From Ted’s underlying philosophy comes his motto of BE, DO, HAVE, a formula for becoming that individual who looks and behaves in the way we envision for ourselves. The formula for change must be followed in the given order. If we DO before we have decided who we want to BE, we risk acting without direction, and we have not accepted responsibility for the outcome. And obviously, we cannot HAVE first, a fallacy the fad workout plans, diets and weight loss gimmicks purport, and despite the illogical reasoning, half the population falls for this bullshit. If we recognize that all the limitations we believe about ourselves are self-imposed, we can finally begin to take control of the person we want to become through our choices and actions.

Before I decided to get STRONG.

Once we have made the decision to BE a different person, we can no longer make statements like, “I will be happy if I loose 20lbs”. Once again, you cannot get the formula out of sequence or miss a step. That statement is a HAVE, BE falsity. This person is stuck in his old habits that make him unhappy, thinking that he can HAVE something and the satisfaction that comes along with it, without being that person through his actions and decisions. If he behaves like a person who is 20lb lighter, his self-empowering choices will make him happy. Thus, the entire process of becoming will include the joy of BEING that person we envision.

The process of change begins with asking questions: what does this person I want to BE do? What does this person look like? You are never stuck if you can figure out the way this person thinks and acts. Then with an “unbridled enthusiasm” for embodying those positive attributes immediately, every choice we make is an opportunity to make a decision that lead to our goals. Following a meal plan or showing up to the gym is no longer a drag or a punishment. Nor is it something we follow for a limited time if we have really chosen to become the person we envisioned. Why wouldn’t we feel satisfaction in DOing the things we have decided that the amazing, incredible individual does, who is happy both internally and externally?

Since I began training at Diablo in August, I’ve been forced to continually redefine and recommit to my BE statement. First, my BE consisted in showing up for training, trying not to make excuses or miss a day. Once I showed up, the DO was a matter of listening to my coach and following instructions, not letting my ignorant ideas ‘fitness’ and ‘strength training’ get the better of me. I then HAD what I asked for, a solid introduction to strength training and average technique in the major lifts. However, my diet was somewhat out of control, as was my personal life, and both were impacting the gains I wanted in powerlifting. For example, can you show up to speed squat Saturday on a couple hours of sleep coming from a party the night before? Yeah, I didn’t miss training, but I definitely wasn’t going to be able bring the focus and intensity required to get the benefits from a dynamic effort day. Then having to work a full retail shift right after gave my body NO time to recover. Everything was more difficult, based on the choices I was making, and it was time to figure out what I truly wanted by revising my BE statement.

If you want it, you will BRING IT.

If I wanted real change, to prove how total dedication to the conjugate method could transform me, I’d have to bring every part of my life in line with this primary goal. The BE I envisioned was a powerlifter who brought everything to her training, by being prepared for each workout mentally and physically. In the beginning, that meant dumping a jerk who smoked too much pot and thought my lifting was comical. A serious powerlifter would NOT put up with any sort of trashy influence like that to her time or her self-esteem. It meant tracking my diet, to see why I binged on ice cream so often. A serious powerlifter would make sure her calories came from whole sources and be knowledgeable about her protein intake on a daily basis. Revising my BE statement also meant taking ownership of my training, by transferring my records to an excel sheet, instead of a notebook that was getting torn up, spilled on, and written in terrible handwriting with fat markers. I would ask more questions at the gym and listen carefully so I could later review critique from my forms and lifts. By making three simple but not easy alterations to my BE statement, I had the tools required to DO the things that would allow me to HAVE the character and the athletic goals I desired.

BE POWERFUL.

I have the BE that will make a mark on the women’s board at Diablo. And I will DO what it takes to HAVE an elite total. With my recent attitude shift, the path to my goals looks different than before. When what I do is a reflection of who I have chosen to be, all my actions must begin with a careful analysis of who I want to be and why that is important to me. The challenge for anyone frustrated with the outcomes they’ve had is finding the internal tenacity to go somewhere totally new. Our old habits are secure and keep us as the BE we recognize and grudgingly accept. It’s too comfortable to stay with our unhappy, unfulfilled selves, when change always requires a fight. The new BE will say no to an old reality and identity, forging into territory unseen with a BEing that has new power. Transformation can be scary, because we have risen to a new level of consciousness. We’ve said goodbye to an old self and old ways of thinking. This redefinition of our self and our world means we have chosen to deepen our experience of life and creation.

I had done some lifting in the past, but was never “strong”. I was familiar with the conjugate method and had read a lot of Louie Simmons’ articles, Dave Tate/Elitefts articles, etc. I lived in the Boston area for my entire life, before moving here to California. Even though I had been living across the entire country, I had still heard of Diablo Barbell. I had first read about the gym on some forums and then saw our coach, Ted O’Neill, on the “UFC Countdown Show; St. Pierre Vs. Jake Shields”, as Ted was Shields’ strength and conditioning coach.

