This is the first time I’ve started a recap BEFORE the actual seminar, but after all, we ARE going to West Point Military Academy. We’ve gone to some great gyms whose hosts who have turned into friends, but the history and ambiance of West Point was unique. And it did not disappoint.
Head S&C Coach Scott Swanson spent his entire weekend making sure we had everything we needed. State of the art media/conference room and a training center that not only had everything you’d expect from a D1 College, but a special West Point OCC Chopper parked right in the door. Learning more about how things roll with D1 S&C coaches and athletes was very interesting and Coach Swanson was especially patient in getting drilled with questions by everyone all weekend long (well, mostly me, but hopefully a few others bugged him too.) Hearing the process of training athletes that are ALSO being trained to be soldiers was eye opening and the fact that these teams compete at the high level they do is incredibly impressive. Special thanks to Coach from all of us at Starting Strength and the attendees for the top notch care. If we have our way, this won’t be the last we (or you) see of Coach Swanson.
There were a few familiar faces in the crowd and it’s always nice to see how previous attendees have progressed in their training. Paul was with us in Texas this past spring and has improved considerably in some areas of his lifting. His goal of bringing black iron and Olympic lifting to the NYC area is great news for the neighborhood, keep us posted on your progress on both your lifting and gym ownership. Below, you’ll see a great picture of Paul’s power snatch. It was nice to see Gene, who was in NYC last summer and spent the last year getting more familiar in general with barbell training. Both his coaching and lifting has seen considerable improvements and the overall confidence he displayed this weekend compared to last year was nice to see. We had old friends from Canadia and new friends from New York and Baltimore who, hopefully, will be making the trek down to WFAC further training.
This group seemed to have many barbell beginners and they all did a nice job of hanging in there with so much new information being thrown their way. If you are thinking of signing up for a seminar or are already registered, make sure you read as much as you can before you get here. The books and free articles on the site are a great resource for you to become more familiar with the material you’ll be hearing about during the weekend.
There were also more people than usual who aren’t necessarily coaches for others but wanted to improve their own training. They quickly learned that coaching athletes throughout the seminar is essential in solidifying how to take this information home and put it to use. It also gives you the cues you can give to others that can help YOUR lifting.
There were a few other points worth mentioning unique to West Point. Visiting one of the oldest Fort’s in the nation, a chapel over 100 years old, and visiting the Hockey arena was especially nice for the coaching staff (well, technically I was the only one jazzed about the hockey arena) who usually fly in for seminars and are content with spending the next 36 hours in a gym or hotel. Thanks to our intern coach and West Point PE Instructor, Ryan Long, who not only did a great job throughout the weekend but carted us around and made sure we passed through gate security smoothly.
We hope to come back next year, if we do, I would highly recommend the short trek to make it. It really doesn’t get much better than this.
jp
Thanks too all of you guys for a great weekend! What an amazing facility and location, I'm still thinking of going back and setting up a tent in the corner to live in... I don't think Coach Swanson would even know I was there?
I'm looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!
I'm glad you piped in Jenn. For those who missed it, Coach Swanson put Jenn and I through a Speed session on Sunday during lunch that completely smoked me (but I'll still blame the altitude.) It was a great time and something I'll definitely work on more in the future.
Hey guys! I didn't miss the running action, and I'm sure you'll agree running is dumb regardless of altitude. I just ordered some shoes from Rogue Fitness and they fit the discrption Rip gave with a .5" heel. I'm as excited as a little school girl.
Thanks everyone for an incredible learning experience at West Point. I put what I learned to use in the deadlift this Saturday, a few nice looking lifts if I don't say so myself. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon.
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