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FROM GOOD TO GREAT
Rob Castleman plays on a Semi-Pro team, works as a strength coach and serves as a councelor for at risk/disadvanted youth.
By Matt Shepard
Published: Fall 1998
Rob Castleman has dedicated his life to the learning and mastering of the field of sport-specific strength and conditioning. He coaches football in Oregon, plays on a Semi-Pro team, works as a strength and conditioning coach/personal trainer and is currently a counselor for at risk/disadvantaged youth. So, yes, he keeps himself busy.
Coach Castleman has learned that there is no substitute for good hard work. He says, "I take great pride in sport specific strength & conditioning. It is essential for success at any level. I honestly feel it separates the ‘men from the boys' and the ‘women from the girls.'" Sure, natural talent may take some people quite far, but when you take the naturally good athletes who don't put any extra work into themselves and compare them with the average athletes who work hard in the weight room and in conditioning themselves, there is no contest, the once average athletes will become the superior athletes.
Of all Coach Castleman's attributes, one of the best that we can all learn from is his desire to learn more. He believes that it is very important to be open minded toward new philosophies and programs; and if something works better than what you have been doing in the past, you need to be humble enough to change. That attribute is what makes the knowledgeable man wise.
Coach Casleman recalls, "Prior to starting the BFS program a little over a year ago, I had already built a pretty solid base: Bench Press-405, Squat-575, Clean-215, V.J.-31", and an electronically timed 4.57 in the 40. For years and years I had been on a M-T-TH-F training program. That type of program had always produced good results that I felt benefitted me as an athlete. I must admit, when I began the BFS program I was extremely skeptical. I thought, there's no way I can strength train my entire body three days a week with only one day of rest between strength training sessions. And I was sure I would become quickly overtrained by working out five days a week with the lifting on M-W-F and running on T/TH. I also didn't see how I could become faster and increase my endurance by only running on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The first three weeks kicked my tail. It taxed my system in every way imaginable. I dang near went back to my old ways of training, but in my heart I knew BFS was the answer. This was the program I had been searching for." To be the best, we must to seek out the things that will make us the best. Life is a continuing search for knowledge.
Rob, in a humble tone says, "Since I have been using your program my body weight has gone from 205 to 225. My body composition has gone down from 21% to 12%. My one rep max in the bench press has only gone up five pounds, but I'm able to handle more weight for more reps in terms of overall strength. I have increased my squat and clean by 30 pounds each. I have decreased my 40 from 4.57 to 4.55. I just feel much more explosive and in better overall condition. In addition, I was voted our team's MVP for the 1998 season and was also picked as the First Team All League Free Safety. Thank you for making my dreams come true and making me the best football player I can be. I never could have done it without BFS." As we follow the example of Rob Castleman and dedicate ourselves to hard work and always pursue the things that will help us become better, whether it be in the weight room, the classroom, or in life in general, we will surpass even our own dreams.
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Rob Castleman
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After Starting the BFS Program, Rob increased his squat and clean by 30 pounds each.
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