Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James welcomes Jamie Swagler back to the show to discuss the upcoming New York State Championships. Jamie is the meet director for this weightlifting competition coming up on Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 24th in Auburn, NY. James and Jamie discuss many topics about the meet including... General: COVID procedures and expectations. Spectators. Live streams and lifter photography. Volunteering at the event as a loader or referee. Food at the hotel and surrounding area. Lifters Specific: General schedule for the weekend. When the start list and volunteer signups will be released. Weigh in and check scale locations. Dropping down or going up a weight class. What to expect in the warm-up room and on the competition platform. Training Hall: located at Swagler Strength & Performance (contact Jamie for access). Declaring and changing attempts at the Marshal's table. Bathroom locations. Other: Youth and Masters competition and awards. When awards will be given for each weight class. Team competition and awards. Regional team competition and awards. Breaking NY State and NY State Meet records. Resources: USA Weightlifting Referee Clinic Technical Officials Sign Up Competition Rule Book State Championships Entry and Registration NY State Meet Records NY State Records Please direct all questions to Jamie Swagler at jswagler@swaglerstrength.com. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James shares more audio from his time working with Coach Glenn Pendlay on the upcoming book: American Weightlifting. The main topic involves a small piece of Coach Pendlay's coaching philosophy pertaining to the athlete and coach relationship, why athletes need to take responsibility for their own lifting, when a coach should offer advice on missed lifts plus an effective way to offer feedback, and how a coach's actions can give athletes confidence or stunt their progress.  Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James shares more audio from his time working with Coach Glenn Pendlay on the upcoming book: American Weightlifting. Some of the topics include motor learning and its application to the snatch-clean-and jerk, learning the lifts with light weight vs. maximal weights, training under fatigue, jerk steps and how the exercise helps a lifter train jerk footwork using heavy weight while in a fatigued state, lifters adapting to training and learning how to manage training stress day to day...week to week...and month to month, modifying the training program based on how you feel, and tapering for a weightlifting meet. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! Coach Glenn Pendlay passed away on September 5th, 2019 and it's hard to believe that we have gone by another anniversary of his passing. That's why today's episode will be in tribute to Coach Pendlay. The audio you hear is not an interview, but instead a recording from a conversation James and Coach Pendlay had on the snatch while working on the forthcoming book, American Weightlifting. James and Coach Pendlay recorded countless hours of book meetings and they're filled with knowledge that both made it into the book and also many things that didn't because Coach Pendlay was always evolving as a coach. Sharing these audio clips and very soon releasing the book are two ways James hopes to contribute to honoring the memory of his friend and mentor Coach Pendlay. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James welcomes Joe Rodriguez (@cuppajoeweightlifting) to the show! Joe discusses his preferred morning brew, the origins of the Cuppa Joe logo, his background in the sport as an athlete and coach, PEDs in weightlifting, how to have tough conversations with athletes, lessons that can be learned from different eras of the sport, the Bruce Lee approach to programming, being successful in training when you feel physically and mentally exhausted, recovering from injuries, being more resilient than the average person because of training, why he wanted to pursue a career in coaching, how his athletes have made him a better coach, and much more! Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub | @hudsonvalleyweightlifting ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James discusses his recent experiences while sitting in the refs chair at local weightlifting competitions. Some topics include: learning more about the sport by experiencing it from different perspectives, differences in lifting styles between athletes, no bar body contact snatches, the grip it and rip it technique, what you think the lifts should be vs. what they are for others, coaching languages, different coaching styles, making attempt declarations, being assertive as a coach, training for the unknown variables that could occur at a meet, volunteering at local meets and using them as opportunities to learn. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub | @crossfitsona ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James welcomes Frank Ford (@frank_ford_) back to the show! The two discuss in detail the newest barbell club on the block: Sona Weightlifting (@sonaweightlifting). Topics include: answering the question of "what is Sona Weightlifting?," coaching a team while lifting for another one, the need for more teams and coaches in NY, taking the initiative and first steps towards starting a team, the Sona coaching staff, current club programming, what works and what doesn't work from a coaching perspective, the Sona Weightlifting team mission statement and philosophy, the future goals of the club, a recap on how the team did in their second meet at the Capital District Open (May 15th, 2021), and how you can join the team! Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub | @crossfitsona ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James welcomes Catherine Toniatti-Yanulavich (@strongcatty) back to the show! The two recap how Cat did at the 2021 Virtual World Masters Championships on Saturday, May 29th. Some topics discussed include: "dirty doubles" during team training, Cat's journey to the world championships, a breakdown of her attempts, a competitors mindset when things aren't going as planned, bombing out and how to use it as an opportunity for growth, limiting long-term progress by being afraid of bombing out, experiences from strongman competition, displaying who you really are on the platform, and much more! Watch Cat's lifts from worlds here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjYvwZpeZL/ Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub  ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James welcomes Frank Ford (@frank_ford_) back to the show! The two discuss how Team ACBC did at the Capital District Open weightlifting meet held on Saturday, May 15th at CrossFit Schenectady (@crossfit_schenectady) which is the home of Capital District Weightlifting (@capitalweightlifting). Additional Topics include: documenting meets and training through social media, using meet videos as "game footage" for future meet planning and coaching, posting missed lifts opposed to only PRs, different types of competition PRs, investing in the future with third attempts, building momentum and setting PRs meet to meet with small increases, putting weights on the bar to get into the next level of competition within a session, a special gift the sport gives you if you work hard enough and do enough meets, the mental hold certain numbers can have over lifters, and trust in the athlete and coach relationship when it comes to making meet decisions. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub | @sonaweightlifting ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE

Welcome to THE BARBELL STRIKES BACK! On this episode James celebrates his 10 year anniversary at Albany CrossFit! On the show he ponders where the time has gone and how small events shaped his future. He expresses immense gratitude for ACF and all of the athletes both past and present that he's had the privileged to coach across the last decade. He also shares the story of how he joined the ACF community, gives advice to interns out there looking to find a job, and reflects on lessons learned from the good, the bad, and the ugly that he's experienced over the years and how those experiences have shaped him as a person and a coach.  Thank you for listening. Enjoy! ------------- If you enjoyed the show please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating. @thebarbellstrikesback | @jamesamcdermott | @albanycrossfit | @albanycrossfitbarbellclub ------------- Song: The Mandalorian Theme (Metal Version) Music provided by Mat Graham of Artificial Fear Listen to Artificial Fear on Spotify & iTunes Subscribe & Watch: https://youtu.be/Wa6j9QqkaQE