All the new lifters at The Sports Palace on Valencia Street in San Francisco used to hear head honcho Jim Schmitz ask them, "When are you going to enter your first meet" and no matter what excuse you would come up with, as you waited for the miracle that would allow you to open with a world record attempt, Jim was not fooled, and sooner or later D-day arrived: you had to produce your best lifts . . . for real . . . in public.


It doesn't matter how many people call you "coach," or how many posts you have on your favorite forum, or even how many baseball caps you own, there's no room to hide when your lifter is on the platform. Randall Strossen puts Jim Schmitz at the top of the heap as far as platform coaches go - by picking the right attempts and knowing the rules, Strossen says that Jim Schmitz is the guy who will get you the places, the medals, and the records that might otherwise have been left behind. Here, Jim Schmitz is a stand-in coach for Jackie Berube at the 2001 World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya, Turkey. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen photo.

In this month's "Schmitz on the Lifts," top weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz tells you how to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, your first meet . . . the only thing he didn't mention is the importance of having a top platform coach by your side if possible, but read Jim's advice and if you're ever in a position of needing to get your biggest performance on contest day, IronMind® says that it's Jim Schmitz you want to have in your corner.

To get ready for your first weigh-in, be sure to read the latest "Schmitz on the Lifts" - you can also go to the Training Articles button at the top of the IronMind home page and select "Schmitz on the Lifts."