McNeese taking the weight room seriously

[McTailGator]

7/30/07 ~ Football
Vaalyn Jackson leads Cowboys in onslaught of weight room records Jackson now holds four himself

http://mcneesesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/073007aab.html


July 30, 2007

Vaalyn Jackson has returned to the McNeese State football team with a mission and he proved some of that in the weight room during the summer.

"That's exactly what I think he's on," Cowboy defensive line coach Jake Morrison said. "I think that his time off (he was academically ineligible to play last season) gave him a chance to reflect and get himself right."

Jackson was a starting tackle for the Cowboys two seasons ago and this past spring stepped right back into his first team role.

He's come back leaner and maybe a little bit meaner, now tipping the scales at 285 pounds and running a 4.89 in the 40.

The Sulphur native also made shambles of the weight room records posted by the school's defensive tackles.

He set records in the power clean (360 pounds) and the squat (750 pounds) and then ran the 40 in 4.89, also a record.

Morrison is looking for Jackson to become the big man in the middle of the defensive line for the Cowboys.

"He plays our shade (playing over the center) and he demands doubled teaming a lot of time which will then free up our linebacker," Morrison noted.

"He does everything at full speed and does it the right way and this season we're expecting him to become the all-conference player that he is."

Jackson, who also holds the defensive tackle record for vertical jump with a 33-5 mark, wasn't the only Cowboy setting weight room records during the past summer but he did set the most.

Brandon Broussard set a pair of records for tight ends with a 625 pound squat and a 4.64 run in the 40 yard dash.

Toddrick Pendland went 39.5 in the vertical jump for a record among running backs, both Steven Whitehead and Immanuel Friddle power cleaned 305 to set a mark for wide receivers while Chad Davis benched 325 for another mark.

For the quarterbacks, Derrick Fourroux set a record with a 310 bench press and Bart Crader went 38.5 in the vertical jump and ran a 4.39 in the 40.

David Turnage led the linebackers with a record setting 435 pound bench press, Allen Nelson had a 39 inch vertical jump and Geremy Pilate ran a 4.44 in the 40 yard dash.

Records set by the defensive backs came from Josh Quayhagen with a 320 point power clean and from Marcus Brown with a 4.26 clocking in the 40 yard dash.

And, those were just the records set this past summer.

Bryant Mason leads current players who set records in other years. Now playing defensive end, Mason holds the quarterback records for squat (525 pounds) and power clean (292 pounds), the defensive end records for squat (695 pounds) and power clean (335 pounds) and the linebacker record for squat (665 pounds).
Cowboy weight room record holders are: (kneeling left to right) Darrick Brown, Bryant Mason, Marcus Brown (standing) Vaalyn Jackson, assistant strength coach Chris Smith, head strength coach Zeb Hawkins and Steven Whitehead

Eman Naghavi has the offensive lineman record for the squat with 760 pounds, Whitehead is tops with a 600 pound squat for wide receivers and Quinten Lawrence for speed with a 4.19 clocking in the 40.

Bryan Smith is the leader in vertical jump (38 inches) and in the 40 yard dash (4.52) for defensive ends while Marcus Brown is also on the board with a 42 inch vertical jump for defensive backs.

[andy7171]

No hyperlink to the rest of the article.

[McTailGator]

No hyperlink to the rest of the article.

It's there now.

Things don't cut and paste well to this type of message board.

I hate HTML.

[andy7171]

I see it now. Nice numbers being put up! That DT Jackson sounds like a friggin beast to deal within the middle!

[MplsBison]

750? What are those, quarter squats?

[andy7171]

750? What are those, quarter squats?

Numbers that big make me think they are calculated one time max weights. When I was at Towson we had charts, I squatted 455 17x for a max squat of 680 or something. I can't even visualize 750 on the bar, that thing bends with 4 plates.

[MplsBison]

17 times?!



The most I've ever see someone squat what I would consider "raw" is 525. That's no suit, no knee wraps, no belt, thigh parallel.

