THE POWER-CLEAN DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

BUILD A D1-LEVEL POWER CLEAN. BUILD THE ATHLETE THE NEXT LEVEL CANNOT IGNORE.

Invictus Performance Systems is built first to raise the power clean of high-school and early-college power athletes toward the strength-speed standards seen at the D1 and professional levels. We develop the positions, pulling strength, leg drive, speed under the bar, and total-body force required to turn the power clean into a competitive weapon. Around that central mission, specialist coaches provide the football strength and conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, endurance, and SOF Selection Prep resources needed to make the athlete complete and ready for the next level.

Apply for power-clean coaching See the power-clean system
Power-Clean Development Football Track & Field Baseball Olympic Weightlifting Endurance Competition SOF Prep
PRIMARY SPECIALTYPOWER CLEAN

positions → strength → speed → receiving

COMPLETE ATHLETENEXT LEVEL

sport S&C and specialist resources around the lift

315 LBPower-clean standard
4 PHASESPower-clean development system
HIGH SCHOOL → COLLEGEPrimary athlete focus
ONLINE + IN-PERSONIndividualized coaching

WHY THIS EXISTS

The power clean exposes what generic training cannot hide.

Too much athlete development is random: generic team lifting, incomplete Olympic-lift instruction, and motivational noise without a technical progression. Invictus exists to take the power athlete through a defined system that improves the setup, pull, extension, turnover, catch, and strength qualities that determine how much weight can be moved with speed.

The power clean is not treated as a weight-room trophy. It is a measurable expression of force, timing, coordination, confidence, and explosive intent. We build the lift, then surround it with the speed, strength, conditioning, durability, and specialist coaching required for the athlete to perform at the next level.

THE STANDARD IS LIVED

Proof under
the bar.

The system is taught from direct experience under meaningful load. Swipe through the performance gallery to see the force, timing, aggression, mobility, and technical commitment behind the method—then apply those principles intelligently to the athlete, the sport, and the stage of development.

375 LBClean
2 LIFTSSwipeable performance gallery
REAL STANDARDTechnique under load
375 LB CLEANPerformance proof · Olympic weightlifting
PROOF 001
THE SNATCHSpeed, precision, mobility, and force expressed as one movement
PROOF 002

Swipe the video on mobile or use the arrows

Simon Varela preparing to compete at an Olympic weightlifting meet
National-level Olympic weightlifting competitor
Simon Varela at his U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduation
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate
Simon Varela working aboard a ship in a hard hat and safety glasses
Naval officer & merchant mariner

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

The experience behind the system.

Simon Varela is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a naval officer, merchant mariner, and national-level Olympic weightlifter. He has competed in weightlifting at the national level and is training with the aim of earning a USA Weightlifting Senior National Championship while continuing to serve and work at sea.

His best lifts include a 375 lb clean, a 364 lb clean & jerk, and a 289 lb snatch. That experience informs the standards behind Invictus Performance Systems, but the brand is not built around personality. It is built around a repeatable development process: assess the athlete, establish technical authority, build usable force, convert it into power, and make it transfer when competition accelerates.

Academy-trained discipline A U.S. Merchant Marine Academy education and professional responsibility at sea reinforce preparation, accountability, and composure under pressure.
National-level weightlifting Direct experience developing technical strength and explosive output under meaningful competitive standards.
System over personality The founder’s experience supplies the principles. The athlete’s needs determine the program.

MISSION STATEMENT

Build the power clean. Build the complete athlete around it.

Our primary mission is to develop the power clean of high-school and early-college power athletes toward levels consistent with D1 and professional competition. We build the lift through technical precision, usable strength, speed-strength conversion, progressive loading, and individualized standards—so the athlete possesses explosive power that is visible, measurable, and transferable.

The lift is the center of the system, not the limit of it. Invictus surrounds the athlete with specialized coaching in football strength and conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, endurance competition, and SOF Selection Prep. The objective is a well-rounded athlete with the resources, coaching, and physical readiness necessary to enter the next level prepared to belong there.

THE POWER-CLEAN DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

A bigger power clean is built in stages.

Every layer earns the next: positions, strength, explosive conversion, and transfer. No random max-outs. No incomplete technique. No chaos disguised as power training.

