Blog

December 1, 2016 by NYWA

Inversion Seminar for Beginners

Handstands, walking on one’s hands, and inversion in general are fun skills, but generally, and unnecessarily, limited to gymnasts and the “elite” athlete.

The legitimate concern of falling over backwards is what thwarts most people from mastering handstands. This nagging apprehension, lurking at the periphery of the psyche prevents one from fully committing to the movement. Happily, a few simple principles can ensure falling safely, even gracefully. This 3-hour course has 3 main objectives:

in Events / Seminar

November 17, 2016 by NYWA

Keep Swinging Low

Weightlifting is a sport where you’re constantly fighting against gravity. Gravity is a force that we face in our every day lives that we must constantly counter and resist. When trying to hoist more kilos overhead, our bodies are always going to be fighting harder against the effects of gravity.

in Body Maintenance / Training

November 10, 2016 by NYWA

Competition Recap

Our very own Mountain Man (AKA Richard Condon) recently competed at the American Masters Championships in Buffalo and had a record breaking competition. Not only did he successfully complete all six of his attempts, but he increased his competition total by 6kg which earned him a second place finish in his class. More is in store for Richard as he prepares for Masters Nationals!

in Competition

October 13, 2016 by NYWA

What is Rolfing, and is it good for Weightlifters?

The notion that body maintenance, such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture or self-care such as stretching would have a benefit to weightlifters does not seem difficult to accept. But what the devil is Rolfing, and would that be of at least equal benefit as the above-mentioned modalities to the weightlifting community?

in Body Maintenance

October 6, 2016 by NYWA

Patience is a Virtue

Much like building a house, the establishment of a good foundation is requisite for the structure above. In weightlifting, the same principle applies. All too often I see videos posted of people performing the lifts and they miss a few small but essential pieces that have a great effect on their body and the barbell once it is broken from the floor. Instagram is loaded with videos of people attempting heavier weight, as well as series of videos and reviews by coaches or other athletes. In all The videos that I have witnessed I have never seen one that actually addresses properly approaching the body to the barbell. If the body is not aligned properly from the start any error will compound the further the bar gets from the floor.

in Training

September 29, 2016 by NYWA

NYWA @ The Nutmeg Open

This past weekend, the New York Weightlifting Academy participated in the Nutmeg Open in New Haven, Connecticut. The contest was split over two days, with one women’s session on Saturday and two men’s sessions on Sunday.

in Competition / Masters

September 23, 2016 by NYWA

Lift More, Think Less

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve begun a lift only to stop mid-way through; “Clarking,” as weightlifters refer to it.

“What happened?” My coach might ask.

“I started thinking.”

in Training

September 6, 2016 by NYWA

Six Observations from a Masters Athlete

When I was asked to write this piece, my reaction was “Why me? I’m Masters, but surely not an athlete.” To me, an athlete was someone who had spent their life training, focused, competing. I came of age as Title IX was being implemented, so girls’ teams were relatively new. In my family, girls simply did not play sports beyond the occasional softball game. More than that, though, I was always told I was just not athletic. Add to that the fact that I didn’t care if I could run fast or jump high, and you get it. Not an athlete. Don’t really care. Until I started to lift. Guess what? I am an athlete. Doesn’t matter that I haven’t been lifting or playing sports for 30 years, or that I did back in the day and am back to it. I train, I study, I learn, I listen, and I compete. As a weightlifter. The lessons I’ve learned can apply to any sport.

in Masters / Training

August 30, 2016 by lizmastrocola

NYWA @ Brooklyn Barbell

The New York Weightlifting Academy made the journey down to Brooklyn this past weekend to compete at the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Barbell Open. Only two of our athletes competed, but it turned out to be a great day of competition for both.

in Competition / Events

May 1, 2016 by lizmastrocola

Olympic Weightlifting Coaches Course

The New York Weightlifting Academy will be offering an instructional Coaches Course on Saturday, June 4th. This comprehensive course for both coaches and athletes is designed to increase the understanding of coaching and training in Olympic Weightlifting. Coaches and athletes will learn the fundamental tenets of Olympic Weightlifting, as well as how to properly instruct them.

in Events