Certifications
- USA Weightlifting National Coach
- NSCA CSCS, RSCC
- USA Track & Field Level 1
- CrossFit 1 & 2
- CrossFit Mobility
- FMS
Education
- Palomar Community College A.A.
- University of Oregon B.S.
- University of Denver M.A.
Bio
I grew up near Sacramento, California and played many sports. Not being blessed with great height or size, my passion for lifting weights quickly grew. I was in the weightroom every chance I had. One day I got the idea that the military would be a great challenge and I set my path down that road. I went through some of the most rigorous training the United States Navy
has and I learned a lot about what my body and mind were capable of. While enlisted, I was charged with helping sailors pass their fitness exams, I established Olympic weightlifting and
CrossFit programs on the ship, and I coached at a CrossFit gym in Norfolk, VA in exchange for a couch to sleep on and 3 meals a day.
After my military service, I completed my B.S. at University of Oregon and served as an intern for the strength and conditioning staff for multiple years. I worked under several impactful coaches, including Jim Radcliffe, the “godfather of plyometrics” and met my mentor and coach, Tom Hirtz, a 1979 Pan American Games silver medalist and American snatch record holder. While at Oregon, I also established the Olympic weightlifting club team and coached several of my athletes to become state champions and national qualifiers.
In 2019, we moved from Oregon to Colorado where I graduated from University of Denver with my Masters in Sports Coaching. After graduating, I decided to serve high school students as a full-time strength coach for Castle View High School where I also teach health and nutrition. At Castle View, I started Colorado’s largest and most successful youth weightlifting program:
Sabercat Heavy Athletics. I’ve had over a dozen national lifters, a national champion, and many state champions in the 4 years since the program began.
In my spare time I read old texts on Olympic weightlifting, watch and study film on Olympic weightlifting, and do Olympic Weightlifting. My wife is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and also
enjoys weightlifting. My son is just about to walk and already has been to multiple weightlifting meets and can snatch a small PVC pipe so far.