Getting ready for the Big Lift
The look of intensity
While many athletes are taking a break from classes and some are taking a break from their sport others are hard at work. Where you might ask? In the weight room of course. Hard at work trying to bring up their strength and speed. A few are even taking this newfound activity to another level. They are taking it to the Power-lifting platform to put their strength to the testing in front of Virginia State judges to see what they are made of. Andy Ballinger, one of VCU’s former golf athletes (his eligibility was finished in May) and Jimmy Myers, a thrower on the Men’s track and field team joined Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Kontos at the East Regional bench Press Competition held in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday the 15th of June.

Bench press competitions conducted by the United State Power Lifting (USAPL) organization are a little stricter than your average friendly
I'm ready to ROLL
competition. First of all the lifters are all eligible for drug
Are we up yet?
testing (very important in this day and age.) Each individual is allowed three attempt to find their absolute maximum that they can lift one time. The contestant must bring the bar down under control pause the bar on their chest and press the bar up evenly to full extension. They must then hold the bar there and await the judge’s command to rack the bar. There are three judges who will give the lifter either a red or white light. A white light signifies that the lifter complied with all the rules. A Red light indicates that there was a rules infraction. Two whites and the lift is passed, two reds and the lift will not count. Fortunately for our athletes the room was bright with white lights today!

Andy finished with a 260lb lift but not before giving a valiant effort at 280, which would have given him the state record for his age and weight class (242 collegiate division.) Jimmy finished with 310 missing 330 which would have given him a
Jimmy driving up 310 pounds as Coach Kontos looks on
personal record over his 325 done at the Virginia State Championships in
Tim Kontos pressing up 300 pounds!
December. Tomorrow will be a better day. And our strength coach, what happened to him? Well he finished with 310, which put him 5 pounds below his personal best of 315 done in ’98 (Coach Kontos has been off the platform due to a rash of injuries including two shoulder surgeries and a torn pectoral muscle) All in all it was a good day for our lifters!

Andy sets up with a big 260 pound attempt