I would like to get started in Olympic Weightlifting and was wondering if anyone knew of any weightlifting clubs in the Chicago area. I know I shouldn’t be screwing around with the Olympic lifts on my own so I’d like to find a place where I can get the proper coaching. Any help would be really appreciated.
I know there used to be one that met at Sayre Park which is up near Grand?oak PArk Ave. I dont know if they are still around but maybe a call to the park itself could set you in the right direction.
Sayre Park is dying in regards to Oly lifting. Only a few people go there anymore due to the facilities having degraded. A few of the old timers that still go there, however, are very knowledgeable in the lifts and are usually willing to show a new guy how to do them properly.
[quote]Chewy55 wrote:
I would like to get started in Olympic Weightlifting and was wondering if anyone knew of any weightlifting clubs in the Chicago area. I know I shouldn’t be screwing around with the Olympic lifts on my own so I’d like to find a place where I can get the proper coaching. Any help would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Chewy[/quote]
Sayre Park is still around, some of the old timers that still go there could show you how to do the lifts
I am from a south suberb of weightlifting. And am a member of midwest weightlifting. I train right across the border in Scheriville Indiana at a place called Omni 41 on route 41. Our facility is called athletic developement. The coach was a former strength coach at Indiana University and a former assistant for the chicago bulls. He is also the vice president of USA Weightlifting. We have had many former Olympic athletes and we have many future olympic athletes. It’s\a great enviroment we have athletes from every sport from from junior high to professional. PM me for the telephone number and address.
Saw your post and have been looking for awhile too. Here is what I found. Sayre park is has very few people going to it but they are very friendly and have offered to show me the lifts. Great group of people. But not a very active club. I have talked to Mike Gattone and he is a class act. I will be going out to work into a class in late July on Sat mornings. Check out the USA weightlifting for his info and address. I think he is in buffalo Grove. Pretty far from me but you I was told by the main office for USA weightlifting that he is the one in Illinois to learn from.
I am 38 220lbs and have never OLY lifted before so I am looking for the BEST couch to help me out.
Any other questions PM me
If you live around the downtown area I just discovered a great workout place complete with a reverse hype, glute ham machine, kettlebells, med balls and bumper plates. Let me know if you need the address to this place?
Another bump. Just so you guys know I’ve found out some pretty good information have contacting some IL club coaches.
Larry Watkins, president of Sayre Park club, and his partner Bob Bondiman are expanding the club, they make it to the Sayre Park club (it is a park district, Mayor Daley recently renovated the place) once a month, but it looks like things are getting more active. I’ll likely start lifting there after classes.
Of course there is Mike Gattone in Buffalo Grove, owner of WCS. He is holding the Mid-Americas in November. I’ll be there (it is a Saturday) to check it out and meet some people.
There is also Vincent Cook, in Yorkville. He is willing to let me use his equipment for free, so I will likely make the trip out there every now and then on the weekends.
[quote]fighting_fires wrote:
hey andy can you just give me some more info on all of the stuff you have found in general? Im really interested in this. Thanks. [/quote]
Sure. I’ll send you a PM about contacts after I post this.
“Hi Andy- I am Larry Watkins, Sayre Park Club President and Certified club coach. Yes, as Marty mentions the Sayre Park Club is located approx 1 block west of Oak Park ave (6800 west)and about 4 blocks north of North ave. in the basement of one of the original Chicago Sports field houses built after the WW 2 by the returning war veterans. It’s an old large brick building now but wow, what a legendary place to train for an Olympic weightlifter ! You’ll love it…The 8 platforms we have now are from the 1982 L.A Olympics including the original main competetion platform which has only been used for competetions…the 6 platforms we use routinely are extremely heavy platforms that were from the warm-up area at that Olympics ! Mayor Daily recently spent money painting and refurbishing the gym for us…
Just a brief background on the Club: The Sayre Park Olympic weightlifting Club was established in 1970 by some of the members of the legendary 1968 Duncan YMCA Chicago, Weightlifting team plus others; a group that sent 5 different men to the 1968-1972 Olympics for the USA ! They were Rick Holbrook (1971/72 198Nat Champ;1972 Olympics), Mike Karchut(181class;8 time Nat Champ; 1968 and 1972 Olympics), Russ Knipp(165 Nat Champ. 1968 Olympics, maybe more), Phil Gripaldi(1968 and 1969 , 198 Nat. Champ; 1968 and 1972 Olympics) and Fred Lowe(165 Nat Champ and three time Olympian). Three left shortly after the Duncan YMCA breakup(Knipp,Lowe and Grippaldi) and loss of their Hall of Fame coach and Legend Mike Huska(Mike was Silver medalist at Olympics from Hungary and recently awarded Best Master in History by IWF!! The 3 moved back East. But other legends developed later such as 1972 Olympian Alan Ball(242 lb class, 1972 Olympian), and other National Champions Fred Schutz(Father of Rich Schutz) , Bill Seno(World Powerlifting Champ) and others…So we sent three more guys to the 1972 Olympics;Mike Karchut, Rick Holbrook had highest C&J in 90kg class (435lbs.)and Alan Ball…Later on i 1980s we had 4 Olympians Jeff Michaels, Rich Schutz, Paul Fleischer and then 2000 Olympic Champion Tara Nott, coached by Mike Karchut and Mike Gattone mentioned above…(Mike Gattone learned a lot there along with Rodger Nielson and they later started gyms in the northwest suburbs and got very involved with National USAW; you have probably heard their names ? …So we have a very, very rich history; one of richest in USA history - besides the old York Barbell Club under Bob Hoffman. But we are “old and still kicking”…
I joined the Club in 1972 and was coached by Rick Holbrook and Mike Karchut, both gone now. Rick passed away recently and Mike Karchut retired to Montana and is active there. But I am in frequent discussions with him re coaching consultations/ideas for my Schoolage and Junior/Senior lifters. Bob Bondiman(email above) has also been with the club sence the 1970s. Togather Bob and I are the leaders of the new Sayre team as many have retired and moved on. Odd but we now have a few really good Schoolage and several good Masters now but only three Seniors. So are you a Junior or Senior?? We are planning on expanding. The problem is I moved to Northern Indiana where I started a 2nd Sayre Park gym built out of my large garage. It’s really neat and has candy apple red squat racks and power rach, ha ha…but only two platforms…So I only make it down to our Chicago gym about once a month. Bob makes it down more often but also has a gym at his home in the western suburb…I train and coach some Schoolage lifters there and have produced 4 different Schoolage Junior Olympic and USAW National Champions over the years. I am recruiting now and just picked up a few in Michigan City, Indiana.”
This is a partial email I got from Larry Watkins. Pretty cool history on Sayre Park.
Sayre Park is seeing a huge increase in attendance lately. There is a regular crowd of good lifters on monday afternoons, tuesday and thursday evenings, and saturday morning.
The chicago park district just recently started a big renovation of sayre park’s weightroom, and it really is a great place for olympic weightlifting.
There are 6 platforms, jerk boxes, low blocks and an abundance of bumper plates – but it’s the people that make sayre park worth it.
Bob Bondiman works out there frequently and is always coaching whoever comes in addition to training for master’s worlds and nationals. There are also several other high level lifters there who are all gracious with their willingness to teach and workout together. Also, we all get tips in training methodology from former national champs and Olympians.
And for $31/quarter-- you just can’t beat that price for unlimited weightlifting.
In chicagoland, mike gattone up in buffalo grove has the best facilities and coaching staff. And for crossfitters, Will and Justin at windycitycrossfit.com run an excellent program with a great atmosphere. But for anyone looking for unlimited olympic weightlifting - Sayre Park is a great value.