Usually we lift to build more than just strength, but also stamina and endurance, two synonomous terms. During the off season we will change up our routine and mix in lots of strength lift ideas we have experimented with the last five years. Last week one of our players performed an amazing sequence of Bench lifts that is the best I have ever witnessed.
He had been telling me since October that his Bench max had grown from 320 to 370, but without a coach around to witness the feat there couldn't be verification. Well, one day he caught me in the field house with the time to witness his claim. I would be his spotter. When he loaded the bar with 220 pounds to do his warm up, I was flooded with a disbelieving chuckle I freely expressed. His determination was cute.
What happened next stunned me. In super-quick explosive reps Brody punched out 23 reps of 220 lbs. Using a Bench Press calculator app on his iphone, the result was a computer estimate of a bench press max of 370 lbs.
Immediately my "doubting Thomas" spirit denied the app formula, and I demanded he do one rep of 370 to prove once and for all time that my skepticism was justified. But in a display of grace I told him that if he could push up just 350 lbs I would be satisfied of the truthfulness of his 370 lb claim. After all, 23 x 220 lbs had to knock off some of his strength.
So with 350 pounds on the bar Brody layed down and with the amount of effort one would use to remove a cap from his head, he lifted the bar not once, not twice, but three times before I made him stop. Now I was hooked. In the next five minutes Brody benched 370 and 380 pounds. At this point I had to go pull in two teammates who could spot the next lift---400 lbs. It took him the bat of an eye to accomplish it. Next, he maxed 410, 420 and 430 pounds. At this point we had to stop because the space left at the two ends of the bar wasn't long enough to safely grip for a good spot. I am convinced he could have gotten up 440, maybe even 450 lbs. We will try again before spring break.
It was a beautiful performance. Good work Mr. Blau.
He had been telling me since October that his Bench max had grown from 320 to 370, but without a coach around to witness the feat there couldn't be verification. Well, one day he caught me in the field house with the time to witness his claim. I would be his spotter. When he loaded the bar with 220 pounds to do his warm up, I was flooded with a disbelieving chuckle I freely expressed. His determination was cute.
What happened next stunned me. In super-quick explosive reps Brody punched out 23 reps of 220 lbs. Using a Bench Press calculator app on his iphone, the result was a computer estimate of a bench press max of 370 lbs.
Immediately my "doubting Thomas" spirit denied the app formula, and I demanded he do one rep of 370 to prove once and for all time that my skepticism was justified. But in a display of grace I told him that if he could push up just 350 lbs I would be satisfied of the truthfulness of his 370 lb claim. After all, 23 x 220 lbs had to knock off some of his strength.
So with 350 pounds on the bar Brody layed down and with the amount of effort one would use to remove a cap from his head, he lifted the bar not once, not twice, but three times before I made him stop. Now I was hooked. In the next five minutes Brody benched 370 and 380 pounds. At this point I had to go pull in two teammates who could spot the next lift---400 lbs. It took him the bat of an eye to accomplish it. Next, he maxed 410, 420 and 430 pounds. At this point we had to stop because the space left at the two ends of the bar wasn't long enough to safely grip for a good spot. I am convinced he could have gotten up 440, maybe even 450 lbs. We will try again before spring break.
It was a beautiful performance. Good work Mr. Blau.
