 "Photo: Ayelet Daniel")
The record wall in the Hen House looms over the students who go there to work out. While the imposing white board isn’t exactly Cooperstown or Canton, not everyone plays baseball or football. The record wall gives other athletes something to shoot for.
“Lifting is my sport, so it would be an accomplishment,” senior Nick Moore said. “I’d like to be up there before I graduate.”
The record wall was implemented in the Bob Carpenter Sports building’s Hen House gym last spring when management came up with the idea, senior Kyle Takayama, fitness specialist and record holder said.
Since then, students have been filling in the wall, although there are still many open records on the wall, mostly for the heavier weight classes. Takayama said the records on the wall are fair tests of a person’s fitness. The wall holds records for strength exercises like squats and the bench press, as well as endurance exercises like a two-mile run and the versa climb.
“We chose events that are different in their own way so we can get a variety of different people with different skills, but they’re all pretty basic,” Takayama said.
He holds the record for the versaclimber for the 140 to 159 lbs. weight class. The versaclimber is an exercise that works both upper and lower muscles. Takayama said it is basically a stepper machine with an added arm exercise. He incorporated the versaclimber in his regular workout and noticed that he was good enough to break the original record.
“I just tried it a couple of times, and by the second time, I had a good enough record to get up on the wall,” Takayama said.
Since the wall has been up, he said he has tested three or four other records. Hewas the record holder for the vertical leap until his mark was eclipsed by four inches in the past few weeks. Takayama said records are broken almost every week so he will try and reclaim his vertical leap crown.
Senior Andrew Piersante holds the squat record for two weight classes, 200 to 219 lbs. at the beginning of the semester, and 220 to 240 lbs. weight class at the beginning of November. For the lighter weight class, he increased the record to 495 lbs. from the original 455 lbs. record. For the other weight class, his record is 545 lbs., 45 lbs. higher than the previous record.
“I have good leg genetics, I guess,” Piersante said.
He said his quest for the record began simply from working his legs out in his regular lifting routine. Since June, he worked out with an eye toward the record.
“I felt like I had a lot to prove to myself, so I did it the first couple of days of school to take the pressure off myself,” Piersante said, “but then I saw that I could do it, and I wanted to do more.”
While his records still hang above the gym on the record wall, Piersante is not getting complacent. He is continuing to lift his legs and is ready to take back his title if anyone is able to break his mark. The only potential hitch is if he is unable to continue his leg workouts over winter when he will be studying abroad.
“Even though 545 is a lot, by the end of the semester, I want to get it as high as possible,” Piersante said. “I worked very hard to get to that point naturally and I’d like it to stay there as long as possible.”
Piersante’s roommate, Moore, is trying to join him on the wall. Moore is taking aim at the record for the 180 to 220 lb. weight class bench press record. While he could have just set a record no one holds yet, Moore decided he wanted to break an existing record.
“I want something people can relate to,” he said. “I have a ways to go though.”
Moore was introduced to lifting by Piersante and has been lifting seriously for the past two years. Moore said he is working out and eating as much as possible, trying to prepare himself to reach the summit. Piersante said he doesn’t doubt Moore will be joining him in Hen House glory.
“Once he saw me get on the wall and the good feeling and notoriety you get from it, he wanted to get on there,” Piersante said. “Whatever he puts his mind to, he can get it.”
Takayama has been lifting since he was approximatly 13, as part of his baseball and basketball training. Now, he is setting his sights on regaining his vertical leap crown.
“Four inches. Pretty big leap,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get there, but not anytime soon. Probably in the spring.”
Takayama said the wall provides him with a way to get himself mentally prepared for his workouts.
“It’s just a way to challenge myself, and something to work towards to motivate me,” he said. “I’m a pretty competitive guy, so it’s a motivational boost.”
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