When I moved out here, I was still recuperating from a back injury that had been re-aggravated from a car accident (originally having surgery for herniated L5/S1 disks). I did know that as soon as I was able to train, I wanted to go to Diablo. I wanted to be able to train with a team, and I wanted to be somewhere that I could learn everything I could ever hope to learn about powerlifting.

I joined Diablo the first week of September, 2011. During that first week, it was finding out where I was at in terms of strength, as well as assessing my form. I hit a very ugly box squat of 315lb w/ my knees turning completely in and my chest collapsing forward, a bench press of 225lb w/ my ass coming 3 feet off the bench and a deadlift of 455lb that was not much prettier. I knew I was going to have to work my ass off to get strong, but I was, still am and will always be up for this never ending challenge.

After a couple of weeks, I was honored to be invited to train on Saturdays with the team. While everyday is very intense, Saturdays are our most intense day…our Dynamic Effort Squat day. I was immediately given a number of different cues on how to fix my form. It is very overwhelming at first…everyone is extremely helpful and very quick to lend a hand, and if you’re like me, you want to immediately get everything right. I learned very quickly that this rarely happens, even when you do know exactly what you are supposed to do. My biggest problem from the beginning was keeping my knees out. I had always been so quad dominant, and my weaknesses were very clearly being brought out! I continued to drag the sled, do a lot of abs and a lot of assistance exercises, I was continually getting better at being able to keep my knees out. Next, I kept getting forward on my squats. As I started to do a lot of upper back work that also started to get better (I also had to learn what upper back tightness really was). Those are just two of the MANY things that I needed to learn, and am still learning on the squat weekly. I could continue on and give my weaknesses on the bench press and the deadlift as well, but I’m sure you get the idea. The point is that I began to learn how much more there was to becoming a powerlifter than I had ever known. And though I had read many articles, no article could have ever taught me how to perform these movements the way top coaching and real world experience under the bar with a plethora of elite and pro level lifters has.

I have now been at Diablo for 1 year and 5 months. Since beginning I have gone from a 315lb box squat to a best meet lift of 771lb equipped and gym lift of over 600lb raw, from 225lb on the bench to a best meet lift of 540 equipped and gym lift of 415 raw and from the 445lb deadlift to a best meet lift of 711lb. Though I have an extremely long way to go before achieving the goals that I have set for myself, this shows you how much can happen when you come in with an “I WILL DO ANYTHING IT TAKES” attitude and have teammates and coaches who have the knowledge to get you where you want to go and who truly care about you reaching your goals.

Jeff 415 Bench

My advice to anyone who wants to train at Diablo or a serious powerlifting gym, is that you better come in with a great attitude, you better be humble, you better give it everything you have, you better listen and do as you’re told and make the commitment from your very first workout that you will do everything you can to give back when you are someday in the position to help others! Everyone is willing to spend their time helping you, but only if you put it to use and appreciate that help. Time is a huge commodity for everyone who trains. The fact is, any of these guys could be back at home spending time with their families, getting work done, RELAXING…anything…. but they’re still in the gym, helping newer people like us understand how to use leg drive on the bench press, how to correctly un-rack out of the monolift, etc. I am extremely grateful for all the time that many of my teammates and my coach have spent with me, helping me to continually better my technique.

As I sit here and look at my training log, I think about everything I’ve done to get to where I am at this moment in time. The hard work takes place not only inside the gym, but outside as well. All the 2 hour drives to the gym fighting all of the traffic out of San Francisco, watching my videos over and over and over, to point out exactly where my technique breaks down and figuring out what needs to be done to fix it, the eating…oooohhhhh the eating…. Going from 185lbs to 245lbs has not been easy either, but I will continue to push and push to get to the weight that I want to hit. People don’t realize all of the care and sacrifice that need to be taken outside of the gym to ensure you’re gaining all that you can inside the gym. Pushing it to the limits, that’s what we’re about, and that’s the mentality that is needed! If you don’t want to work hard and do your part, then get the fuck out! I learned that very quickly, and so have many others who haven’t been able to make the cut. Everyone is welcome, just come in and work your ass off and as you start to learn, give back! That’s what it’s all about! With that attitude, anyone will achieve more than they ever imagined. Aside from the gym, that goes for anything in life! Strive to be the best and take action!

While writing this article, the goal was to give an inside look at what my first year of powerlifting has been like at Diablo Barbell, as well as to encourage others that with hard work and dedication, almost anything truly is achievable. Like I’ve said, I still have a very long way to go before my personal goals are to be achieved, but one thing I do know is that I have the attitude that I will never give up and nothing can stop me. If you tell me that I can’t do something, I WILL do it. I have the mindset that if someone else has done it, I can do it too. This is not for everyone and Diablo is not for everyone. Most people don’t understand what commitment and dedication really are. If you are striving to be mediocre, then we don’t want you here. It really is that simple. There are some absolutely amazing lifters out there who are incredibly strong and have achieved numbers that were once unheard of, but if you don’t think that you can achieve those same numbers, then maybe you should be looking into taking up another sport.

