In September of this year I was informed by the powers that be that I was being transferred from Camp Pendleton, California to Marine Corps Base Mt Fuji, Japan. The tour is for one calendar year and is considered an unaccompanied tour, meaning that I will leave my wife and two children behind. This is not entirely bad news as it will allows me to train very consistently for the next year with little distraction and interruption.


Mt. Fuji

I started training the Olympic lifts In February of 2006 at Mike Burgener’s Gym in Bonsall, California. I first really learned about the lifts, oddly enough, while I was with my battalion during the summer of 2005 at Mt. Fuji during a training operation. Bryce McDonald, a former running back for the Naval Academy who was taught the lifts by Kirk Woolfolk while at the academy, asked me if I had ever done the “quick” lifts before. I replied that I hadn’t and gave the typical response: “It looks like it wear tear my shoulder out.” With the little time we had, he introduced me to the basic concepts and terminology of the two lifts. Upon returning home, I bought a pair of 45- and 25-pound bumpers and started trying to teach myself in my garage gym.

I’ve been lifting weights since my junior year of high school with very few breaks. I took a couple of years off to just surf in my early twenties and missed about six months during OIF 1, but other than that I have lifted at least 4-5 times a week since beginning and had a pretty good strength base. A majority of my training was a pretty typical Muscle and Fiction kind of routine with a good portion of my lifts being compound type movements.

After about a month of trying to teach myself the lifts by using the internet and a video camera, I knew I was doing more damage than good, so I started to look for other options. I was quickly informed by friends that I lived about 20 minutes away from Coach Mike Burgener. I had heard of Mike’s Gym, but wasn’t sure if I could just show up, and judging by his website everyone looked like they knew what they were doing, and I definitely wasn’t in that group. I emailed him anyway and he quickly responded and said his daughter Sage would be available for lessons. After showing up and having to move my car (Quick tip: If you get the chance to train at Mike’s, park at the bottom of the hill). I was introduced to Sage and handed a PVC pipe and away we went. I learned more in that first half-hour than I had learned in the last month—everything from the hook grip to knowing strength is secondary to speed and flexibility.

After training for about six months, I entered my first meet as a 94kg lifter and hit an 85kg snatch and a 100kg clean & jerk. I then deployed to Iraq for seven months and was only able to work on getting a bit stronger and studying some Ironmind videos since no bumpers were available, and being the guy that ruined the plates and bars because you dropped them isn’t a real option. I’m currently at a 104kg snatch and a 125kg clean & jerk with a 145kg front squat and have competed two more times.

My goal for the next year is to add a little weight as I am walking around at 91-92kg—and as Mike Burgener would say, “Why give up those pounds to the other guys”—and of course add kilos to my lifts. Even though I will be 5590 miles away, I’ll be coached on the lifts and my diet by both Greg Everett and Mike Burgener via email and phone conversations.

So over the next year, I’ll be mapping out how a 35 year-old squid is able to add both kilos to his lifts and is able to add about 5-6 quality pounds of bodyweight while being stationed at Marine Corps Base Mt Fuji, Japan. I’ve already taken some of the necessary steps. Bumpers are not available at the gym where I’ll be. So my solution was to buy a Werksan training set and a pair of squat stands and have them shipped by the government (we are allowed “X” pounds per transfer). Where I place equipment is a bridge I will cross when I get there.


Equipment for Mt. Fuji Training

The next thing to consider is food. From what I remember, the chow at the mess hall was pretty good, and apparently my room has a kitchenette, so that takes care of some of the issues. I’ll also have access to the commissary (grocery store) as it’s about a hour and a half down the road at Yokosuka Naval base. With Greg giving me advice when I need it and by following the guidelines he has already laid out in the Performance Menu about gaining “quality” weight, I should be in good shape.

What I am not going to be able to replace or duplicate is the incredible training environment at Mike’s Gym. Those who have trained there know what I speak of. There is nothing in the world like a Saturday morning at Mike’s place when there are 15-20 lifters and the place is just going crazy. The gym is truly a second home for me and the support I get from Mike and all of the lifters up there is something everyone should experience and something I will truly miss.

For the next three months I will be dutifully logging everything I do and everything I consume to try and become a better lifter. In the next article, I’ll discuss my training strategy and my diet plan and will look to see how it’s working out thus far.