, email sarah@socalwlc.com with your background in fitness/coaching and the classes you’re available for. As we run the classes CrossFit style, experience in that is valued but we are open to anyone with a fitness background. The classes are small group with about 3 women in each class.
MWF 8:15am
Thurs 5:30pm
Saturday 8:15am
Slow Pitch Tournament
We are going to be participating in a Slow Pitch tournament on Sunday, September 3, 2023 at a TBD softball/baseball diamond in a central location between SD and Van Nuys, competing against other weightlifting clubs in our WSO. So far those interested are Barbarian Barbell, Long Beach Weightlifting, Pacifico Weightlifting, The Strength Tank and Progress Barbell. Each team will consist of 9 athletes and you’ll need to bring a ball glove (you can get one at a thrift store for cheap!). If we have more than 9 athletes who want to compete for SoCal we will field multiple teams. We may need to group players from different clubs together if some clubs don’t have enough players to field an entire team.
We’re just looking to have a day of fun and get together with our friends outside of the gym!
If you’re interested, let Sarah know. More details to come.
Nationals Recap
What a high-energy, emotionally charged week full of highs, lows, and everything in between! SoCal Weightlifting took its largest group to the nationals with 17 athletes across 5 different divisions. The competition started off right away with our two youngest athletes in the very first session and ended with a bang with 3 athletes competing in the last session 8 days later!
During that time, we had many competition bests reached, athletes fighting for medals and international rankings, and a lot of good quality lifting. Our younger and new athletes built competition consistency and our more veteran athletes showed us all what it means to fight for positioning & medals at the most prestigious national event of the year. Although the competition results varied, every individual (coaches included) walked away with many lessons learned on where we can improve and keep striving for excellence. Every competition provides so much value and insight into future opportunities that we can collectively implement to help create a better system of success. Congratulations to all the athletes that competed. Regardless of how you placed, or your level of satisfaction with your results, you all deserve to be recognized for the thousands of hours and reps that went into your training to get you on that stage. As we set our sights on AOF & the future, let’s never forget that every rep, exercise, session, and training block feeds into a greater picture. Everything matters and the time to start building towards higher competition totals begins now.
Mavrik Summer Classic
Our Mavrik Summer Classic Weightlifting Meet went off without a hitch and we were so proud to show off all of our amazing members to the CEO of USA Weightlifting who popped in for the day to see everyone killing it in their roles, whether announcing, bar loading, competing, coaching, or any of the other roles required for this meet to run so smooth. Check out the group picture taken on Saturday night!
If you want to see the meet results, check them and all of our previous meet results out here.
Shoulder, Knee, and Hip Rehab Programs
Spencer and Christine Na have been hard at work putting together rehab protocols for athletes who have had niggling issues and problems with some of their joints. We’ve found that when athletes have an issue, our first response is to get you to schedule something with Christine or your PT, however we think a bridge option would allow you to do rehab work for a 6-week period to try and correct it before needing to jump into appointments, and likely put you on programs like these anyways. Check for those in the bodybuilding pit - we have already seen results from some of our athletes doing the programs and it’s fantastic to see your rehab fixing you already!
July Athlete of the Month - Ashley Ferguson
Ashley Ferguson is someone that you can think of being Athlete of the Month every time. She came to us with some knowledge of weightlifting from a local CrossFit gym. We remember seeing her move around and thinking that she could be really good at weightlifting. Since Joining SoCal in March of this year she has made massive improvements in her technique and adding to her total. When you buy into the program and follow it 100% all the time, good things happen. Ashley has continued to commit to the process and put her trust in the coaches. She makes it happen in the training halls and outside the gym. Her nutrition and recovery are also on point which makes training only that much more successful. When you commit to something in full, good things happen. In her short amount of time at SoCal, she has become an integral part of the culture. When she walks into the gym, her big smile and presence brighten the gym. She rarely complains, only if she decides to do a CrossFit workout before a Saturday training. Ashley will be doing her first meet at our Winter Meet in December. Keep putting in the work and we will continue to crush PR’s. We are so grateful for you to be at SoCal.
July Spirit of the Month - John Bauerle
John Bauerle is coming up on one year at SoCal and this Spirit of the Month is long overdue. John is absolutely relentless in his training and is about as honest as they come with how he performs. He has never made an excuse for a rough session, and is as mellow as they come when he has a good session. The man is about as blue collar as they come when he trains. He shows up, shoots the shit with the coaches, trains like a madman, heads home and does it all over again. We have yet to find a way to break this man but we will continue to search until he is left crumbled on the ground. John has been on a tear lately and has driven his snatch up significantly in the last year. He recently hit a pr at 112 on what was supposed to be a lighter day and is primed to hit something massive when we peak. Finally, John brings a much needed energy into the gym. The “just be better” attitude is as honest as it comes and it is severely lacking at times. You can bet your ass that if you are slacking off, John will call you out. He is here to establish and maintain the standard and we are happy to have him on board! Oh and if you ever see him miss a back squat, just leave him on the ground to suffer and sit in his shame.
