Mississippi Barbell, originally known as Mississippi Weightlifting Club, has had the fortune of working with and being mentored by some of the most respected names in olympic weightlifting. Without their support and guidance, the first USAW club in Mississippi would not be in existence. We are not ones to sit back and relax, as coaches or as busisness owners.
We are always striving to broaden our knowledge base and the following coaches and athletes have given us more than we could have ever asked for.
Matt Bruce, Bruce Barbell and Gayle Hatch Weightlifting
“Mississippi Weightlifting Club is the premier center for weightlifting in Mississippi. Their heart is in the right place and truly care about the youth of our sport. After interning under Bruce Barbell, I feel they are one of the best Olympic training centers in the region. ”
Coach Sheppard with Matt after an internship at his facility within Red Stick CrossFit in Baton Rouge in early 2014
Matt Bruce is part of a long line of successful strength and conditioning coaches from Gayle Hatch Weightlifting. With over 17 years of experience in Olympic weightlifting, Coach Bruce has profound knowledge in program design and periodization for explosive strength, power, and force velocity development. Matt’s experience as an Olympic weightlifting National Champion and member of multiple Junior and Senior World teams make him one of the most decorated strength and conditioning coaches in the country. Matt’s records during his career include a best snatch of 152 kg (334 lbs.) and best clean and jerk of 192 kg (422 lbs.) at a body weight of 85 kg (187 lbs.). Matt is a USAW certification instructor in addition to CrossFit Olympic Lifting and the Advanced Weightlifting Trainer's Course.
Matt with a 187/412 C&J at the 2011 American Open
Learn more about Matt and his upcoming seminar schedule here
Danny Camargo, USAW International Coach and Camargo Oly Concepts
“Mississippi Weightlifting Club is quickly becoming a stand out program in the Olympic Weightlifting community. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know both Amber Sheppard and Tyler Smith. Amber in particular is an assistant instructor for USA Weightlifting’s Coaching Certification Course. She was my assistant early this year in a class of over 25 students. Both she and Tyler’s passion for the movements and patience with athletes make them very sought after.
Further, they are driven by the desire to help others and are responsible for establishing the very first Weightlifting Club in Mississippi. They’re setting the stage for future coaches and athletes in their region. I highly anticipate the Mississippi Weightlifting Club to be, and maintain, a leadership role in the sport in their area.
I am a U.S. International level coach, with 23 years experience in Olympic Weightlifting. I am also the President of the Florida Weightlifting Federation, an organization sanctioned by USA Weightlifting. As such, I’ve seen many programs start but not all can survive. I have no doubts about the credibility and longevity of the Mississippi Weightlifting Club. I’m actually excited to see what Amber and Tyler do next”
Coach Sheppard (far left) and Coach Smith (right) learning from Camargo (center) at a national event in 2014. Photo credit: Vic Sanders
Coach Sheppard with Coach Camargo (far right) and attendees at the USAW certification she assisted him on in 2014
Daniel Camargo is a 24-year veteran of Olympic Weightlifting and owner of Altamonte CrossFit in Florida. He learned the Snatch and Clean+Jerk at age 12 and has never left the sport. As an athlete Camargo represented the United States of America in nine international competitions and set three American Records (Junior). At 21 years old, which was his final competitive year, and weighing 83 kg (182.6 lbs.), Camargo lifted a 152.5 kg (334 lbs.) Snatch and 180 kg (396 lbs.) in the Clean & Jerk; a Jr. American Record. Having been trained by some of the very best U.S. Coaches, Camargo is now, himself, a highly-regarded and sought-after coach. Camargo has been given several assignments by USA Weightlifting as a coach for Team USA- one of which was the job of Team Leader and Coach for the Junior World Championships, held in Romania in 2009, and in 2014 he was the USA Team Coach for the Junior Pan Am Championships.
