The two best 105 kg weightlifters I’ve seen in the United States since I started my career were Wes Barnett and Pete Kelley. These guys had tremendous work ethic and talent, which drove them to multiple National Championships, World and Olympic Teams. They’re legends. And the guy we’re interviewing this month has the potential to lift as much weight as either of them.

David Garcia has been a big name on the U.S. Weightlifting scene for several years now. A product of the Hassle Free Barbell Club in San Francisco, his rise to the upper echelon of our sport has taken him through some ups and downs. Championships, records, injuries, setbacks…they’ve all been a part of David’s story. As with all great weightlifters, he’s paid the price to achieve at the highest level. At this point, the monster lifts are ready to explode. 170 kg snatches, 205 kg C&Js, along with back squats routinely in the 300 kg range…David has hit all of these numbers, and he’s clearly on the threshold of putting everything together on the right day, which would produce some of the biggest lifting we’ve ever seen in this country.

Fortunately for all of us U.S. lifting fans, he’s also pinpointed the changes he needs to make in his career in order to make these incredible things happen. David is an analytical, educated person who brings a thinking man’s approach to the platform, and his supporters are excited to watch the results of his prime years. Here’s a look at one of the most talented weightlifters in this country.

Tell us about your background. Where are you from, where do you currently live, what’s your occupation, family life, what kind of sports background do you have outside of lifting, etc.

I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. I currently live in Colorado Springs, CO. I live at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and I train there full time. I attended UC Davis for undergrad and I earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. My girlfriend and I met there and we've been together a little over five years now. My only other real experience in athletics outside of weightlifting is being a football player for four years in high school. I played guard and nose tackle and was one of our team's captains my senior year.

Describe your weightlifting history. When/how did you start? Who have your coaches been? What are your proudest accomplishments?

I learned how to do the lifts in the summer of 2003 during training camp for high school football. The camp was being run by Kevin Doherty, who had just arrived at the school that year. Kevin also took me to my first competition in early 2004. He was my first coach and he continues to coach and aid me in my lifting endeavors to this day. Kevin's brother Paul was also with me from the beginning, though only to a limited extent until I went to college. When I was at UC Davis, Paul was my primary coach. Rob Earwicker has been helping me since 2005 and has assisted me during many of my competitions, especially earlier in my career. Currently my coach is Zygmunt Smalcerz at the Olympic Training Center, but I continue to work with all of my coaches back home as well. A list of my proudest accomplishments would have to include:

Going six for six and winning Youth Nationals in my last year as a youth lifter.

Breaking the 105kg University Clean & Jerk American Record with a 195kg lift in 2011 (my teammate Ian Wilson broke that record in 2013)

Making the Pan Am and World Championship teams in 2013.

Going five for six at those World Championships.

Winning the 2013 American Open by going five for six with a PR clean & jerk after tearing my rotator cuff on my first snatch attempt.

Coming back from rotator cuff surgery with a 376kg total at the Arnold Championships this year

Please give a basic description of your training method. Just tell us as much as you can about your program, weekly/yearly planning, etc.

My program is similar to that of anyone who is training here at the OTC. A typical week looks like this:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
Morning: Snatch and snatch assistance work (drop snatch, snatch push press, overhead squat, snatch pulls)
Evening: Clean, Jerk, and assistance work for both of those (jerk from the split, rack holds, jerk dips, clean pulls)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:
Morning: Squat (alternating days of front and back), snatch and clean variations (muscle, no hook no moving feet), other assistance exercises (pulls, push press, rowing)

Sunday: Rest

We only do the full snatch and clean & jerk from the floor on Friday until four weeks out from whatever competition the current cycle is leading up to. Before that, we snatch and clean from knee height boxes on Monday, below knee boxes on Wednesday, and jerk from boxes on both days. At four weeks out, we do the full lifts on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Overall, the volume tends to be much greater before that four-week point, though the weights will still be challenging. We perform a lot of heavy singles after that four-week point.

Describe some of the obstacles you face, or maybe some things that frustrate you in your weightlifting life. What kinds of changes would you like to see, either personally or with the sport in general?

In the past, I would say the greatest obstacle to my progress as a weightlifter was my susceptibility to injuries. I've had surgery on both shoulders and I've battled a UCL tear and back spasm issues in the past as well. Currently I would say my biggest obstacle has been taking the wrong mental approach to my training and competitions. I had a great comeback at the Arnold this year, but since then I've had little success on the competition platform and my training has been mired with inconsistency. I have been taking a very pressure-filled do or die mentality into my training every single day over the last four months and it's while it's driven me to some big training lifts, it's also been a detriment to my confidence that I can make a given weight consistently. If you are attacking all the time with little regard for the feel of the weights or the amount of missed lifts you're racking up, your confidence and comfort level with those weights will suffer when you only get three attempts. My goal leading into the final world team qualifier later in September is to keep the goal of competing well in mind with every training session so I remember to back off when things aren't working. I need to be diligent about keeping the long term in mind.

What are your plans and goals for your weightlifting career? How do you see your future in the sport?

I plan to qualify for the world team this year so I can contribute to Team USA's point total and hopefully earn us a good number of Olympic team spots. Then the goal will be to lift at the Trials next year to try to make the Olympic team. After that is a bit less clear. I will likely move away from Colorado Springs and take a bit of a break from competitive lifting. That will give me time to develop new goals for the future. When I finally do wrap up my competitive career, I will probably either form my own club or join the coaching staff of my current club. I believe I have a lot of knowledge that I can bring to weightlifters in the USA.

Who are some of your major influences, people you look up to, etc.? Who are the people you want to thank for your success?

My parents: Paul Garcia and Catherine Steinbach
My girlfriend: Kristen Slattery
My brother: Joe Garcia
My coaches: Kevin Doherty, Paul Doherty, Rob Earwicker & Zygmunt Smalcerz
My best friend: Donovan Ford

Thank you for sharing your life and career with the Performance Menu, David. We all look forward to watching the amazing things you’re going to do in the future.