Cycling and Harvey Newton

Transitioning from 17 years of competitive weightlifting, Harvey Newton decided it was time to try his hand at endurance sports. His first attempt was running, but despite a good effort, this proved unrewarding. Then it was cycling and Newton was hooked. While working full-time as a drug rehabilitation counselor, he learned the ropes of his new sport, racing mostly Florida’s flat criterium circuit.

At the same time he was regularly assigned to coach USA international weightlifting teams. By 1981 Newton was selected as the first official national weightlifting coach, stationed at the US Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs.

In 1982 he was chosen to also serve as USA Weightlifting’s executive director and now held down two demanding jobs. He thrived on 60-hour work weeks, literally running across the grass field between his executive office in the National Sports Building and Building #23, a cold, dumpy, poor excuse for a training hall, for thrice-daily team workouts.

From 1981 to 1992 Harvey Newton was the USA Cycling’s strength and conditioning advisor, conducting winter training camps for national teams each year. He also assisted the national coaching staff with the development of numerous coaches’ educational materials.

In 1992 the federation sought Coach Newton’s assistance in creating the Strength Training for Cyclists videotape series (now DVD).

By 1994 Newton had joined the National Strength and Conditioning Association as the Editor-in-Chief of Strength & Conditioning Journal and the Director of Program Development. In 1995 he donned a third hat, that of the Executive Director. Throughout, Coach Newton continued racing, mostly at the local velodrome until 1999, when he returned to Florida to expand the influence of Newton Sports with new educational products and programs.

Harvey Newton has authored or co-authored, with the late Edmond Burke, PhD, numerous articles and books related to strength training for cyclists. Over the past 15 years, Harvey has presented dozens of national and regional programs, including the 2004 and 2006 USA Cycling Summits. Coach Newton is the instructor for Performance Cycling Conditioning (www.PerformanceCondition.com) workshops around the country and serves as the strength and conditioning advisor for Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers.

Author of the popular Human Kinetics book/DVD, Explosive Lifting for Sports (over 20,000 sold), Harvey remains active as a rider, coach, and clinician through his business, Newton Sports (www.Newton-Sports.com), which is located in Ormond Beach, Florida.

A USA Cycling Level 2 Coach, Harvey is also a senior international weightlifting coach and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Psychology) from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Arts (Sociology, coaches’ education emphasis) from the University of Colorado.

Check out Harvey Newton's STFC DVD video introduction.