The lifter takes a deep breath in, un-racking the bar, the bar descends, then ascends, the lifter lets a breath out and takes another one in, repeating for a specific amount of repetitions. The bar goes up for the last time and is put back on the rack. The loud metallic clunk of the bar being re-racked resonates through the weight room.

Across the weight room is a board divided in four, each column containing names of the lifters who have lifted the most in each of the four lifts: power clean, squat, bench press and dead lift.

The weight room is place that gives athletes the opportunity and potential to make them more athletic. It requires a specific attitude and mindset from lifters to ensure that the desired results are attained and goals are achieved.

“We’ve got to have a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose to get the job done,” weightlifting coach Lee Hipp said. “The most important thing required from the lifters are that they are paying attention, listening, having a good attitude and doing the best they can.”

In the weight room players get stronger, which can help them improve their athletic abilities and play their sports at a higher level. Increased strength can help players hit harder and run faster. Senior Matthew Martinez, currently ranked top in dead lift, uses the weight room to improve his performance on the field.

“Anything you do in the weight room contributes to what you do on the field,” Martinez said. “The stronger you get in the weight room the better you are on the field.”

During weightlifting sessions, music is playing and lifters are focused and encouraging each other to put in all of their effort. Senior Cooper Laake uses the environment around him to help him get in the right mindset before lifting.

“When it is time to get serious and lift, you drown out everything and listen to the noise of the weight room and get lost in it,” Laake said. “When it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”

The lifters on the leader board are mostly football players who spend more time in the weight room to increase their strength and reach new personal records during the spring offseason. When lifters are trying to get a new personal record, the atmosphere of the whole weight room becomes more intense and competitive.

“Everyone was watching, I wanted to be the largest and I wanted to be the strongest, everyone was around me, everyone was yelling,” Martinez said. “Finally when I got the bar up everyone went crazy, the whole place erupted.”

Many athletes strive to have their name on the leader board. Senior Seth Ewing has managed to get his name up there and uses that recognition to increase further his motivations and set new personal goals.

“It was really motivating to see my name on the leader board because I look at the past players and see how much they got, how much they lifted and I’m up there with them,” Ewing said. “And I realized dang, I did it.”

The leader board has a presence in the weight room that makes itself known to those working out. It serves as a motivator, encouraging lifters to prove how strong they are in order to get on the leader board for others to see.

“When we are in the weight room, every time we go to leg press it is right by the leader board,” Ewing said. “You look up there and you see past players and you think I want to up be there for the future generations to come and see my name on the leader board.”

Getting your name on the leader board is not impossible, but it is not easy. Those who have the skills and strength required to lift the heavy weights necessary to be on the leader board worked hard for their spot on the wall.

“Anyone can get on that board if they really want to,” Laake said. They just have to spend the countless hours in the weight room like I       did.”