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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Call It Technique

PANAMA CITY BEACH- Weightlifting, it can be a tough thing to handle, that’s why a lot of lifters develop certain techniques to help them out.

“I think about what I really want, like my goal, weight, and then after I think about that, I more or less take deep breaths. I stretch my arms out. I stretch my legs. I workout as much as I can warming up,” said Bozeman sophomore Kasey Franks.

“I don’t like to get to close to the bar or too far apart, I like to use as much body as I can get,” said Rutherford senior Victoria Graff.

The techniques may be extremely different from one person to the next, but carrying proper technique can go a long way.

“Each person has their own thing. You want to make sure that your hand position is right on the bench. You want to make sure your shoulders are set and on the clean and jerk, technique is really important. If you use correct technique, you’re going to lift a lot more weight,” said Arnold head coach Anji Dunlap.

Technique is one thing, but a lot of these girls also have another thing on their minds, superstitions.

“My superstition, well, I have my special socks that I have to wear. The weights have to be the same on each side. I make sure to kiss my mom for good luck,” said Franks.

“I’ve got one girl that when she gets up she has to check every weight on each end, kind of pull them off and push them back on. I have one girl that when she sits down she has to scoot herself back and forward like three times before she can get set,” Dunlap said.

Most of these girls have their secrets to success, but having raw strength doesn’t hurt at all.

“Well, obviously strength is huge. That’s what we’re looking at. We’re looking at how much they can lift. You know you can use great technique and lift more weight, but the original, the initial weight and your ability has got to be there and it’s all through repetition and getting stronger and getting in the weight room consistently,” said Dunlap.

So, it takes quite a few factors to become a great weightlifter.

Bay County Weightlifting Results

1- Bozeman 55 points
2- Arnold 40 points
3- Bay 38 points
4- Mosley 34 points
5- Rutherford 29 points

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