Most of my workouts have some components of weightlifting and it is the sport I participate in the most regularly; however, Greg Everett’s new movie, American Weightlifting, isn’t just for the weightlifter. This is a great story about people who love what they do and will keep doing it even if they have to pay for it. It seems so much of what we spend our time with are things with short-term goals and rewards. This video shows what can happen when you put your time in not to get a pay off, but because you truly believe in what you are doing.
There were several aspects of the movie that really helped the story. About halfway through the movie I realized AW a very quiet movie. I am not sure if this was on purpose or not. What I really liked about the quietness is that it is just like a weightlifting workout, which are equal parts talking, quiet then, of course, lots of noise and motion. I really like the way the he got coaches from several eras of weightlifting. One of the great things about the sport of weightlifting is that most of the best coaches, at least here in the Bay Area, have been doing it for a while or have worked with coaches who have been coaching for a while. It has this great feeling of an art being passed down through the generations in each workout. Finally, I think the best part of the movie is the section with Paul and Kevin Doherty. I volunteered at the Junior Nationals a few years ago and it was great to see this huge group of young athletes lifting. However, it was really amazing to see them helping with clean up after a long day of lifting. While I realize that they would love to coach an Olympic athlete, their programs are making a huge positive impact on both the strongest and weakest team members.
I hope you get a chance to download or buy the American Weightlifting DVD. Better yet, even though the world premier in Cupertino is SOLD OUT, I double booked myself so I have two extra tickets this Saturday, first come, first served! In whatever way you can, take time to check out this great movie.