Passion is a funny thing. Many people claim to have passion for something but when an opportunity arises to further the knowledge and experience regarding that passion, the group thins out. When that opportunity is many states away and to make it an individual must pull out all the stops, we see that small group get even sparser. The remaining individuals know passion. The people I met on this trip are truly passionate about our sport of powerlifting and the pursuit of strength.
RELATED: Our UGSS Experience with John Meadows
I’m a full-time college student from Tampa, Florida that works full-time and trains. When I heard about the John Meadows UGSS in London, Ohio at the legendary S4 compound, I knew what I had to do. I immediately grabbed my spot and started preparing for every possible outcome. I worked extra hours and got as much schoolwork done ahead of time as I was allowed. I planned everything out weeks and weeks before hand, knowing that if I attended, I would leave as a better lifter and a better person. Anyone that has ever lifted with me will tell you that I am a huge fan and loyal elitefts customer; just looking inside my gym bag would confirm this. After all, when I was in high school, this site was where I first discovered my love for powerlifting and general strength training. It was a resource I used back then and still use today.
It was 2 PM on the 28th of October I arrived at Tampa International Airport and made my way to my gate. I was nervous. After so many years of following elitefts, I would finally be visiting the place where so many great athletes have trained and learned. To some, that may sound silly, along with traveling from Tampa to Ohio for half a day to lift weights. That’s fine, but to me and probably many others, this was a very exciting journey to be making as an athlete and lifter who is passionate about strength.
After six and a half hours and a stop off in Washington DC for some food, I was finally in Columbus, Ohio. I made my way to my hotel, got my clothes ready, sorted my gym bag for the tenth time since the morning, and finally got ready for bed. My nervousness was still there. I’m not an advanced lifter by any means — I’m relatively new, having lifted seriously for about two years. I had previously asked elitefts athlete Meana Franco for advice and one part of her response was playing on repeat in my mind: “We’re all a part of the team because we love helping others. Everyone will be inclusive and willing to talk to you. Don't stress!” With that, my nervousness eventually subsided and I remembered the elitefts promise to Live, Learn, and Pass On. I knew I was in good hands and there was no reason to be so nervous.
I awoke at 6:30 am to get ready and ran to the breakfast my hotel had set out. The ladies weren’t too happy with me piling on food and cramming it into my face, but I knew I needed all the energy I could get. The day would be long, filled with my two favorite things: lifting and learning. My Uber was there a few minutes after requesting and before I knew it I had arrived at 8:59 AM at elitefts. Joe Schillero arrived and allowed myself and the other early attendees access to the compound.
Walking through those doors is a memory I won’t soon forget. I made myself at home on the bench in the back, in front of the bars that lined the wall. I changed into my UGSS t-shirt and began introducing myself. I ended up meeting Justin Harris, Ted Toalston, Alycia Israel, Tarra Oravec, Molly Edwards, Jennifer Petrosino, Swede Burns, Matt Smith, Zach Gallmann, Julia Ladewski, and many others. That day I was benching so I decided to lift with Swede, Matt, and Dan Gibson. Considering benching is my weakest lift, I figured I would get the most out of my experience with these great lifters, and I did. My social ineptness also shined through during my first interaction with Swede when I called him "Suede."
WATCH: John Meadows UGSS Presentation — Principles and Phase I
During the training portion, I learned a lot of great cues and fixed some of the technical problems with my bench setup and execution. The group was extremely supportive and gave great feedback. I even hit 135 pounds with 80 pounds in chains at the top for a double, which is nice for me because last training cycle I previously missed 185 pounds right around midpoint to lockout. Eventually I moved on to squat accessory work since I wasn’t able to finish all of it during my squat session on Thursday. That consisted of 5 and 10 count pause squats with 245 pounds for triples and a couple doubles at 275 pounds. During my last grinder of a rep, John Meadows was watching me and encouraging me to push through, which was a great experience. It was after the accessory work that I came to understand why Swede recommended I roll out my back since my body wasn’t used to his bench setup. If your upper and lower back aren’t tired then you aren’t staying tight enough, and my back was very tired after making his recommended adjustments.
Between my sets and lifts I made conversation with the other attendees and team members. Jennifer Petrosino was all smiles and enthusiasm, which put me at ease quickly, and Dan Gibson was great to talk to and very helpful with any questions I had. I even got to talk to Matt Smith about the box squat and about my deadlift, which eventually branched out to discussing the conjugate method and the importance of explosiveness in lifting. As a beginner/intermediate lifter, this discussion was enlightening and very helpful. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch, followed by the presentation from the Mountain Dog himself, John Meadows.
During lunch, I got to talk to Zach Gallmann a little bit about the Highland Games—a sport I intend to compete in the future—and I got to sit at Dave's Table Talk table. I ended up just gorging myself on the Best Bars Ever that were offered, since I wasn’t allowed to take food with me out of the dining area at my hotel. I ended up sneaking a couple muffins out but I ate them on the way to the compound.
The presentation held a lot of great advice for lifters in general, my favorite being the question John posed to the group: “Do any of you feel like you have a destiny in this industry? The ones that do, what are you doing right now to make that happen?" That right there struck home for me. There are some things I want to do that I’m not treating like a priority. I believe I should be making these things a priority today instead of waiting for these things to just fall into place.
After the presentation, which will be up on elitefts soon, Dave shared a very passionate, heartfelt speech to the group that resonated with me, as I’m sure it did with the other attendees and team members. This is why we support this great company: passion for the sport and the desire to teach athletes around the world so that they can become the best versions themselves, for powerlifting extends way beyond the weight room.
After the presentation I was lucky enough to get a photo with John and Dave. I also got to talk to Dave and tell him about when I first discovered elitefts and my first purchase. I purchased a large “Got Yoke?” tank. It didn’t fit at first, but over time, I started to grow into it by lifting harder and eating more.
Unfortunately, after almost everyone had left, I discovered that no Ubers were available, but thankfully Dave, his wife Traci, and Swede allowed me to hang out with them for a bit longer and Swede offered to drive me back to my hotel. I joined Dave and Swede in conversation at the table in discussing many different topics and afterwards Dave extended to me an invitation to come the next morning to train if I had time. Sadly, I had to leave at 10 AM so I wasn't able to take him up on his offer. Even so, that was a very special moment for me, as someone who always had trouble fitting in.
That day I felt like I was among friends during the entire experience. On the way back to Columbus, I got to pick Swede’s brain about training and life. We discussed his training method and ebook, 5thSet for Powerlifting, which sounds great and I can’t wait to pick it up and crack it open.
That night I ordered a large pizza and went to sleep, happy about having fulfilled this goal of mine. After some time thinking, I can honestly say that “Live, Learn, Pass On” has taken on an even bigger meaning. I hope I can attend future UGSS events, visit the compound again, and have time to take Dave up on his offer. Even more so, I hope those same people that might have thought this trip silly will someday have the chance to chase something they are passionate about, because there’s nothing quite like traveling across a few states to visit, train with, and learn from people that are just as passionate, if not more so, than you.
If you guys will take anything away from this, it’s that no matter your experience level, these opportunities need to be taken. You will learn so much and walk away a better lifter for it. Beginner, intermediate, advanced — under the bar, our passion is what unifies us.
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