We at Street are not athletes, so in anticipation of Mr. and Ms. Penn, the bodybuilding competition (and fundraiser for the women’s track and field team), we asked Omari Maxwell, last year’s short class winner, to teach us a few tricks.
Thoughts before working out:
We meet at Pottruck for Omari to teach us his workout routine.
Ciara: Do I own sneakers...? Found them at the back of my wardrobe next to my old textbooks! Honestly, I’ve probably used them as much as my psych textbook and I dropped that class after three weeks. Now what about workout clothes? Is it okay if I wear a pajama shirt and leggings?
Nicole: Not really sure what I’ve gotten myself into. Omari says his specialty is “squats.” I’ve done squat exercises before—even lunges!—so how hard could this be? Why don’t I have buns of steel if they’re so effective?
Omari: I’m pretty excited to introduce them to the Big Three—squats, benches and deadlifts. They’re functional movements and any healthy/mobile body should be able to do ‘em. It’s an off day though, so I have to keep things “light.”
Thoughts during the workout:
We successfully squat (45 pound bar), deadlift (45 pounds + 20 pound additions) and bench press (45 pounds again). Omari squats with 315 pounds, deadlifts 405 and bench presses 225. We tried.
Ciara: I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall over while doing these squats. How do people do this regularly? They must hate themselves or at least their muscles. I have to admit, though, I’m starting to feel like a badass, I could get used to the adrenaline high.
Nicole: 45 pounds? 45!? I do reps with five pound weights. This is not going to end well. But with the bar across my shoulders this doesn’t seem...impossible. The first squat burns, but it’s pretty damn empowering. Hey, I’m getting the hang of this! 8, 9, 10! Need a break and water ASAP.
Omari: Damn, forgot my knee sleeves so the squats are kind of tough. They’ve got great energy though! They take technique tweaks really well. Nicole’s a born squatter and Ciara’s totally at home on the bench press. The deadlift...pretty tricky for both of them. Oh well, to be expected.
Thoughts after working out:
We are triumphant. Omari hasn’t broken a sweat.
Ciara: That wasn’t so bad. I’m going to go to the gym twice a week from now on. I’m going to get fit!
Nicole: I am crying in anticipation of how sore I’ll be tomorrow. My legs feel like jello.
Omari: On to my Sunday cardio.
Thoughts the next morning:
We wake up and feel the burn.
Ciara: I take it all back. Moving is painful, stairs are impossible. I’m never working out again. Ever.
Nicole: Sitting down and standing back up are the enemy. No, stairs. Stairs are the worst. Ow.
Omari: My knees are a little achey and my hips are a little tight. Gotta be careful since my program calls for one to four squats at 410 pounds today.
Do you want to to try this at home?
Omari’s Routine:
Warm up:
- Eats 30-50 grams of carbohydrate for energy during the workout.
- Does foam rolls and other mobility drills with Beyonce playing in the background for 15-20min.
Music: I typically squat to R&B music and do upper body to rap/trap music. The emotions in the music really drive me through the workout. Nothing like hearing "this girl is on fire" when in the hole (bottom) of a squat with 400+ lbs on your back.
Food Staples:
When prepping for a contest: simple turkey sandwich on wheat
When trying to gain: Poptarts
Daily supplements: Creatine, fish oil, and vitamin D3. Occasionally whey protein.
