Black & Red is primarily a club for competitive weightlifting practitioners who receive in-depth knowledge acquisition about their sport and supporting knowledge regarding human movement, safety, efficiency, and human sports psychology. We seek to teach our lifters to be athletes, foremost, and apply broad and deep athleticism towards the singular focus of Weightlifting.

These athletes train and compete in the classic lifts, better known as the snatch and clean & jerk. While competition is focused on the snatch and clean & jerk, athletes utilize various lifts/exercises to increase their power, efficiency, and precision, and carry these gains over to the classic lifts. Example exercises include variants of the classic lifts, squats, deadlifts, ab exercise, and so on.

We try to operate as a training hall–a communal space that allows folks the independence, flexibility, and freedom to learn, practice, and grow in their athletic pursuits. Within the this environment, we hold our team practices that are guided by a coach or an assistant coach (aka a “TA”). We approach our athletic development intellectually, if not somewhat academically. We stress being learn-it-alls along with developing an adaptive mindset and resilient constitution.

The club is also home to other sport and strength sport practitioners (E.g., Strong(man/woman), powerlifters, CrossFit athletes, Football, Baseball, and other sports) who utilize our teaching methodologies to augment their own athletic endeavors.

More information can be found at our services page. Below is a summary of what we offer.

We offer quarterly instructional classes for those seeking to learn more about the fundamentals of Weightlifting, or are looking for a refresher. We also offer 1:1 training or small group training depending on goals and schedule.

For our team, members have two options with the Black & Red Barbell Club. A member can either have a barbell club only membership or a barbell club membership plus access to the rest of the Tyson’s Playground facility.

Are you interested in joining? Please contact us and we will be happy to discuss!

B&R meets for team practice three times a week in the evenings on weekdays and in the mornings on both days of the weekend. We currently do not meet on Monday or Friday, though we have members with a membership type that allows them open gym access, for scheduling purposes. We have occasional adjustments to the schedule due to special events or holidays.

You can find more information about our schedule here.

The short answer is, “it depends.”

As with any sport & fitness facility and program, our number one tenet for best customer experience is a member’s safety. Therefore, we strive to screen all prospective members prior to approving them joining. What someone can expect if they intend on joining the team is to go through a screening process that takes them through some functional movement screening for general kinesthetic awareness, observations of their ability to dynamically prepare their body for movement prep, and then through a battery of exercises that have direct correspondence to the sport of weightlifting. This is to ensure the prospective lifter indeed has the requisite experience to come in with a short matriculation cycle and begin team integration.

If a person passes the screening, then the lifter does not require going through the instructional classes (launched in 2016). If the lifter does not have the requisite skills, he/she will have to go through the instructional classes.

Screening costs $75 and is non-refundable.

We offer a 3-week instructional course that runs on a quarterly basis.

These classes break down the classic lifts, explain our reasoning for how we approach the classic lifts, and introduce attendees with the baseline arsenal of exercises to get started in the sport, along with other supplementary information for athletic maintenance and longevity. We currently cap these classes at 15 attendees/quarter to ensure an intimate setting with plenty of face time with instructors for ensuring your success on the platform.

In addition, we will host USA Weightlifting certification seminars as well as seminars with notable Weightlifting athletes or coaches on a non-periodic basis.

For more information on the instructional course, please contact us!

Upon completion of the instructional class, you and your instructor(s) will assess and evaluate your performance during the 3 weeks and evaluate what the appropriate next step is for you. You may decide to integrate into the team practices and continue to operate at your own pace, guided by an instructor. Or, you can choose to continue with private training.

The majority of the Black & Red Club members do indeed compete in sanctioned weightlifting meets. However, some of our athletes use the training to pursue other goals, including traditional sports, functional fitness-centric sports, and other athletic endeavors.

As weightlifting is a classic sport, the equipment that we use is also classic. We have top of the line barbells and bumper weights along with squat racks, stall bars, pull up bars and various classic exercise equipment. Along with our collection of barbells and bumpers, we utilize other forms of exercise that provide effective carryover or support to the classic lifts.

Welcome! We’d love for you to come in, strap up, and get to work alongside us. Our host facility, Tyson’s Playground has a house rule of $25/session. Please contact us prior to your visit so that we can be there to greet you and introduce you to the rest of the family!

We are happy to discuss remote coaching / programming with interested parties, but this is determined on an individual basis and dependent on a consult over the phone or VTC. Please contact us for more details and to discuss.

Since we love meeting all new prospective members, we encourage everybody to pay us a visit at the gym. If you think it’s the right fit, you can sign up at the front desk! Remember, first visits are always free!

If you have any other questions, NEVER hesitate to contact us!