Learn to Lift: Lacrosse

I was always a physical kid. I loved being outside more than I loved being inside. My dad set the example early — every morning before sunrise, he’d head to the garage and lift weights for an hour, sometimes longer. He’s 75 now, and he still does it.

When I was about 13 or 14, I started tagging along. By 15, I was waking up before school to get my workouts in. By my senior year, I was hooked — I loved it. I’d train multiple times a day, not because someone told me to, but because I wanted to.

So naturally, when I got older, I decided to get certified. I earned my NASM Personal Training License, then added a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist certification. They were great, but here’s the truth: certifications don’t teach you how to train. They teach you how to pass tests.

The real learning came later — through experience, mistakes, and mentorship.

When you look online today — at college strength programs, personal trainers, or social media “gurus” — what you see is flashy, click-bait workouts designed to look hard, not to make you better.

Here’s the reality: simplicity wins.

I learned under one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the world, Harry Selkow, who was an NHL strength and conditioning coach. And if there’s one thing I learned from him, it’s this:

Most athletes don’t need to reinvent the wheel. They need consistency, effort, and a plan built around core movements — movements that make them faster, stronger, and more durable.

I’m not against Olympic lifting — the clean and jerk or the snatch. I love them.
But I don’t believe they’re for everyone, especially younger athletes or athletes dealing with injuries.

Here’s why: Olympic lifting is its own sport.

Yes, powerlifting is too (the squat, bench, and deadlift),
but it doesn’t take near as long to learn.

You can learn the fundamentals of a squat, bench, and deadlift safely in one session and master them over a lifetime.
Olympic lifts, on the other hand, take months — even years — to learn proper form.

Powerlifting is built around three simple, powerful movements:

You can train them hard, recover fast, and build real athletic strength that translates directly onto the field.

You don’t need to learn a new sport (Olympic lifting) to get better at your sport (lacrosse).

You might’ve heard that lifting heavy makes you slow.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.

When you lift a heavy weight — let’s say a heavy squat — and it moves slowly, your body is actually firing at maximal speed.

The bar isn’t slow because you’re slow.
It’s slow because the weight is heavy.

Your body is trying to move it as fast as possible — and that’s what builds explosive power.

So when you’re in the gym, your focus should be simple:
move heavy weight with speed and intent.

I’ve used a lot of training methods over the years, but the one I always come back to is Jim Wendler’s 5-3-1 program.

It’s simple. It works. And it’s sustainable.

Here’s the breakdown:

All your percentages are based on 90% of your one-rep max, not 100%.
That small difference keeps you healthy, lets you train longer, and keeps your progress steady.

On deload weeks, you drop down to about 60% and move the bar fast. That’s what powerlifters call dynamic effort — teaching your body how to move efficiently and explosively.

When you train this way over time, your strength, power, and confidence compound.

The weight room isn’t where you train your stick skills, footwork, or lacrosse agility.

It’s where you build your engine — and get some torque.

When you’re under the bar, the goal is simple: get strong.
Everything else — your speed, agility, quickness, and explosiveness — will follow.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably ready to take your training to another level.

I work with athletes and coaches through mentorship, helping them design smarter training systems, develop discipline, and build the kind of physical and mental strength that translates to the field — and to life.

If you’re ready to get started, reach out with the word “MENTORSHIP.”
We can do this online or in person.

Let’s get stronger — for lacrosse and for life.

The Box Lacrosse Guy