01

Positions & Receiving

Own the start, keep the bar connected, finish vertically, and receive the clean in a position strong enough to control meaningful load.

  • Setup and first-pull mechanics
  • Bar path, balance, and extension
  • Turnover, rack, and receiving confidence
02

Strength & Pulling Capacity

Build the legs, back, trunk, and positional strength required to move heavier loads without losing the shape or speed of the lift.

  • Squat and posterior-chain progression
  • Clean pulls and positional strength
  • Sport-compatible loading and recovery
03

Speed-Strength Conversion

Convert new strength into a faster, more violent clean through targeted derivatives, jumps, throws, sprinting, and precise intent.

  • Power-clean loading progression
  • Rate-of-force development
  • Speed under the bar and catch timing
04

Sport Transfer & Completion

Use the power clean as the center of a complete performance plan so the athlete becomes faster, more durable, and more imposing in the actual sport.

  • Acceleration and field-speed integration
  • In-season and off-season planning
  • Testing, review, and specialist support

POWER-CLEAN COACHING

Choose the environment in which the lift will be built.

REMOTE

Online Power-Clean Development

For serious athletes who can execute, report honestly, and train with intent even when the coach is not in the room.

  • Individualized training plan
  • Weekly adjustments
  • Video-based technique review
  • Performance testing and tracking
  • Direct coach communication
Apply for online coaching →

HIGHEST TOUCH

In-Person Power-Clean Development

Hands-on technical coaching for athletes pursuing visible separation from their current level of competition.

  • Live sprint and lifting instruction
  • Movement and force assessment
  • Position-specific power priorities
  • Training-cycle design
  • Communication with parent or coach when needed
Apply for in-person coaching →

GROUP

Power-Clean Intensives

Short, focused blocks for teammates or small groups who need a harder standard and a cleaner power-development process.

  • 4–8 week intensive blocks
  • Power-clean and sprint clinics
  • Testing day and athlete report
  • Small-group competition structure
  • Optional coach education session
Request an intensive →
USAW Certified Coach Christopher Hernandez completing a clean at a weightlifting competition
HEAD COACH CHRISTOPHER HERNANDEZ USAW Certified Coach · Massachusetts & Nationwide

INTERESTED IN OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING?

Pursue the sport under a proven national-level coach.

Invictus Performance Systems develops explosive athletes across multiple sports. Athletes who want to pursue the snatch and clean & jerk as their primary competitive discipline are directed to specialized Olympic weightlifting coaching with Christopher Hernandez—Simon Varela’s head coach.

2013In the sport since
8National medals as an athlete
30+Athletes coached
USARemote coaching nationwide

Chris is a USAW Certified Coach who has competed in weightlifting since 2013. He has earned eight national medals as an athlete and has coached more than 30 athletes across developmental, local, and national levels. He is based in Massachusetts and works with athletes throughout the country.

Chris personally coached Simon to his current national-level standard and remains directly devoted to preparing him for Senior Nationals as a legitimate contender for gold. That same combination of technical precision, individualized programming, and long-term commitment defines his work with every serious weightlifter he accepts.

Apply for Olympic weightliftingCallSpecialized remote and in-person coaching for athletes pursuing the snatch and clean & jerk as their primary competitive sport.
Braden Barnett in Marine Corps field equipment during military training
OPERATIONAL STANDARD BRADEN BARNETT USMMA Graduate · Marine Infantry Officer · IOC Honor Graduate Nominee · SFAS Selectee

SOF SELECTION PREP · SFAS · RASP · BUD/S

Prepare for the standard before the standard finds you.

SOF Selection does not reward ordinary gym fitness. Candidates must arrive with a deep aerobic base, durable feet and joints, efficient running and rucking mechanics, repeatable strength endurance, disciplined recovery, and the ability to keep making sound decisions after fatigue has stripped away comfort.

ENGINEAerobic capacity, running economy, and repeatable work output
LOAD CARRIAGEProgressive rucking, tissue preparation, and movement efficiency
DURABILITYStrength endurance, trunk integrity, grip, feet, and lower-leg resilience
READINESSTesting, fatigue management, recovery standards, and honest assessment

Experience that cannot be simulated.

