Strength training has become so important, coaches are encouraging lifting on game day.
The strength and conditioning program is currently the most-requested class at the high school. The program, now in its fifth year, kicked off at the start of the 2021-22 school year after strength coach Joseph Schlesinger and head football coach Alex Nicholson led the completion of the Raider Athletic Center.
The field hockey, cross country and football teams top the list of athletes actively lifting this fall. The field hockey team has won 71 percent of its games during the 2020-2024 seasons, and 75 percent of the team lifts weekly this fall. By contrast, the men’s soccer team has seen success without a strict weight-training program. Their five-year 67 percent winning mark comes with only 23 percent of the team lifting this fall.
However, the football team has won 35 percent of its games over the past five years, and 96 percent of the team regularly participates in lifts this fall.
Schlesinger said that lifting doesn’t affect talent. “Strength training does not have a direct correlation to sport performance – that’s the skill development,” he said. It will still help you move around the field and be physically dominant, but lifting is unrelated to talent, he said.
For a sport such as football, being fit and having strength is a necessity, but tactics and developing talent are also important. Differentiating skills and tactics instruction for large teams is essential, but ensuring that all team members lift regularly is an efficient way to help them develop.
So, if weight training alone doesn’t guarantee success, why should athletes lift?
Lifting makes athletes stronger, helps to prevent injury and improves balance and mobility. Schlesinger said the worst thing an athlete can do is stop lifting. “You have to be lifting all year round. The moment you stop lifting, you get weaker and slower,” he said. “It is going to build your confidence. The stronger you are, the more confident you are going to be.”
Junior lineman Max Resnick said he can see the ways lifting has helped him. “Whether it’s building explosiveness or developing power, it all translates over to the field,” Resnick said.
Avoiding injury can be related to strength training; athletes who lift consistently are more prepared to defend against injuries. “You’re getting stronger. When you’re stronger, you increase your ability to handle load. When your sport load becomes larger than your physical ability, you get injured,” Schlesinger said.
Nicholson has seen results on the football field. “Right now we have one of the lowest [number of] soft-tissue injuries since I’ve been here,” he said.
Consistently lifting can help combat fatigue. Nicholson said that members of the team who work out recover more easily. “They are still beat up on Saturday morning, but there’s less soreness,” he said.
Resnick said he can tell how his body has adapted to the continuous load. “Lifting helps me recover by being able to keep moving during some parts of my day instead of maybe just sitting down and getting stiff. Being able to work sore muscles and treat injuries goes a long way during a long season,” Resnick said.
When you stop lifting, you get a break from the soreness it creates, but your baseline strength will decline within weeks. “You lose strength in five to seven days, you lose power in three to four days,” Schlesinger said.
Schlesinger encourages students to lift on game days. He said that when your body adapts to the daily movements, missing one day can throw things off. “Why not lift on game day, stay in your routine?” Schlesinger said.
Nicholson said he would love for everyone to lift on game day. “It’s essential to prime your body’s system,” Nicholson said.
Custom programs are made for each team, so Schlesinger encourages teams to work out together before or after school so he can accommodate them.”When cross country’s in here, I do a completely different thing than we do in class, because that’s a very unique, very niche sport,” he said.
Nicholson praised Schlesinger’s experience. “It is such a blessing to have Coach Slesh at the high school,” he said. Schlesinger trained the Pittsburgh Pirates and has brought that experience to SHHS.
Not all teams lift during their seasons, however. Because athletes in non-collision sports don’t need to recover quickly from the wear and tear of contact, they don’t need to suffer the soreness that comes from consistent weight training.
On the Shaker Strength Instagram account, Schlesinger recognizes the most dedicated lifter with the “Iron Raider” award. In September, junior Lila Brinkly was honored for her love for the weight room and desire to push herself. Previously, Resnick was also recognized for his hard work and competitiveness. He said his favorite part of lifting is the competition, both internal and among his peers.
Resnick said,”A great part of it is lifting with friends so I can have a good time and compete to get better against them every day.”
