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SEEK TO BE GREAT, NOT BETTER. AN OPEN LETTER TO COACHES AND ATHLETES.

11/29/2017

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All too often we find ourselves preoccupied with measuring our own self-worth based upon another’s successes and failures. As if you’re better because someone else is worse. That’s a poor system for developing success. Athletes and coaches across the country are all too aware of each other’s progress. Secretly hiding and watching behind the other end of the social media lens. Judging the perceived flaws they see, and using that as the proof they need to substantiate their own superiority. Stifling progress in a sport because they safeguard their knowledge like money buried under a mattress. It’s you, not your competition, that determines whether or not you’ll be the best. And really you can only hope to be your best. Sharing with each other and focusing on an internal locus of control is the path to greatness.

Focus on an internal locus of control. Looking inward can lead you to productivity. Concerning yourself with external forces that you can’t control, and blaming the rest of the world for your difficulties, that will not lead to any improvement. How much you learn, how hard you train, how dedicated you are to your craft. Those are all variables that you can influence. The best that we can strive for is that we will unlock the full limits of our own genetic potential. Collaboration, not isolation, will push you further, faster. Stop pretending that you have all of the answers and start learning from each other. After all, your success has nothing to do with someone else’s failure. If we spent more time sharing with each other, instead of judging each other’s mistakes behind closed doors, we could avoid our own wasted time from known mistakes.  

Pay no attention to what you can’t control. A common misconception in basic economic theory is that one more dollar for me is one less dollar for you. Wealth is created by, and owned by, the individual in the same way that one’s success is created by, and owned by, the individual. It’s not a finite shared resource. You can’t control how many elite athletes another coach creates any more than you can influence how much an athlete will improve. And if the coach, or the athlete, improves, that doesn’t mean your potential is any less. Usain Bolt broke all of the growth rate curves in the world of sprinting, effectively pushing the sport ahead many years in its expected rate of improvement, all while being told that he wasn’t built right for the sport. That couldn’t have happened if he wasn’t internally driven and focused.

Greatness comes from within and it arrives sooner with collaboration. Better implies a comparison to an external standard. Better means that you achieved some modicum of success because someone else just didn’t show up. Seek to be great, not better.

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THE LVB HOLIDAY POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER: HELP US TO HELP OTHERS.

11/21/2017

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Click to purchase
$15
Click to purchase a beautiful holiday red poinsettia. Sales end 12/11/17. Pick up at LVB begins 12/15/17 and ends 12/16/17.

HOW THIS FUNDRAISER WILL WORK

All 18 members of the LVB Weightlifting Team are selling poinsettias for our non profit club. The beautiful red poinsettias are locally sourced from our friends at Blue Mountain Farms. Each poinsettia will consist of 5-7 hand selected red bulbs in a 6.5" pot. Perfect for the holiday season. Our team will collect paid in full orders until 12/11/2017. On 12/15 Blue Mountain Farms will deliver all orders to LVB. You will be able to pick up your orders on 12/15 from 12pm to 6pm, and on 12/16 from 8am to 12pm. You can purchase directly from our members, or you can purchase online and select who you would like your donation to go to. 

WHAT YOUR MONEY IS GOING TO.

In 2018, LVB Weightlifting is paying for every member to train, travel, and compete. We have 18 members who need to fundraise between $600, and $2200, for the 2018 season. When you purchase your poinsettias, you will have the option to select who you would like your donation to go to. You can also select Team LVB if you don't have a specific person in mind. Each and every dollar from this fundraiser will pay for competition fees, plane tickets, and hotel fees, for our team. We are also using the fundraisers to help us to scholarship athletes who can't afford their gym fees. 

THE GOOD WE PLAN ON DOING.

We realize that we are a non profit sport club, and that there are many non profits with much more serious causes. We hope that your generous donations to LVB will help us to improve the mental and physical health of all our members, and to foster future USA Olympians for our sport. We are also doing great work with our ever growing youth and junior members. But, as a club, we will also be volunteering in community outreach programs throughout the Lehigh Valley. To be a club team member at LVB you must do good beyond the good you will do for yourself. 

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.

Help us reach a broader audience. We need a small army to help our club. Thank you in advance for your support. We have large goals, and high standards. We couldn't do this without you. 
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LVB POWERLIFTING BRINGS BACK GOLD WITH BROOKE

11/20/2017

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Brooke Loane went big with a 496lb total this past weekend, taking home the gold for Team LVB. This also marked our first time competing in a sanctioned USAPL meet. ​If you didn't know already, Brooke is the VP of the LVB Weightlifting non profit club. When she isn't training she's busy being an incredible mother, a loving wife, and works a very stressful job managing a ton of people. 