New Coach - Brandon Huang
We’re SO thrilled to welcome Brandon Huang on as our new weightlifting coach at SoCal Weightlifting. Brandon has successfully made his way through the internship and has showcased to us a level of initiative, problem solving skills, and personality that we’re looking for in our next staff member. Brandon grew up in Orange County and went to the University of Pennsylvania, getting his degree in Kinesiology. He began his journey in weightlifting in 2019 when he was coaching a couple volleyball players who had it in their program. He wanted to learn how to perform/coach the movements and inevitably fell in love! Here’s Brandon’s thoughts so far on officially joining the SoCal Staff: My experience joining SoCal so far has been nothing short of amazing. The biggest highlight has been connecting w/ the community and learning more about each member on a personal and athletic level. The range of athletes I’ve been able to work with has been eye-opening, each athlete has taught me something in one form or another. Taking on new responsibilities, learning new outlooks on programming, and different ways of teaching the fundamentals are just a handful of events that stick out so far on my journey here. Can’t begin to express my appreciation for the staff, community, and friends for the overwhelming support and open arm welcome.
June 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
UPDATED: POTLUCK THIS SATURDAY
UPDATED: AO2 REGISTRATION
Upcoming Schedule
Shoulder, Knee, and Hip Rehab Programs
Spirit of the Month - Taylor Schimmers
Athlete of the Month - Mark Tumamak
New Staff - Jacob Laster
Parking
Morning coaching hours
Mavrik Summer Classic
Nationals Preliminary Schedule
Potluck This Saturday
We are hosting a potluck this Saturday at the gym after training as we say good luck to our National level athletes heading to Colorado Springs and we say ‘See you soon’ to Jordyn Cooley who will be moving up north (but she will still be down to train with us and be with her friends). Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the bar at the gym!
AO2 Registration
If you are planning to compete at AO2 in Pleasanton, please get registered at the link below. AO1 sold out and we don’t want anyone to miss out who is planning to go to the event here in NorCal (nice and close, woohoo!). Early Registration closes August 3 and a price bump will be in effect after that.
Upcoming Schedule
This weekend we are hosting a USAW L1 at the gym. Please plan to be off the training floor by 1pm as the group will be transitioning from the classroom upstairs to the practical at that 1pm timeframe. Thanks in advance!
PS. If you are interested in doing your USAW L1 you can learn more and register for this weekend’s course HERE.With Nationals around the corner, we will be posting an adjusted coaching schedule as coaches come and go (or stay the whole time: Chris) from Colorado Springs. We will have a more solid coaching schedule posted closer to but be aware that there will be some adjustments with who will be coaching when and sometimes we may only have one coach on the floor when we usually have two. Thanks for your patience on this as we support our competing athletes!
We will not have coaching hours on July 4 however the gym will be available like usual for training.
Shoulder, Knee, and Hip Rehab Programs
Spencer and Christine Na have been hard at work putting together rehab protocols for athletes who have had niggling issues and problems with some of their joints. We’ve found that when athletes have an issue, our first response is to get you to schedule something with Christine or your PT, however we think a bridge option would allow you to do rehab work for a 6-week period to try and correct it before needing to jump into appointments, and likely put you on programs like these anyways. We will have posters up in the gym where you can scan the QR code to get the program onto your Train Heroic app. Look for those posters coming this month!
Spirit of the Month - Taylor Schimmers
Taylor is the rightful recipient of the Spirit of the Month award for a variety of different reasons. Taylor joined SoCal almost a year ago (July 2022) after coming off career all-time best numbers at the 2022 Nationals. With no major event on the immediate horizon, we felt it was the best opportunity & use of time to dial things back and start to focus on refining her technique, strengthening her imbalances, and giving her the time to adapt into a new training environment. We had a few ups and downs throughout the last 11 months, most noticeably was a scary neck injury that needed some serious attention. On top of that, Taylor has juggled her training alongside being a full-time student pursuing a degree in Chiropractics. Through it all, Taylor has continuously displayed the discipline & commitment to her training & education. She has adapted to whatever hurdle is in front of her, and trusted the process every step of the way. We are now starting to see the outcomes of all the hardwork she has put in. Recently, she reached 93-96% of her all-time bests in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. We have decided to forego nationals this year, with the goal to keep increasing her strength as she moves up into the 64kg division. Taylor’s story is about persistence & trust. It is about moving forward one step at a time regardless of what challenge is in front of you. Taylor, you have all the right ingredients and there is no doubt in my mind that you are walking the path towards mastery. All the work you put in is recognized. Your openness & faith in the program is recognized. In less than a year, you have elevated into one of the key members that makes this community so special!
