The weightlifting program measures the strength of an athletes total lift. A total lift comes from combining the max lift in the three lifts that are performed at MHSPLA meets. The three lifts include squat, bench press, and dead lift.
Everyone who comes into the weight room for the first time must demonstrate the ability to perform each lift with the correct form and safety. Once that has been determined, we have each athlete max out in each lift. This score gives us both the total lift and the baseline data we need to help show growth and determine what the athlete will lift weight wise.
We try to test everyone once every 9 weeks (about the length of a marking period) This allows a week for testing and an 8 week lifting period. During the 8 week period the athletes will have different amount of sets/reps and percentages for the 3 lifts that we measure.
For example
Week 0: testing period
Week 1-2: 3 sets of 10 @ 75%
Week 3-4: 3 sets of 8 @ 80%
Week 5-6: 4 sets of 6 at 85%
Week 7: 6 sets of 4 at 90%
Week 8: 8 sets of 2 at 95%
The athletes typically come in Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Monday and Thursday are when we target the muscle groups in the chest, shoulder, triceps, and abs. Tuesday and Friday we target legs, back, biceps, and obliques. We also work around our athletes schedules throughout the year so we do not interfere with with practice times. We believe lifting year round instead of just in the “off-seasons” will get our athletes in Hemlock to be competitor at a state level.
Thank you to Renue Physical Therapy for partnering with us to provide the shirts for the program. To learn more about Renue Physical Therapy you can visit their website at https://www.renuept.com/.