[andy7171]

The most I've ever see someone squat what I would consider "raw" is 525. That's no suit, no knee wraps, no belt, thigh parallel.
Squatting over 225 without a belt is just plain foolish.

[Uncle Buck]

Very impressive numbers. Being a former lineman i like seeing the bench and squat that guys are putting up.

[FormerPokeCenter]

I'm a 44-year old has-been with a reconstructed knee and I still go low 500's (on a one rep max) with no knee wraps (they jack the joint apart at the bottom of the movement) and no belt (Wait, scratch that. The highest I've been without a belt lately is about 450)...Those are high weights, but I don't think think they're derived or calculated numbers...

My only question is if they're using powerlifting suits or compression shorts when the lifts are done. The powerlifting suits give you a boost, while the compression shorts help with propriocetive issues.

The 40-times seem just a little quick to me, though....

I guess we'll find out in about 30 days...

[MplsBison]

Squatting over 225 without a belt is just plain foolish.

This is probably true for most people.


But most people don't do squats on a weekly basis or even at all.

[Franks Tanks]

I'm a 44-year old has-been with a reconstructed knee and I still go low 500's (on a one rep max) with no knee wraps (they jack the joint apart at the bottom of the movement) and no belt (Wait, scratch that. The highest I've been without a belt lately is about 450)...Those are high weights, but I don't think think they're derived or calculated numbers...

My only question is if they're using powerlifting suits or compression shorts when the lifts are done. The powerlifting suits give you a boost, while the compression shorts help with propriocetive issues.

The 40-times seem just a little quick to me, though....

I guess we'll find out in about 30 days...

I have never seen a college or pro football team use a powerlifting suit, All they are good for is powerlifting competitions. Also no belt is safe unless you are really going all out. Going without a belt strengthens your lower back muscles and i regularly went without a belt unless I was maxing out. The weight numbers being talked about here are certainly impressive but not outrageous. It is certainly doable for squat the mentioned amounts with only a belt and do it properly. I went to teh same gym as a champion powerlifter a few years back. The guy was about 5' 8'' and maybe 220 at the most. I say him squat over 700 pounds below parrallel with perfect competition form, its rare but their are freaks out there.

[Franks Tanks]

17 times?!



The most I've ever see someone squat what I would consider "raw" is 525. That's no suit, no knee wraps, no belt, thigh parallel.

Not to start and argument here---but in "raw" powerlifting competitions they do allow belts as that isnt really an aid in teh lift, just a safety measure.

[MplsBison]

No it does not help a person lift a weight upward, it just keeps the back from rounding.


But it still is an artificial support.


My definition of raw might be silly, but that's how I define it.

[Franks Tanks]

No it does not help a person lift a weight upward, it just keeps the back from rounding.


But it still is an artificial support.


My definition of raw might be silly, but that's how I define it.

I understand where your coming from, Raw probably should be without the belt as well

[Tribe4SF]

40 times are always suspect. 4.19 makes him faster than Deion Sanders and Jerome Mathis, the two fastest ever at the NFL combine.

[andy7171]

Not to start and argument here---but in "raw" powerlifting competitions they do allow belts as that isnt really an aid in teh lift, just a safety measure.

A good power lifting belt adds at least 100lbs to your squat.

[MplsBison]

I don't see how it could. All they do is squeeze you back together.

[Franks Tanks]

I don't see how it could. All they do is squeeze you back together.

I personally have not felt that a belt added to my squat, just provided me with a litle piece of mind when going heavy.

[andy7171]

I personally have not felt that a belt added to my squat, just provided me with a litle piece of mind when going heavy.

Not really. The belt I have is about a half inch thick, like this one...
http://www.inzernet.com/images/product_shots/belt_13mm_lrg.jpg
If you cinch it on nice and tight your abdominal muscles have no where to go so it's like you are pushing against that when squating up. Best $60 I spent in college.

