What Is On the Schedule: Part II - Darlin' You Got to Let Me Know by Jeffrey Dettelis

    This was an easy one. Yes, yes, yes we will be running our HEAVY METAL CLUB program. I participated at the USPA Mickey Rats Bench Press & Deadlift competition back in the summer of 2013 along with some female clients that just wanted to get out there and test their strength. Flex some Girl Power! Well I have to tell you, we had a blast! There was not only great support from friends, family and so many other clients that showed up to support our small team of lifters, but also from the  powerlifters themselves. The audience roared when the gals walked on that stage to lift those weights. It was a rush for me just to watch. I knew we had something special going on here.
   Since that first inception of the HEAVY METAL CLUB so much has changed on the local powerlifting scene. So many more ladies have started entering the powerlifting competitions from when that day the gals and I took the stage at Mickey Rats. We are now seeing close to 50/50 men and women at many meets. I firmly believe that not only was the seed planted on that day for the HEAVY METAL CLUB, but the gals performance sparked a whole new crop of local lifters to get out and compete or maybe even just to try powerlifting for either exercise or performance.
   HMC is much more than a training program, it is very much a club. Or as I refer to them, a gang. The only stereotype you can put on this gang of lifters is that they like to lift heavy things. Other than that the HMC demographic is as diverse as they come. Our gang consists of almost equal parts male and female, and we have members who's age ranges from 13 to 66 years old. We have State, American and World Record Holders and some lifters that don't compete at all. We have moms that lift with their sons and couples that come and lift heavy things together. There is an art to powerlifting that when properly taught can be extremely empowering. I tell everyone that walks through those HMC doors, "It's like a golf swing. You have to first master the movement. Once you learn the efficiencies of the movement and ingrain the motor patterns, the weight on the bar starts adding up pretty quickly."
At HMC we focus on 4 main lifts. The Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift and the Strict Power Curl. Both myself and Jillian Foit will instruct you on safe and proper execution of these lifts in a slow steady progression. Once you become proficient at the movements you will work in short training waves of progressive overload. From week to week you will follow your own training plan based on what your goals are. Are you looking to get strong and in shape? Are you looking to break personal records? Or are you getting ready for an upcoming competition. The choice is always yours. You choose the destination and we will help you plot the course.
   With bringing HMC to the Grotto we are going back to putting it on our schedule twice a week. If you can only make it to the one weekly session, no problem. If you can attend both, then bonus for you because the price is staying the same! Once you are in the club, you are in the club. So if you can, you should absolutely take advantage of this extra training opportunity. This will expand the programming options we can design for you or even add in the necessary accessory work needed to increase your lifts. U Evolve Buffalo is also making a big league commitment to re-invest back into HMC. Wait until you see the equipment and accessories that we bring in to support or lifters. We as owners of UEB love to lift and lift heavy things, so our heavy lifters will be loving the direction that things are taking around here.
   Community = Success, you will absolutely be seeing this as a running theme at UEB and this is especially true in the local powerlifting community. I know that for myself and I know that I can speak on behalf of the HMC, we have built bonds and relationships with the local lifting community over the last 4 years that are as strong as the iron we lift and will last longer than this sport exists. Some friends we don't see but once or twice a year at a competition, but it is great when that time comes. You train all year for that opportunity to go out and reconnect and perform in front of friends, family and fans of this great sport. It is really something special to be apart of. HMC has traveled in and out of state to compete and has bonds across state lines that are so amazing it's like going home when you walk into an out of state competition and you see some of the same lifters, judges and promoters. This truly is a community we love to be apart of and as owners of UEB we would love to have you come down and meet our gang. I have an open invitation to anyone that wants to come try HMC and see what it is all about. Just send us a message, we are super accessible. Busy, of course but we are very hands on and ever present. Anyone that knows us knows we work in the trenches. That is not only where we are most needed, but also where we still learn. Jillian or myself will personally work with you and show you what this powerlifting thing is all about. Try it, and if you dig it, join the gang. Not your cup of tea, no worries we're happy you came down to check it out. May your iron be cold and your lifts be many, come down to the Grotto and lift something heavy.