Athlete of the Month - Mark Tumamak
Marc is our well-deserved athlete of the month due to his hard work and dedication to training. Marc joined in November 2022 and we have seen an unrelenting commitment to every step of the process as an athlete. He will train no matter the time, night or day, due to his love for family and work as a physiotherapist aid and mortgage industry. A balance of life and training is such an amazing quality to have in an athlete, and Marc is a prime example. Marc is an extremely coachable person, someone who is kind, funny, and still aggressive when needed to make a lift. He always keeps us on our toes wondering if he is gonna split jerk or surprise us with his squat jerk. Marc is a great fit for SoCal and an even better athlete, and we cant wait to see him grow and compete in his first meet.
New Staff - Jacob Laster
Jacob Laster (also known as Jaco Blaster, J-Dizzle, JaKobie, J-Man, Blast Boi) is the latest staff member at SoCal, joining us all the way from Arkansas after months (or years) of convincing him to make the move out to SoCal to train with his team and be with his friends. Jacob managed to climb the nationals ranks with a 140 Snatch & 170kg CJ training essentially by himself inside of a Powerlifting gym. We knew he would thrive in a weightlifting environment with his coach’s eyes and his progress since being here has shown that. This guy is no stranger to hard work or adversity. He has one of the most unique stories of trial & tribulation that makes Jacobs story of Weightlifting that much more special (we will leave that story up to him to tell). Recently, Jacob has moved into the part-time role of Social Media Manager and has been improving his editing skills in order to showcase and celebrate you all even better! He is training full-time with his goal to improve his top 10 placing from last year’s Nationals (which he did out of the C session!). You’ll see him on the platform in Colorado Springs this year putting up big numbers for SoCal - wish him luck!
Taylor Schimmers warming up
A big ole PR smile for Mark
Jacob: caught smirkin’
Parking
As of the beginning of the month, we have a new neighbor in the 102 unit next to us. They are a furniture storage company so dropping barbells isn’t an issue - yay! That said, we cannot double park along the unit wall in the way of their front door. You are welcome to park along Scenic Ave anytime (where the staff vehicles park). We will also have the cover on the side of our building cleared out enough to have two small cars park there, so if you’re a ‘small car’ coming through in the afternoons, grab one of those spots!
Morning Coaching
We have added the Monday and Friday 6am sessions to the schedule and the morning crew have been having a ton of fun training together. If you find the evenings are a little busy, come join us and get your training in then with the crew!
Mavrik Summer Classic
SoCal will be hosting the Mavrik Summer Classic Weightlifting Meet on July 22-23. This meet sold out in a little over a day which was exciting! This will be a big two-day weightlifting meet and we are excited to host our community once again!
Nationals Preliminary Schedule
USAW released a preliminary schedule so we have put together the initial schedule of the SoCal Athletes that will be competing. Again, this is preliminary so of course subject to change but you can see who is lifting and get a general idea of when :) Proud of all these athletes, qualifying for Nationals is a very exciting accomplishment!
YOUTH
Saturday
8am Mark 32B
11:20am Vivian 40A
Sunday
1:10pm Lily 55A
Monday
N/A
YOUTH/JUNIOR
Tuesday
12pm Abbey 81+
12pm Sam Harrison 67C
4pm Gianna DiLiberto 55B
Wednesday
12pm Kai Ferguson Jr 89D
Thursday
12pm Taylor Choisser 71A
4pm Olivia Haycock 87
6pm Denali Scoular 109A
SENIOR
Friday
10am Jordyn Cooley 59C
10am Taylor Roberts 59C
2pm Manny Amador 73
4pm Katie Jones 59A
Saturday
12pm Jacob Laster 89B
4pm John Downey 89A
Sunday
10am Lawrence O’Hara 109+C
12pm Cesar Flores 109+ B
12pm Kayla Kass 81A
2pm Megan Bradley 87+
2pm Sarah Tyer 87+
May 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter
New Morning Coaching Hours!
Parking
May 20 will be Open Gym
The Finest City Open at the Strength Tank
Mavrik Summer Classic
Spirit of the Month - Stu Nichols
Athlete of the Month - Stef Warnick
Gym Tape
New Morning Hours - Trial for 4 weeks
Starting Monday, May 15 we will be adding Monday and Friday 6am-8am Coaching Hours for the next 4 weeks. Spencer will be coaching Monday’s and Chris and Sutter will be on Fridays (depending on the Friday as Chris is traveling a bit the next few months). Make sure to let the coaches know if you’ll be coming and make sure to show up if you want those hours available as we’re trialing them for 4 weeks to see how popular they are. If we get lots of athletes training we’ll keep it, if we don’t get enough we’ll shut ‘er down.