85.5kg / 188lb bench press by Brooke Loane
140kg / 308lb deadlift by Brooke Loane

current events at team lvb

  • We soon are officially beginning our fundraising efforts for 2018. Our goal is to raise money for competition, travel, and accommodations, for all of our athletes. We are also creating a scholarship fund to help those who can't afford to train. 
  • Poinsettia Winter Fundraiser: Stay tuned for our first annual poinsettia sale. Our non profit club will be selling off beautiful red poinsettias for the holiday season. 
  • Team t-shirt fundraiser. This will be a two part sale: we will sell to corporations who will go on the shirt; and then we will sell the shirt publicly. We will be able to mail the shirt to anyone in the U.S. 
  • We are organizing community outreach efforts with our club. Stay tuned for more info on how you can help us to help others. 

    want to learn more about donating to our non profit?

    We promise not to harass you. This will just help us to keep you in the loop when we are fundraising.
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Donate now to the LVB club.

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the 2018 big money Meet: a profit share fundraiser

11/15/2017

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On November 3rd, 2018, the LVB Weightlifting Team non profit club will hold it's first ever profit share meet. This USAW sanctioned meet - link here- will be open to all ages, and abilities, and will serve as a way of putting money into the pockets of weightlifters who need it. We will have more info in the coming months, but make sure you mark your calendars. This will be one day only meet, and space will be limited. Our goal is to give $5000 back to the top 3 male and top 3 female lifters. REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1, 2018.

What's a profit share meet?

If a profit share meet wasn't a thing before, then it is now. For our Big Money Meet it means that 100% of the earnings will go back to the weightlifters. For the competitors, 50% of the total earning will go to the top 3 male and top 3 female athletes. The other 50% will go back to our non profit club scholarship fund. Our scholarship fund is how we help our athletes who can't afford training, traveling, and competing.  

the gist.

​The 2018 Big Money Meet Fundraiser will be our first ever profit share meet. 50% of the proceeds will go to the top 3 male and top 3 female lifters, and the remaining 50% will go towards the LVB Weightlifting Team 501C3 non profit organization. Each and every dollar from every registration, and every donation, will go back into the pockets of weightlifters who need your help. Sign up to compete in a friendly USAW sanctioned meet, and, at the very least, give back to a good cause. 
  • 1st place male and female will split 60% of the total share dedicated to the competitors
  • 2nd place male and female will split 30% of the total share dedicated to the competitors
  • 3rd place male and female will split 10% of the total share dedicated to the competitors
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Why You Should Sign Up
​This meet is perfect for all ages and abilities. Even if there is no chance of winning. Your registration goes back into the pockets of weightlifters who need your help.
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How We Will Raise Money
Registration will cost $70. When we sell out at 80 athletes that will be $5600. 50% of that will instantly go to the winners, and be divided accordingly. The LVB club will be seeking out corporate sponsors for additional donation. Donations will be collected from spectators. Family and friends will be able to also donate online. We are also working on running 50/50 raffles, auctioning gift baskets, and more. The goal is to raise a total of $10,000 so that each 1st place athlete will receive $1500, each 2nd place athlete will receive $750, and each 3rd place athlete will receive $250.00. Sky's the limit, and we hope that this meet is so successful that it significantly impacts many people in need.  
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THE LVB CLUB TEAM BYLAWS AND MORE FOR 2018

11/13/2017

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In 2018 LVB will become three different entities: 1 gym, 3 Phase Fitness; and 2 club teams, LVB Weightlifting and LVB Powerlifting. 3 Phase Fitness will represent the vast majority of the members. It will help members to move better, be stronger, and encourage athletic hobbies such as: obstacle course races, crossfit, endurance races, and more. Again, this will represent the vast majority of our members. Club members will exist for competing in weightlifting or powerlifting. The overview to follow is limited in its scope to club members only.

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​Overview of Club Team Bylaws

Main Points:
  • The goal of the LVB Weightlifting Club is to develop the athletic potential of all individuals by training for, and competing in, weightlifting, and powerlifting.
  • The LVB Weightlifting (LVBW) Non Profit club exists so that EVERY person can be WHATEVER type of member they would like to be.
  • LVBW will alleviate, if not eliminate, the financial burden associated with training, traveling, and competing, through fundraising with their tax-deductible 501C3.
  • Every athlete will have a specific fundraising goal depending on the type of club member they would like to be.
  • Scholarships will exist for full club members who can’t afford their dues. Not for partial club members.
  • In 2018 LVBW will not autocharge any accounts if they are short of their fundraising goals or membership dues. 2018 will serve the purpose of fine tuning the projected amounts for each membership type.
  • LVBW staff will pay for, and book, every meet, every plane ticket, and every hotel, that is approved as the team agenda for the season. Parents, family, and friends, can travel with athletes but must purchase what they need separately.
  • A full list of the 2018 LVB Weightlifting meet schedule can be found here.
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​The 2 Types of Club Memberships & Associated Fees:

