The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

Malvern strong off is a success

The second annual Malvern Strong Off took place January 27 and 29. This year there were two events – the deadlift and the benchpress.

Mr. Erik Miller, the Health teacher and Strength and Conditioning manager, was not only proud that more kids decided to show up and participate, but also that many kids reached new personal records and school records for their weight classes.

“Weightlifting isn’t just a physical sport, it’s mental as well,” said sophomore Justin Titchenell. “You need to aim toward your one goal and focus your whole way through, not just at the start and preparing for it.”

Titchenell was the winner of the deadlift. This is an event where the participant keeps a straight back and lifts the weight off the ground to an upright position. It engages muscle groups including the calves, back, glutes, and quadriceps.

“Weightlifting isn’t just a sport though. Every day life you must use all your main muscle groups just to do daily activities, from lifting up a child to carrying your backpack,” Mr. Miller said.

The other event at the Strong-Off was the benchpress. Perhaps one of the more common events in strength competitions, the bench press uses lots of pectoral strength.

Rashon Lusane ’16 was the benchpress champion, lifting 315 pounds, easily setting the record for his weight class.

“Benching and deadlifting have a similar mind-process,” said Titchenell, who came in second for the bench press as well. “In both you must first align your body and make sure that you are well balanced when you approach lifting the bar.”

Weightlifting at Malvern has grown in the past several years. It is another way that athletes can compete against each other in different aspects of strength. The Strong-Off is a way to bring lifters against each other to each other to achieve new goals and personal bests.

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