My name is Yasha Kahn, and these are my thoughts on weightlifting.

Who are you?

I’m Yasha. I was born in Russia, raised in LA, and grew up in Boston. I’m a weightlifter and weightlifting coach at the Norwood Training Center near Boston.

Outside the athletic world, I’m the Director of Business Development & Marketing at a tech company that develops video analytics for physical security. I’m also the Director of Marketing & IT at a cannabis testing and research laboratory.

Why are you writing Yashathoughts?

I believe that I have an interesting perspective on the sport of weightlifting and the weightlifting lifestyle. I really enjoy teaching and sharing my passion with others.

What are some of your athletic accomplishments?

  • 3-time US National medalist in Weightlifting (2010, 2011, 2012)
  • Record holder for the 105kg class in New England (since 2012)
  • 1-time US Collegiate National medalist in Weightlifting (2006)
  • National competitor in Sumo Wrestling (2013)
  • Competed with Ilya Ilyin in a snatch-off (2012)
  • NH March Madness Strongman Champion (2008)
  • Massachusetts high school D1 State Finalist in wrestling (2002)

What is your experience with seminars?

Over the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to tour the US while conducting seminars with Vasiliy Polovnikov, Ilya Ilyin, Dmitry Klokov, Zygmunt Smalsez, Tatiana Kashirina, Vladimir Krasnov, Boris Sheiko, Mikhail Koklyaev and by myself. It was my responsibility to produce, direct and emcee every seminar. I selected and organized the format and content of each seminar, coached during the seminars and also translated from Russian to English when it was needed.

Every professional I toured with had a unique perspective on being successful, which I meticulously studied. After every seminar, I would return to coaching and training and feel for myself the nuances that I’ve learned from my experiences with top professionals. Each tour has opened my eyes in unexpected ways. I’ve grown as a weightlifter, coach and person, and am passionate about spreading the knowledge.

Who helps with yashathoughts?

My girlfriend Lisa came up with the name Yashathoughts. Lisa helps a lot with this blog. She turns my rants into the finished posts. She isn’t a weightlifter, so her perspective is important. If she understands the point of some of the topics I write about as a non-weightlifter, then I feel they are well explained. If she finds them interesting, then that’s what I want to publish.

I get a lot of additional help from some very knowledgeable friends from the strength community. They help with brainstorming, demonstrating techniques, and are great sources of information. I’ll have some of them join me as guests bloggers.

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