Students looking for an alternative to P.E. but are still interested in strengthening their body should consider Kelly Hambrick’s Strength and Exercise class.  Keep in mind, however, that students looking to avoid running will not find mercy in this class.  With the class built on the principles of respect and discipline, Hambrick pushes kids to their physical limits while teaching them the importance of discipline.  With a class of fifty students and only one teacher, Hambrick relies on the respect and organization of the students in order to have the class run smoothly and safely. Any lack of respect is a threat to the safety of the class and can result in running laps around the track.

The class mainly consists of a warm up stretch on the black top, sprints and leg warm ups on the track, then the majority of the period is spent lifting in the weight room. The students are divided into groups and are assigned a specific muscle to workout, then rotate as a class every ten to fifteen minutes.

Because safety is stressed so highly by Hambrick, certain precautions are taken, such as always lifting with a spotter, always putting safety clips on the dumbbells for holding on the weights, constantly being aware of who is lifting around you and  making sure that you are staying in the rotation that you were assigned.  With the strict rules that he enforces, coach Hambrick is always telling his students, “I’m not trying to be a power-trip guy, I just want you guys to be able to lift safely.”

If you are interested or enjoy lifting and you are serious about strengthening your body, sign up for Strength and Exercise because you might be surprised how fast all that hard work can pay off.