NEW LONDON GYM OLD SCHOOL IRON’S SUPER ATHLETE’S JUSTIN GAZARD AND ALAN PERKINS By Christopher Annino

The great Joseph Mugovero planted the seed in this weight lifting community.  He and his barbell club he created The Breakfast Club had a ripple effect on many of Connecticut’s athletes.  It’s been almost a year since Joe’s passing by his absence it is evident that he is and was Connecticut’s weightlifting Guru.  Gabe Glaza one of Joes students who has been gifted with both brain and brawn opened Old School Iron Gym in New London Connecticut.  There everything Joe had taught is practiced everything from grip strength, power lifting, strongman, bending metal,  and Olympic lifting all strength disciplines.

                Since Joe Mugovero’s untimely death the group has been in mourning but has not stopped training. New London resident,  Alan Perkins took his training up a few notches and managed to destroy a Connecticut state record in the light heavyweight class at a recent American Power Lifting Association meet. Alan managed to lift almost twice his body weight with a 355 lb bench press . Alan Perkins is no stranger to powerlifting or strongman contests and he is truly the heart that keeps the blood pumping through the still existent Breakfast Club team. John McGuire who has taken over as the coach has helped coach Alan and many of the others that come on Sundays to bench-press.

  New London resident Justin Gazard a rookie in powerlifting and a member of both Old School Iron and The Breakfast Club blasted away a  287lb bench , 407 squat  and a 501 deadlift with the American Powerlifting Federation meet.

                The people at Old School Iron Gym and the Breakfast Club are there to help that in need. Anyone who is willing to learn they are willing to help and they have a positive support system for those who want to compete especially if they are first starting out. The one thing that Joseph Mugovero use to teach his students is “everyone has different strengths in life and in the gym. All that matters is you know how to use them in a positive way.”

The current mecca for strength training is in New London at Old School Iron Gym 123 Bank Street (lower level), New London, Connecticut 06320 (860) 599-2171 Old School Iron is a members only Strength Sports Training Facility. 

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