LAHS Strength & Conditioning 

Interview with Joe Stewart

Tight End -University of Richmond

2004 LAHS Graduate

3/26/08

Coach:  First of all thanks for taking your time to let us in on your training at a Division I school.  Currently, what part of the training year are you in?

Joe:  Currently we are in spring ball where we practice four days a week and lift two days a week.  We are focusing on tempo’d lifts presently and still practice speed work before each lift on the non-practice days.

Coach:  In the off season, how many days a week are you strength training?  speed training?    

Joe:  We strength train four days a week in the off-season and do speed training stuff on everyday we lift.  Some days we just do things as simple as form running while other days we go out on the field and do agilities, starts and conditioning.

Coach:  What are some of your current personal records in the weight room at UR?

Joe:  Right now I have a 390lb bench press, a 500lb squat and a 300lb clean with the goal by august to be at 415lbs in the bench, 550lbs in the squat and 335lbs in the clean for a total of 1,300lbs.

Coach:  How much of your off-season training is spent on football specific movements?

Joe:  We do a lot on football specific movements and our strength coach really has us focus on them even in things such as the bench press when he has us envision punching a defender in the chest or pushing a blocker off or you.  But everything else we do in speed training seems to translate as well.  The Hammer Jammer is also a football related movement as well as the hip explosion from power cleans.  We also condition mainly in more short bursts as similar to a game.  Our longest conditioning is half gassers where we run 6 in a time of 15 seconds each with a 30sec. break.  Across the field and back is one.  The skills obviously have to make it in less time than the lineman but everything in my mind is football related and I think it’s intended that way.

Coach:  What was the biggest change from high school to college sports?

Joe:  Going from high school to college requires a big step mentally.  The workouts and atmosphere are much different.  One has to have their “mind right” to do the workouts.  It is high intensity with not much rest period and no joking around.  On the field, speed and strength at every position is the biggest change as the defensive lineman I go against in practice everyday bench press well over 400lbs and squat near if not over 600lbs.  Their speed is also in the 4.6’s for the most part which makes everyday a challenge and there is not one play where you can take off.  Offensively the playbook is much larger and again it takes a lot mentally to grasp it. This was a big difference I saw in coming from high school to college.

Coach:  In what ways was your training in high school help prepare you for college?

Joe:  Training in high school with Coach Haubrick and other staff members prepared my body more than other incoming freshman as I had the form, work ethic and the know how and understanding in the weight room.  My techniques were much more polished than other guys and that is truly a credit to everything I learned lifting with the Lewistown staff.

Coach:  Describe the training atmosphere in a division I weight room.

Joe:  As I hinted to early the atmosphere is what I call amazing.  I love it in the weight room.  Everyday to me is fun going in there and putting in my “work”.  Lifting to me is fun and the push I get from my strength coaches and teammates is awesome.  Everyone is supporting everyone yelling for people to do as many reps as possible or to do as much weight as possible.  From the weakest guy to the strongest guy on the team everyone is truly hoping they do their best and give maximal effort.  Also for us we spend more time with our strength coaches throughout the year than we do with our regular coaches so it is a time for them to shape our attitudes and bond us and our minds for the season.

Coach:  Could you talk about the importance of nutrition in your training?      

Joe:  Nutrition is everything in training from supplementation to what you eat daily.  If you put bad things in your body from food to whatever else then you’re not treating your body properly and only breaking down what you are trying to build in the weight room.  I didn’t know much about nutrition at first but now I am more aware of what to eat, when to eat and how to eat.  This I believe has helped me become a better player and gives me an edge on others who I see eating burgers and fries.  It is really important that before and after workouts your body is fueled with food or protein shakes as the muscles will break down with no fuel and then instead of using the bodies fat stores and burning fat you are just breaking down muscle fibers and not making the gains you are looking for.  Nutrition is truly as big and as important as lifting.

Coach:  Are there any words of advice you would like to offer current high school athletes wishing to play at the next level?       

Joe:  A couple things I would say is believe and work ethic.  First off if you don’t truly believe you can do it then you most likely can’t.  Football may not be for everyone but it is for those who believe and who have the right attitude and ability.  Attitude is everything.  Also work ethic, it’s imperative to start now and train your body properly and listen to what you’re being told because it’s the right stuff.  When you combine all these factors and have no regrets, then you can do whatever you want to.  I was a sophomore in high school and thought it would be cool to play in college and that was all.  I worked hard with Coach Haubrick all summer for the simple reason of getting better without college football in mind, it wasn’t even something I thought about really and my junior year I was all conference.  The funny thing about that is the previous year I played as a sophomore but only about half the games.  That summer between my sophomore and junior year made all the difference for me and by spring of my junior year I was receiving mail from coaches and Richmond actually came to school to see me.  This only further fueled my training again the next year and helped get me to where I am now. 

Coach:  Thanks a lot for your time and good luck with Spring practice.

Joe:  Thank you.