Mississippi Barbell training session with Danny Camargo and Coach Tyler Smith in 2014
Camargo's olympic center information and seminar schedules are available here
Gayle Hatch, 2004 Olympic Head Coach & Gayle Hatch Weightlifting
Coach Hatch (center) with Matt Bruce (far left) and MS Barbell's Amber and Tyler at the 2014 MS Weightlifting Championship
Coach Hatch is a USA Weightlifting Senior U.S. International Coach. He served as Head Coach of the Men’s 2004 USA Olympic Weightlifting Team in Athens, Greece and is a member of the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame, the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame and the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. The Gayle Hatch Weightlifting Team has won over 53 USA Weightlifting National Championships. Gayle Hatch athletes have competed in 1984, 1988 and 1992 US Olympic Weightlifting Teams and twelve USA World Teams. He has had more than 50 athletes selected to other U.S. international teams. Some of the outstanding lifters coming out of the Gayle Hatch program include Olympians and World Team Members, Bret Brian and Tommy Calandro, and Olympic Squad and World Team Members, Blair Lobrano and Matt Bruce, as well as World Masters Champions, Walt Imahara and Chuck Meole. Hatch has also had 20 athletes selected to Junior World Teams including junior American record holders, Buster Bourgois, Brandon Baker and Blair Lobrano. In 2013 Hatch was named "A Legend in the Field of Strength and Conditioning" by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association(CSCCa). In recent years his philosophy and training system have been influential with strength coaches at LSU, Alabama, Miami and Tennessee resulting in 7 BCS National Championships
2011 piece on Coach Hatch's accomplishments by People's Health
Samantha Poeth, CHCP and Alabama Weightlifting
“Weightlifting is the most beautiful sport in the world; full of passion, commitment, sacrifice, failures and successes. The sport directly relates to real life struggles and the feeling of overcoming those obstacles is addictive. I couldn’t find a better pair of individuals to lead a program such MSWLC. Tyler and Amber are truly passionate about the sport, but also about leading every child, athlete, and friend to their highest potential. They constantly seek to gain more knowledge from mentors and incorporate that guidance in their own unique style. The attention to detail and desire to help every athlete improve allows for a completely individualized program to match the needs of every client they train. This leads to a recipe for success and success will carry over to every aspect of life.”
2013 National Champion and Kilo Gear Owner Sam Poeth at the 2014 MS State Championships. Photo credit Tim Addison
Samantha Poeth (Zimmerman) is a 7x national champion, 4x world university team member, and the owner of Kilo Gear.
Sam's 2013 Senior National attempts courtesy of Hookgrip. She won the title that year.
Customized wrist wrap and apparel company Kilo Gear
Justin Thacker, The Lab Gym
“I have been involved with the sport of Olympic Weightlifting since 1997 as an athlete, coach, volunteer, and meet director. In my many years involved with this sport I have met nearly all major players in the sport across the country.
And it is with great honor and enthusiasm that I support Mississippi Weightlifting Club and its Spearheads Amber Sheppard and Tyler Smith. They are very bright, energetic, able bodied individuals that have won me over in a very short period of time.
Their passion and enthusiasm for the sport and coaching it to others is second to none of the many hundreds of people I have encountered over the years. However, they are not simply passionate people; they are also field experts and the ‘go to’ people in all of Mississippi and it’s surrounding areas on matters of weightlifting. They are an invaluable resource as leaders, coaches, role models, and just all around great people. It has been a privilege and honor getting to know them and I look forward to my interactions with them in the future.
Any and all support provided to them to help coach and mentor our youth would be a very wise investment that will prove invaluable to these kids. When I was a young kid in need of guidance, I had a similar role model that got me involved in the sport of weightlifting, and it changed my life forever. I stayed out of trouble, went to college, started a business and have helped others with my passion as a coach, trainer, and dietitian.
There is so much room for this sort of effort for our nation’s kids and Tyler and Amber are just the people to do it. Helping them help others will spread from them, to those they help, and will continue to amplify outward to so many others. The Mississippi Weightlifting Club is
a positive force for Mississippi’s youth and with proper support Amber and Tyler will be able to make their vision and dream a reality.”
Justin Thacker is the founder of The Lab. His passion is helping others live happy and fulfilled lifestyles by implementing nutrition, psychology, and exercise as part of a balanced lifestyle. He is a former Arnold and National Champion with lifetime records of 142.5/313 snatch and 180/396 clean and jerk. He has over 30 national and international medals. Justin's certifications include MS, RD, LD, HFS, USAW L2, CES, CSCS, CF L1 with over 30,000 field hours. He has been featured on popular podcast and web series Barbell Shrugged three times and travels the country with his ABC Method certifications.
Thacker on Barbell Shrugged, 2013
Thacker one week out from 2011 Nationals hitting 140/308 snatch and 175/385 C&J
