In the weightroom, the Whitworth football team weightlifting records are listed by position. For example, the quarterback record for the bench press was 300, set by some guy back in 2001. Now, I don’t mean to insult Whitworth’s football team; I am sure they were a much better team than my high school team. However, most positions on my high school team had higher weightlifting records (how much you lift is no indicator of how well you play football). For example, when I was a senior, we had a sophomore quarterback benching 315.
In a sense, I think I was spoiled by 6A football. Some of the guys in 6A were extremely strong. I recall Sean Mahan and Jason Lohr especially. At least 30 players in my district went on the play Div. 1A ball. So about the time my arrogance had reached its height, I jumped onto the squat rack. I was on my fourth set of five, third rep…and I bent a little bit too forward and…owwww. It was barely even 400 lbs (which isn’t a lot considering my weight), but something that light suddenly becomes very heavy in the wrong position.
My back had already been a little bit stiff from last week’s workout. The muscles are fairly strong, but they are completely unused. So, I have a lumbar para-spinal strain of sorts. Of course, when someone tried to help me take the weight off the bar, I nodded them off, “Let me get it. It’s my punishment for being weak.” I stuck my chest out and pulled off the weight, pain shooting through my back with every step. The weightroom is closed for two weeks starting next week, so I will get some back rest.
I’m hoping to be using 315 for reps by the end of the week (which again, isn’t very much considering my body weight. It’s barely more than my body weight lol). However, to the physical eye, it looks like a lot more than 310 because you’ve from four 45 lb plates plus change to six 45 lb plates. I won’t feel like such a weeny then.
