Jim Schmitz - Olympic Weightlifting - South San Francisco, California

Pratima Satish

I drop in every once in a while to lift at the Sports Palace and it’s always a pleasure! Jim is so experienced, is a good coach from beginners to elite and has a lot of stories to boot. I always appreciate learning about the history of weightlifting as a sport and Jim’s role in it. Recommend if you’re close to south SF and looking for a great place to lift with friendly folks!

Soohee Han

I've been training with Jim for a few months now and it has been a great experience so far. I usually feel a little intimidated when I walk into a new gym I've never been to especially if it is not a commercial gym but Jim and his lifters were very welcoming and Jim guided me on what to do and walked me through his program from day 1. It's a friendly community and you will get a good workout in and learn a lot. It is not an everyday opportunity to get coached by someone who coached team USA in the Olympics.

Jessica Hu

Jim is a fantastic coach with decades of experience coaching elite-level athletes. He has a great sense of humor and is very welcoming to lifters of all skill levels. His style of coaching is very flexible and can be adjusted for injury or however you're feeling on a particular day. I started training with Jim as a complete beginner and really appreciate how uncomplicated he makes training.

Jim himself has a trove of great stories and weightlifting memorabilia that he's more than happy to share with you. His community of lifters are all very friendly and it's a great environment to lift in.

Kevin Lau

Jim is well respected as one of the most decorated and experienced weightlifting coaches in the country and still has a sense of grounded-ness and passion after all these years. I got my started with him and it has been a great experience. The team of athletes that train under him at the sports palace is also a great bunch of people. All very warm, dedicated to the sport, and willing to help. If you’re interested in weightlifting in the Bay Area, Jim is your guy.

Jessica Collins

In addition to being an incredible coach, Jim has also fostered the most welcoming and fun community at Sports Palace. When I started lifting at Sports Palace in June 2023, I had never lifted in my life. Since then, I’ve become the strongest I’ve ever been and made some life long friends in the process. Sports Palace is truly a special place and I can’t wait for many more years of lifting to come.

Lucas Hu

Jim is a legend in the Olympic weightlifting community. Getting to train with him has been a fantastic experience.

Pros:
• Beginner friendly (even if you’ve never touched a weight before, Jim has a program for you to get started)
• Great community of weightlifters
• World class coach who has been training olympians for decades, but is also very down to earth
• All Eleiko bars
• Parking garage just across the street, always has open spaces
• Snack box, usually stocked with hi chews

Richard Wu

Jim Schmitz is an amazing coach and an absolute legend in the Bay. He works with all skill levels and offers a lot of wisdom in coaching, training and competing. I was fortunate enough to train under Jim for few years when I got really into the sport.

He will have different programs depending on the ability of the athlete and adjusts accordingly. We would train 2-4x a week, depending on our fitness and if we were targeting a local competition date. The crowd at the gym was great, as we had such a supportive and enthusiastic group. I would definitely recommend Jim to someone starting out in weightlifting as he is a treasure trove of funny jokes, weightlifting knowledge and history, and overall great coaching.

Crystal Lee

Jim is one of the best coaches you can get for learning the olympic lifts! He is also a wealth of stories and history from his past in working as a coach for Team USA and coaching some of the first women sent to represent Team USA in the Olympics! He also has some crazy stories of old San Francisco, since his gym used to be located right on Valencia street in San Francisco (around 826 Valencia, I think).

In terms of what to expect, Jim assigns you a program to do (2-3 times a week, just let him know what you have the time for) and he will let you know how much weight to use for each exercise. If you are looking good, he will have you attempt a new personal best. Accessory exercises will be assigned if you look like you need it. If you become injured, you can get a different plan from him and he can make some suggestions on what to try. All exercises are done in group environment with other people sharing the platform as necessary and taking turns, and people are generally pretty friendly. If you want more individual attention, you can either arrange something with him or come earlier.

Everyone is also encouraged to join some of the local competitions and Jim will definitely support you in this effort (he often judges at the local meets). All ages and genders are welcome at this gym! I've seen young teens whose parents want them to get strong for football to even 70-75 year olds come and learn to do the lifts under Jim. Jim is a local treasure! Don't miss it if you can come lift at the Sports Palace.