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3 Reviews on “Squat, Press, & Deadlift – September 24, 2022, Costa Mesa, CA”

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  • Michael Garceau

    I attended the Strength Co.’s 3-lift (squat, press, deadlift) camp on September 24th, 2022. Grant Broggi and Mike Minigell were the instructors. I am training for an April ‘23 powerlifting meet, and wanted to identify any gross form errors early enough to make corrections and have my lifts critiqued again in a couple months. I have lifted off and on throughout my adult life, but only seriously started barbell training using the Starting Strength model (read “Starting Strength”, “Barbell Prescription” and “Practical Programming”) about 5 years ago. Training has been episodic (job, life, etc.), and my only other competition was in 2018, where my 3 lift total was about halfway between Class 3 and Class 4. My goal this time is a Class 2 total.

    The class contained 11 other men and women lifters, ranging in experience from none to substantial, ages from the 20s to 50s, and a broad range of weight categories. After a brief overview of the day’s schedule, we split into two groups of six. The camp consisted of about 2 hours of instruction per lift, including the theory of the lift, basic technique demonstrations by the instructors, and coaching tailored to each individual. An hour’s lunch break occurred in early afternoon. There is a Japanese restaurant next door to the gym and it offered good food, good portions, and was reasonably priced. The camp ended with an informal Q&A that covered a broad range of topics, such as nutrition, programming, and individual concerns.

    Here’s what I got out of the camp:

    1. My squat psychology is vastly improved. I have struggled with right elbow tendinopathy, which has been particularly painful as my work sets got heavier. This led to doubt about my understanding of proper form, various ineffective adjustments, and fear every time I got under the bar (even when unloaded). Mike corrected my over-extended wrists, and observed that I don’t set my knees quite right. Although the elbow pain hasn’t disappeared yet (it takes a while) it is much improved. I am sitting back better, and my hip drive is noticeably improved. I squat more confidently, and have resumed work set PRs.

    2. Pressing and bench pressing have been my stronger lifts relative to squat and deadlift. I am squarely an intermediate lifter in press, and alternate 5×5 volume days with 5+ single intensity days. Grant improved my setup, my breathing and (key to “Press 2.0”) hip drive. I had ingrained a tricep-rebound press, which is a different lift that doesn’t engage as much muscle, so the new form took some getting used to. My newly acquired Press 2.0 form is still allowing my to increase my press by 1# / week, and as I get used to it I am seeing the potential for a heavier work set than before.

    3. I had stalled on my deadlift work set, and thought perhaps my programming was at fault, so have been experimenting with intermediate programs for the past several weeks. At my first approach to the bar, Mike noticed that I was setting up too close to the bar, and consequently was doing something not too far from a straight-legged deadlift. Mike physically set me up properly, so that my knees were touching the interior of my elbows, and my scheduled work set went up much more easily than I expected. I have resumed a novice program, my worksets are up 15# from before the camp (2 weeks ago), and are easier than the final one before camp. I’ll sustain a novice program with the corrected form until I start missing – which I suspect is several more weeks away.

    4. During the Q&A, Grant offered me very useful advice about coaching high school athletes, micro-loading, and recovering from surgery. Discussion with other lifters was very helpful in orienting me to concerns that lifters at other points in their journeys are experiencing.

    The day went by all too quickly, and I would have enjoyed more 1-on-1 hands-on coaching. Grant and the Strength Co. team offer a wide variety of training options, including virtual. That latter part is a really helpful option for me, since I live over an hour’s drive away (on the wrong side of LA). Hopefully there will be another camp in December or January, so my wife and I can both attend.

  • Andrew

    Meeting mike was awesome during the 3 lift camp! The guy exudes discipline and has a great coaching style that allows the trainee to correct their form in real time!

  • Bhavesh R Mehta

    My wife and I attended the training camp coached by Grant Broggi and Michael Minigell on 9/24/2022 at Grant’s Costa Mesa gym. Grant and Michael have years of coaching Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program and they have coached thousands of lifters for more than a decade with good results. I have been training the three main lifts (Deadlift, Press, and Squat) for more than 6 months now watching YT videos but there is absolutely no substitute for live coaching. Grant and Mike were able to give me good feedback on my form and that is going to make a huge difference in how much more I can lift without injuring myself. My wife had never in her life performed any of these lifts and by the end of the training. She was skeptical of the entire training as we had to drive 14 hours back and forth to Los Angeles from our home. By the end of the day she was able to do all three lifts and walked away with the confidence and conviction to add weightlifting to her training regime. It was really worth our time!

    I highly recommend people Grant and Mike’s training camp whenever it happens next and/or taking advantage of their personal online coaching. The gym is clean and equipped with multiple racks and has a clean bathroom as well as a water cooler which was a life saver. No issues finding parking in the mall or the parking lot in the next building.

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