[Cage Free, Farm Fresh]

After reading through some of y'alls comments, I feel an explaination of what exactly a weight belt does and why it works is necessary. For those who said it supports the back, you are correct, however the reasoning is wrong. Here's why it works: the spinal column is supported on the posterior side by the muscles of the lower back. However, on the anterior side there is no musculature to support the spinal column anteriorly. So, what the belt does is increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn allows the spinal column to be supported anteriorly, leading to a more stable spinal column, and thus, a bigger squat.

[andy7171]

After reading through some of y'alls comments, I feel an explaination of what exactly a weight belt does and why it works is necessary. For those who said it supports the back, you are correct, however the reasoning is wrong. Here's why it works: the spinal column is supported on the posterior side by the muscles of the lower back. However, on the anterior side there is no musculature to support the spinal column anteriorly. So, what the belt does is increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn allows the spinal column to be supported anteriorly, leading to a more stable spinal column, and thus, a bigger squat.
Yeah, what he said. :)

[McTailGator]

I see it now. Nice numbers being put up! That DT Jackson sounds like a friggin beast to deal within the middle!


Yea he was bad@$$ as a true freshman 2 years ago, and then had to RS last year due to grades. He's got it together now and is primed for 3 more McYears.

[McTailGator]

40 times are always suspect. 4.19 makes him faster than Deion Sanders and Jerome Mathis, the two fastest ever at the NFL combine.

No doubt that Q.L. is a world class sprinter. He is also on the Track team and is a trained sprinter. BUT an FYI here, McNeese was running on a very fast track this year for the first time.

MOST football teams run on grass when these times get recorded. I think 1/10 of a second is fully dependent upon the speed of the thumb on the clock. But I'll take a 4.29 speed xthumbsupx . That's not exactly slow. xsmiley_wix

[Uncle Buck]

Getting back to 40 times, if they were hand times, you add .24 to get a more realistic measure.

[andy7171]

Getting back to 40 times, if they were hand times, you add .24 to get a more realistic measure.
My coaches always had the slowest hand times! :p

[McTailGator]

Getting back to 40 times, if they were hand times, you add .24 to get a more realistic measure.

NFL adds 0.10

The subtract 0.06 if it is on grass.

[MplsBison]

After reading through some of y'alls comments, I feel an explaination of what exactly a weight belt does and why it works is necessary. For those who said it supports the back, you are correct, however the reasoning is wrong. Here's why it works: the spinal column is supported on the posterior side by the muscles of the lower back. However, on the anterior side there is no musculature to support the spinal column anteriorly. So, what the belt does is increase intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn allows the spinal column to be supported anteriorly, leading to a more stable spinal column, and thus, a bigger squat.

But there's no reason that increased anterior pressure would increase squat weight.


It's not like your back is going to fold inward.

[Cage Free, Farm Fresh]

But there's no reason that increased anterior pressure would increase squat weight.


It's not like your back is going to fold inward.

You're right you won't fold inward, but you might have a few disks shoot that way.

[MplsBison]

I'm not doubting the safety benefits.


Just that it actually increases the ability of your legs to press more weight up.

[NE MT GRIZZ]

I'm not doubting the safety benefits.


Just that it actually increases the ability of your legs to press more weight up.


A strong core will help your strength in all lifts not just a squat.

[Franks Tanks]

A strong core will help your strength in all lifts not just a squat.

The belt isnt making your core "stronger" however

[NE MT GRIZZ]

The belt isnt making your core "stronger" however


Correct, but the stability of the belt can create an artificial core.

[FormerPokeCenter]

Wearing a belt gives you stability and peace of mind. It helps with your posture.

I don't think it's going to let you add 100 lbs to your squat, though. Because of your posture and the normal curvature of your back, wearing a belt can help you focus on moving the weight vertically intsead of having to deal with controlling the weight on a number of simultaneous axes.

The caveat to that is that your core muscles need to be strong to begin with. Wearing a belt can actually cause those muscles to weaken over time if the core muscles are never taxed during workouts....