Braden Barnett is a fellow graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and served six years as a United States Marine Corps infantry officer. At the demanding Infantry Officer Course, the officers and enlisted Marines who trained beside him nominated Braden for Honor Graduate—an especially meaningful distinction because it reflected the judgment of the people who directly witnessed his leadership, field competence, judgment, and performance under sustained pressure.

Following his Marine Corps service, Braden was selected to attend the U.S. Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection course. He distinguished himself among the top performers in his SFAS cohort and was selected to advance into the Army Special Forces qualification pipeline. His background anchors this pathway in a simple principle: SOF Selection Prep must be specific, progressive, and brutally honest—never theatrical.

Start SOF Prep inquiry CallIndependent SOF Selection Prep for candidates pursuing SFAS, RASP, or BUD/S. Not affiliated with the Department of Defense.

ENDURANCE · IRONMAN · FOOTBALL STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Build the engine. Build the complete football athlete.

Cameron Taylor leads Invictus endurance coaching and all football strength, conditioning, and general fitness work outside the core power-clean progression. His pathway develops the aerobic engine, repeated-effort capacity, strength, durability, body composition, and competitive readiness required by endurance athletes and football players.

ENDURANCE ENGINEAerobic base, threshold development, efficiency, and sustainable output
FOOTBALL S&CStrength, repeated-effort conditioning, speed support, body composition, and seasonal readiness
DURABILITYTissue capacity, movement quality, strength maintenance, and intelligent workload progression
EXECUTIONPacing, fueling, recovery, tapering, testing, and competitive decision-making

From academy football captain to annual Ironman competitor.

Cameron Taylor is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a naval officer, merchant mariner, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Ironman competitor, and lifelong football athlete. He played football for 16 years, started all four years of college at the federal service academy level, and was selected as a USMMA team captain. His strength credentials include a 475 lb back squat and a 335 lb bench press.

After establishing himself on the academy-level football field, Cameron set a new objective: prepare for and complete an Ironman. He achieved that goal and now competes in Ironman events every year. That progression—from collision-sport strength and repeated-effort performance to long-course endurance—gives him a direct understanding of how strength, conditioning, durability, recovery, fueling, and disciplined preparation must work together.

Cameron applies that experience to football strength and conditioning, general fitness, Ironman preparation, triathlon, running, cycling, and other demanding endurance objectives.

16 YEARSFootball experience
4-YEAR STARTERFederal service academy football
TEAM CAPTAINU.S. Merchant Marine Academy
475 / 335 LBBack squat / bench press
NASM CPTCertified personal trainer
ANNUAL IRONMANCompetes every year
Start endurance inquiry Start football S&C inquiry Individualized preparation for endurance competition and complete football performance.
Cameron Taylor at his U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduation
ENDURANCE + FOOTBALL S&C LEAD CAMERON TAYLOR Annual Ironman Competitor · NASM CPT · USMMA Team Captain
Cameron Taylor in naval officer dress uniform
475 Squat · 335 Bench · Naval Officer

WHO THIS IS FOR

Built for athletes early enough to transform—and serious enough to do it.

01

High-school athletes pursuing varsity dominance, college recruitment, or scholarship-level physical development.

02

Early-college athletes who need to close the physical gap between their current output and D1-level demands.

03

Parents and coaches seeking a demanding training standard that still respects long-term development and athlete health.

04

Athletes willing to train consistently, recover deliberately, communicate honestly, and be coached without excuses.

TRAINING CONTENT

Teach the athlete what the work is doing.

Content for athletes, parents, and coaches who want substance, not noise.

POWER CLEAN

Why “pull harder” ruins the lift

How timing, positions, leg drive, and receiving skill create more power than aggression alone.

Learn more →
SPRINTING

Acceleration strength for field athletes

The relationship between projection, lower-body force, and first-step violence.

Learn more →
PROGRAMMING

How to lift during the season

Maintain force and tissue capacity without burying speed, practice quality, or availability.

Learn more →

COACHING APPLICATION

Choose the path that matches the objective.

Begin with the primary objective: power-clean development. Athletes who also need football strength and conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, endurance, or SOF Selection Prep can be connected to the appropriate specialist pathway within the same performance system.

Power-clean development · primary specialtyFootball strength & conditioningOlympic weightliftingEndurance competitionSOF Selection PrepResponse target · 1–2 business days
Call970-462-5111Text970-462-5111Emailsimonrafael2020@gmail.com

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