  1. Partial Club Member:
  • Membership Dues: General member $100-$120 per month.
  • Fundraising Goal: $600 per year
  • Programming comes from general group weightlifting or powerlifting
  • Compete in 3 or less local meets each year
  • Option to fundraise for additional local or national meets. Dollar amount TBD per case.
  1. Full Club Member:
  • Membership Dues: Club Member $300 per month
  • Fundraising goal for 2 different full club levels:
    • Local Athlete: Someone who competes in about 6 local meets per year: $1250
    • National Athlete: Someone who competes in about 6 local meets but also 1 national meet per year: $2250
  • Programming is individualized for every full club member.
  • Full club members have 24/7 access to their coaches. We will use video analysis to improve technique, provide instantaneous programming changes to accommodate life changes, and the coaches essentially set up each individual athlete for success.
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​What You Must Do To Be A Part Of LVBW

  1. Sign the contract paper that declares which type of club member you plan on being: partial; full local; or full national. Brooke Loane can assist you if you don’t have the contract paper. The full LVB bylaws can be found here. 
  2. Begin fundraising. LVBW will provide you with every fundraising opportunity to raise money for yourself. If additional opportunities are necessary, LVBW will rise to the occasion. Remember, the goal is for every athlete to be able to choose any membership level, and to never worry about money. Our first fundraiser is for corporate sponsorships for the official LVBW training t-shirt. We have the first 6 months of 2018 figured out, but we are open to additional ideas.
  3. December 1st is your deadline for commitment to the contract. Late entry to the club will be allowed, but by default, anyone who doesn’t sign the contract will be considered a 3 Phase Fitness member. ​
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​Why We Are Doing This

We believe that all weightlifting clubs should act more like other sport clubs. Swimming, cheerleading, and gymnastics, to name a few club sports, regularly raise money to help their teams. It is time that USA Weightlifting clubs start to exist for the benefit of their members. Most USAW clubs are merely hobbies for their coaches, or even worse, exist to raise money for coaches who are trying to sell workshops, and online programming. At LVBW we want our club to be self-sustainable. We want to create job opportunities for coaches, cultivate a love for barbell sports for any age, secure college scholarships for our youth and junior athletes, achieve stipend payments for high-level competitors, and develop USA team members. Everyone in our team should be responsible for fundraising. It should be a group effort, not just an individual show. In 2018 every single member will get the opportunity to be grow as an individual while acting like a team member.

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THE PROBLEM OF FEAR AND TRAINING

11/12/2017

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A friend, and member, asked me a question last week about how to overcome his fear associated with resuming his barbell training. There are risks associated with all sports, and fear doesn't just come from injury. My hope is that this discussion can serve as a launch point for any person who is struggling to restart their fitness .

the fear of injury

Again, there is always a risk of injury for any activity. It doesn't matter if you are driving, walking, competing in powerlifting, or running an ultra marathon. The key is your approach to training. If you train smart, then you can minimize the inherent risks. Just because you lift, or run, doesn't mean you are destined to get hurt. Find a coach who is qualified to help you. 

the fear of failure

Another risk associated with training is that you will not improve. What if you spend the next year, or more, training for something specific, and you still aren't winning in local competitions? What if you never qualify as a national level athlete? Let me ask you something. Did you start training for your sport because you thought you'd become a professional athlete? Probably not. So what's the worst that could happen? You live a healthy lifestyle while training for a sport, but you have to maintain a normal job to afford your life? That kind of sounds like everyone's reality. 
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It isn't fair for you to set unrealistic goals for yourself, only to set yourself up for failure that shouldn't have existed in the first place. I think that the larger issue is when we lose sight of why we started training. You probably did so because you liked it. You didn't like other forms of training, but you could get on board with this particular activity. You liked the way it made you feel. Maybe the way it made you look. You made friends, created experiences, and did things you never thought you would do. Manage your expectations, and don't lose sight of why you started in the first place. 

the fear of commitment

Why does everything need to be all or nothing? I can't being to tell you how many people I meet who think that they need to dedicate their lives to each and every activity that they partake in. It is totally possible to find balance in your hobbies. If you're looking to be a professional athlete, then that may be less true. However, that most likely doesn't describe you. See above, "managing expectations." In many cases it is more healthy to maintain a variety of types of physical activity. Search for balance. Don't just do what you want. It's probably not enough of what you need.

the solution

This post serves as only a surface level overview of the fears associated with training. I'm not pretending to have all of the answers. If anything, I think that I'm trying to say that its ok not to. That its ok to just do something because it makes you happy, and helps you to feel good. That your experiences are all part of the journey. Every activity has some risk. Risk of injury, failure, or unrequited commitment. But the risks are actually quite low when we manage our expectations, diversify our training, and seek help from qualified outside sources. 

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    Author

    John Giacalone is owner and head coach of LVB. He is also co-owner of Mobility-Doc where he routinely rehabilitates injured athletes. 

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