Year 1 at Diablo has been the best time of my life, and I’m looking forward to this next year to see how much more can be achieved. I will definitely be writing a follow-up to this article at that time.

Jeff Miller

Check out some stellar max bench efforts from Thursday March 7th from the men and the women.

And the women.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPSRRU802zY

Please take a moment to read her incredible story: Click on the link below to read the Pdf.

ELITE AT EVERY SIZE

 All photos by Dan Diaz of Atlas Production Services: titancrew.com

Director: Dan Diaz, Gaffer: Rob Baker, Style and Post: Sandra Cifo, Producer: Andrea Vitz — at Diablo Barbell.

Watch this video of one of Harper’s best meets, 1372lb total at 181lb.

Diablo Barbell has a history of developing superstars in women’s powerlifting. Many women have come to Diablo with little to no background in weight training to attain totals that far surpass any limitations set for females and strength. At Diablo, the women’s board quickly demotes many dudes who think they are strong. The numbers don’t lie.

The successes of Diablo Barbell Women’s Elite Team include:

3 national powerlifting champions

3 500lb squats

3 450lbs squats

A 336lb squat in the 105 weight class

And elite totals in all weight classes.

The training method and expertise at Diablo is on a level that far surpasses the coaching offered at any other gym on the West Coast. The framework for Diablo’s strength system is based on Louie Simmon’s conjugate method. Ted O’Neill, head strength coach, has more than two decades  of experience of this well-known but poorly understood method. Having worked with countless athletes, who preform and compete at the professional level, both nationally and internationally, O’Neill has the expertise to tailor this effective method to real results in power and strength. Besides training powerlifters and professional athletes, O’Neill works closely with injury rehabilitation. When physical therapy and chiropractic have proven insufficient to avoid surgery or other invasive procedures, O’Neill has applied his knowledge of strength and structure to provide alternate methods for improving function and increasing range of motion. There are countless stories of rehab clients who have seen a full turn around from their injuries; arriving to the gym to regain function and normal fitness, they have turned into elite level powerlifters and athletes.

In addition to being a premier powerlifting gym, Diablo has a priority to coach women who are serious about attaining real strength goals and ready to commit to the discipline of powerlifting. In an effort to offer this coaching and training to the West Coast, Diablo Barbell will host the Women’s Elite Strength Series in March and April. Each session will offer a clinic and intense training on one of the main moves. O’Neill and assistant coach Kenneth Kim will offer individualized feedback on form and lifting plans that each participant can use to enhance their training at their home gym. Athletes who attend all sessions will see the most improvement in their lifts so that coaching specifics can be applied, reinforced, and reassessed on a regular basis.

Sunday March 17th is the first session: We will focus on the Squat. The main move will be speed squat in the mono rack, focusing on proper technique, including unrack, form, and speed off the box. In addition there will be coaching on light conditioning, an accessory move, and core and posterior chain strengthening exercises.

Sunday March 31th, will focus on the Deadlift or Max Squat depending on the focus needed for athletes attending the first session.

This clinic is primarily intended for women who have competed in powerlifting or desire to compete in the future. If your lifts have not seen significant improvement in six months, you need to attend this clinic. The cost of attendance is $80, which includes the gym fee plus the coaching fee. In effort to give personal attention to each individual, the clinic is capped at six athletes. To reserve your spot, you are requested to pre-pay by sending a check to gym address or using credit payment by contacting Ted O’Neill. Please send an email to ted@diablobarbell.com as soon as possible planning to attend with some information about your lifting experience and your current max weight on the three lifts in order to properly gauge working weight.

The women at Diablo are very excited about training with other women who are serious about powerlifting on the West Coast. Lets get stronger together!!!!

A 711lb deadlift makes the board.

Jeff Miller became the 25th Diablo Barbell member to reach an elite total . On Feb 10th at the West Coast Powerlifting Championships at Diablo Barbell,  Miller joined the 2000lb club. Competing in the 242lb class, Miller achieved an impressive 771lb Squat, a 540lb Bench, and a 711lb Deadlift.  Miller totaled 2022lbs and added his name to the Men’s Board Record Board at Diablo with his huge Deadlift.

Miller has shown tremendous progress since he joined Diablo a year and a half ago. We’ll keep his initial lifts of a 315 Squat, 225 Bench and 455lb Deadlift to ourselves. The rest is history as we look forward to his appearance at USPA Nationals in June. Miller has proven himself to be a consistent lifter, one to be feared or at least closely watched.

Check out Miller’s incredible attempts:

Hillary is going for her 5th weight class elite total and if successful may be the first woman to ever accomplish this. She will compete in the 132lb class.

Puck is looking to make some big Prs as a 198. This will be his second multiply meet.

Jefferson will be competing as a 242 for the first time in his third powelifting meet. Jeff should pr in all three lifts.