Parking
We know parking has been an issue for some people and we apologize for that as we have tried to sort out what are the best options for everyone. We’ve created this beautiful parking map so you all can see where are the best places to park.
All building staff (Onyx and SoCal) are required to park on Scenic Ave after 3pm and we have seen a vast improvement on the evening parking availability just from those cars transitioning over.
We are also opening up training hours Monday and Fridays 6am-8am to help with the parking and service those who love a morning session.
Parking Map:
Blue: Available Parking. Scenic Ave is 6am-6:30pm M-F so it’s a great overflow option for you if you’re coming in at our busy time and can’t find a spot. If you stay past 6:30pm we haven’t seen any issues or heard any complaints. If you come in later like 7pm there should be no problem finding parking in our lot. Don’t forget about the 4 spots on the corner of our building that are available. The spots of blue around building alone are about 28 spots which should be more than enough for us to not have parking issues if the staff are parking along Scenic :) Also if you have a handicap parking option I would for sure take one of those parking spots at the front of our building every time to make room for others without one!
Red: Don’t park here. The Schneider Lot has asked us not to take their parking in the evening as they sometimes work later or come back to work well after normal business hours. For the signs that say ‘No SoCal Weightlifting Parking’ in our driveway, they are in the office M-F until about 5:30pm and on Saturday mornings they come in sometimes so try to avoid those spots as best as possible and keep us happy neighbors.
Green: We don’t know who has left notes on the cars not to park there but someone has so just be aware of that.
Saturday, May 20 - Open Gym
We have multiple events happening on Saturday, May 20 which is pulling our staff in multiple directions for athletes so we will be running an Open Gym at SoCal rather than normal Saturday morning coached hours. Chris is traveling to Toronto area for Canadian Nationals with Georgia and The Strength Tank is hosting a bunch of our athletes so Spencer and Sutter will be down in San Diego that day.
The Finest City Open at The Strength Tank
Come join us in San Diego and support The Strength Tank’s first public meet! If you have capacity to volunteer they would love the support. Spencer and Sutter will be down coaching and Sarah will be volunteering.
SoCal Athletes Competing
8am - Jessica Ortiz
10:15am - Lily Wetzler, CJ Soriaso
12:30 - Taylor Schimmers, Jordyn Cooley, Bailee Pharis
2:45pm - Daniel Booker
Mavrik Summer Classic
SoCal will be hosting the Mavrik Summer Classic Weightlifting Meet on July 22-23.
Registration goes live on our events page Tuesday, May 9 at 9am.
Spirit of the Month - Stu Nichols
Stu has been a part of this gym officially for about 6 months now but it feels like he has been a member for 6 years. That right there is why Stu is our Spirit of the Month for May. This man has been dropping in for years and finally moved his butt out here to get after it with the crew. Since the day he joined, Stu has consistently brought both intensity and support to the floor day in and day out. He has found a way to bring this energy while having to travel for work constantly. There are athletes you want to train next to, and athletes you want to hang out with, but very rarely are there athletes that you want to do both with. Stu manages to bridge that gap as well as anyone. On top of being a savage athlete, Stu is an elite creator of breakfast sandwiches, a boss on the guitar and the mic, and absolutely slays the crop top game. The man is as well rounded as they come and we are lucky to have him as a part of this gym.
Athlete of the Month - Stef Warnick
Let’s shine the light on Stefani for a well deserved athlete of the month! While this was confirmed after her stellar performance at the 2023 AO1 series event, Stefani has shown a consistent dedication to her training over the last 15 months prior to this event. Coming off a tough 2022 nationals, Stefani and I laid out a plan that would take up to two years to achieve. To ask an athlete to buy into a long term journey that extends that long is a not an easy task, but Stef has done it. We have been slowly stripping down her technique and rebuilding it. We have been quitely layering on the strength one kilo at a time. Her performance at the arnold was simply one more step in the right direction that feeds into a much larger goal of getting her back to All-time bests and surpassing those numbers. With that being said, Stef’s Arnold experience was no conservative day. She still walked away with a 5 for 6 day going 86/99, and the best performance shes had on the big stage. There is not doubt in my mind that all the momentum she is building will convert into some even more excellent performances soon! Congratulations Stefani on all the success!
Gym Tape
In a few weeks we will receive our shipment of SoCal Thumb Tape. We haven’t been not stocking tape, we’ve just been waiting for our shipment. This was from the tape you saw sampled on the bar a while ago :)
