Time to leave the ordinary behind and forge a higher destiny

Cerissa Mestas spotted by Patti Hagemeyer In the movie Coach Carter a basketball player quits the team and returns to a life of drug dealing. Later he humbly comes back to Coach Carter (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and begs to get back on the team. Carter says he can, but he has to pay a price. The price is that the young man has to do 5,000 pushups and 1,000 “suicides” (a running drill) before the next game. This seemingly impossible task does not deter him. The kid hangs in there but still falls short by 500 pushups and 100 suicides.

He isn’t going to be allowed to play until one teammate steps forward and says, in effect, “Coach Carter, I will do his pushups! You told us we are a team and we go through things together, both the good and the bad.” Then, one by one, every teammate begins doing pushups and running suicides for the exhausted friend. At this point in the film I lost it—tears streamed down my cheeks. This scene in the movie is what I call “a magic moment.” We hope to have a magic moment at every BFS Clinic or BFS presentation. I would like to say we always have a magic moment, but obviously the circumstances and timing have to be just right.

They were just right this January at Arvada High School when BFS was giving its first, all-day BFS Certification Clinic. Seventy-five coaches came to participate in a hands-on certification experience. BFS Clinicians Bob Bozied and Patti Hagemeyer hosted the clinic. When it came time to explain the BFS Set-Rep System to the coaches, one of Coach Hagemeyer’s volleyball players demonstrated how the system works with the parallel squat. The athlete’s name is Cerissa Mestas, a junior at the school. Cerissa did exactly as Coach Bozied told her to do. First, Cerissa did the 3x3 workout, ending with ten perfect-depth parallel squats at 155 pounds.

Then Coach Bozied had Cerissa go through the second week of the program, which is the 5x3 workout. To my amazement, Cerissa did eight reps on her last set at 160 pounds, a new personal record. Coach Bozied congratulated her, but he wasn’t done yet.

At this point I leaned over to Bob Rowbotham, BFS President, and said, “Surely he’s not going to take her through the third week of the program [the 5-3-1 workout] and try to break another record?” Yes, that’s exactly what Coach Bozied had decided to do. Knowing Cerissa was fatigued, however, he decided to start her at 160 pounds. Then it occurred to me that Cerissa might be willing to push the envelope just a bit more. After all, settling for less is not the BFS way. I came over to the squat rack and shouted, “Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Cerissa, what is your five-rep record?” She said it was 160 pounds, a weight she had made a few minutes earlier.

I responded, “Then you have to do 165 pounds. You can’t tie! A tie is like kissing your brother.” Everyone laughed, and Cerissa proceeded to grind out five reps. Another record! Coach Bozied then increased the bar to 170 pounds for Cerissa’s second set, and she somehow managed to get all three reps—again, another record. Coach Bozied said to put 175 pounds on the bar for Cerissa’s final set and go for a new one-rep max. But again, this is not the BFS way. Again I got up, came over to the squat rack and shouted, “Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Cerissa, you can get three reps with this weight, maybe even four. Don’t stop at just one!” Everyone stood up and gathered around the squat rack.

They shouted encouragement, and Cerissa dug deep to gut out not one but four perfect reps! This—make no mistake about it—is the BFS way! As the coaches settled down, Bob Bozied began tallying Cerissa’s totals. He added 175 pounds to the weights she had used on her first two sets. I looked over at the bar and shouted out, “Hold on! Cerissa, you didn’t check the weight on the bar. You did 180 pounds!” I called her over, and the gym got very, very quiet. Everyone was choked up, and I had tears in my eyes. I said, “Cerissa, you were absolutely AWESOME! I have never seen anything like what you did today. Performing all those heavy reps with perfect technique was just incredible.

You are a true eleven!” It was a BFS magic moment.

PS!from these two pages and get it all shipped R U O H 48FREIGHT FREE!!! J S OLT • Rust-resistant silver zinc finish B NO • Yield strength 135,000 to 165,000 PSI E• Yield strength 135,000 - 165,000 PSI • Recommended for high school & most college squatting programs • Center knurl for no-slip squatting B• A perfect, all purpose Olympic Bar for heavy training l-49” w-48” h-47” l-50” w-48” h-57” l-42” w-30” h-36”

• Extended uprights • 2” x 3” - 11 gauge steel • 3/8” solid steel bar saddles & safety catches • 10 different seat positions • Angle fixed at the optimal 35 degrees • Extra long bar catches • Adjustable seat pad with pop pin • High-density neoprene padding with 29 oz. vinyl l-51” w-22” h-18” • 5 different adjustments, flat to military • Stable base with rubber end caps • Wheels make it easy to move Il-37” w-37” h-8” • Holds 5 Bars • Use for Olympic bars, hex bars, curl bars and more!

• Both high-hex and regular hex in one bar • Weighs 50 pounds with 2” olympic sleeves • Holds five, 45-pound slim-line plates per side This special FREIGHT FREE offer ends May 1, 2005.

Additional items ordered not listed on these two pages may require additional shipping. Offer applies to the 48-continuous states and while supplies last.

Choose any four or more items from these two pages and get it all shipped JNEW!

ES• A must for teaching Olympic lifts such as the OLT Snatch & Clean B NO • Fits on all standard size racks & benches RS Bl-58” w-48” h-70” • Five 3/8-inch, bar saddles • 2” x 3” safety tiers with bar stops to keep bar on rack • 185,000 psi rated • Industrial-grade, hardened steel bushings • Consistent comfortable knurling • Great bar for all exercise stations Bl-94” w-36” h-60” l-49” w-48” h-84”

• Industrial-strength wheels with precision ball bearings; wheels roll inside a 3-1/2” iron channel track • Plate holder fits under the carriage, taking up less space • Solid steel, quick-adjusting bar holder pins • Hole spacing allows for full use of the BFS Flat with Incline Bench Il-35” w-28” h-59” • Both high-hex and regular hex in one bar • Weighs 75 pounds with 2” olympic sleeves • Holds nine, 45-pound slim-line plates per side • Tapered design: 18”wide on one side and 22”wide on the other • 2” round tubing handles l-63” w-30” h-46” • Free instruction booklet • Adjustable foot rollers • Two horizontal support beams This special FREIGHT FREE offer ends May 1, 2005.

Additional items ordered not listed on these two pages may require additional shipping. Offer applies to the 48-continuous states and while supplies last.

SPECIAL QUANTITY DISCOUNT 2-3 2-3 $$169 169 each each 4+ 4+ $$159 159 each each Solid steel construction with non-slip diamond tread footplate

From BFS Magazine — March/April 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).