Am I getting stronger?

These past two weeks after I tested, when the coaches are giving us workouts to do, I feel like I am platauing. Plateauing is when your gradually getting stronger and stronger, and at one point you just start to do the same weights and no progress. This is the feeling I'm starting to get and at this point that is really bad. We have the rest of the spring to do weights and if I plataeu now then there is not gonna be any progress until I find a different way to workout. I have hit a bit of a slope with pledging also, but it shouldn't faze me. I understand that the coaches want me to do better as we go along but they know that there will be times where I do stay the same weights for a period of time. But it means that we need our muscles to grow to be able to sustain the heavier weight. I think working out in the morning is easier than working out in the afternoon. Working out in the morning can also start off your day on the right foot, while in the afternoon you just got done with classes etc. etc. Whenever I workout I feel like I am getting better though. I feel like i am making a steady and slow progress but in the end it is still a process. I am trying to make sure that I use the right technique and that I can be able to do as much as i can to the point that I am still getting sore. Because being sore means to tear down your muscle so it can have a chance to build it up again. That is why when you workout you want to drink a protein shake and rest because that will make your muscles be able to grow and grow.

3 weeks in / Testing

How we started offseason was something new to our program. Coaches finally understood that we were willing to earn our ring rather than it given to us. We started with high intensity workouts to work explosiveness in the weight room and on the field. On our second week of the Offseason, we had to max out on weights. This is basically 4 core lifts that you do the most weight that you can. We started on incline bench, where the bench is inclined in a 45 degree arch and basically from there you do bench press, but it is just using a different technique. Our second max the next day was squat press. It is when you place the bar between your neck and your shoulders and squat. When you do squat, you would want to make sure that your butt is somewhat aligned with your thighs. On Thursday, we had bench press which is basically a universal lift throughout the world. And finally, we finished on power clean, which is possibly the most explosive core workout you can have. Here were my maxes for every lift. Incline was 313, squat was 565, bench was 344, and power clean was 245. My goal was to get over 1415 lbs overall because the coaches set a certain weight of 1415 of all 4 lifts to get into a specific group. It was a great accomplishment on my part to achieve that goal as a freshman. But I later found out that I was the only one that made the "maroon" out of my position group. So this is my next goal for the offseason. To make sure that at least 4-6 fellow offensive linemen make it to the maroon because if that happens, then that means that our positions are getting better which means our team is getting better.

Our season starts today.

The football offseason started on Monday, January 18th. Our schedule for this spring’s offseason will be four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday and the weekend are for resting of the muscles so that we can go 100 percent the next time we work out. The coaches don't expect anything less than your best, so if I don't bring my A game, then my group will suffer the consequences. This means that every person in the group is held accountable for everything they do that has anything to do with football. We had a meeting before Monday talking about how we wanted to win the Conference so bad that it deserved to be on our fingers... We know that we will have to sacrifice extra rather than not sacrifice at all. Our goal is to be undefeated next fall, and we have all intention of meeting our goal and pursuing into the playoffs. And it all starts in the offseason. With the workouts that the coaches have inputted into our system, the senior class tells me that the coaches haven't gone this hard ever since they were freshman. Monday and Tuesday of this week was possibly the best workouts I have ever done, and I can feel myself getting better... And to think that there are 60 workouts to go. Our undefeated season of 10-0 starts right now.