Andy Capwell’s Weekend Weightlifitng Crew

You will hear me talking on occasion on B98.5 about going to the gym. While I have lost and regained some weight, I have been slowly getting stronger. The biggest part of getting stronger is being able to lift with friends. Sunday is the day when the weekend lifting crew gets together. It's tough for all four of us to get together very often, but this past weekend, all four of us did get to lift together. Since, I've talked about these guys on the air, I thought it was time that you got to meet them. I'll start with me, I have been going to the gym for maybe 7 or 8 years and within that time my goals have shifted from losing pounds to getting stronger. I have sacrificed adding some pounds to gain strength. This past weekend, I benched my personal best of 240. My goal is to bench 250 by the end of the year.

Next there's Noland. Noland is exactly 6 years older than me, both our birthday's are on September 22nd! Noland is 53 years old and plays in the Lisbon Flag Football League and his team has won the championship two years in a row. Noland has been a good friend of mine for several years and he's also on my horseshoe team, that I've talked about in previous stories.

Then there's Noland's son, Mike, also he's my old roommate. Mike makes it fun at the gym. Joking around with all of us but when it comes time to lift weights, Mike is very intense and his results are incredible. Mike has added several pounds to his bench and his overall strength has grown by leaps and bounds. Mike and Noland are genetic freaks!

Last but not least, there's Chuck! I lift with Chuck often at Planet Fitness in Augusta and he really has instructed me on proper form. Chuck knows his stuff and the guy has biceps bigger than Popeye! I have seen Chuck maxed out on the bench at 365!

I do my best to keep up with them at the gym, but the best thing about the 'weekend lifting crew' is the camaraderie amongst us. I feel like I'm 18 when I am at the gym with these guys. I do want to note that the pictures and video in the story were taken at the gym Mike goes to, The Health Club and Spa in Lewiston. It's a throwback kind of gym, where weights get thrown, and lifters grunt.

There you go. That's the 'Weekend Lifting Crew'.