Football

Offensive and Defensive Lines Put on a Show

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Currently at the midway point of the first 8-week offseason strength and conditioning program, Arkansas head strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert issued the offensive side of the ball a challenge prior to Tuesday afternoon’s lift.

With two 125-pound dumbbells accompanying each side of the seated benches, coach Herbert gave senior-to-be offensive lineman Frank Ragnow the choice of choosing any coach to square off against to see who could hold the dumbbells longer. Ragnow, of course, chose Herbert with a 6 a.m. Saturday morning workout on the line.

Ragnow’s win was just the start of a BIG day for members of the offensive and defensive lines.

Close Grip Bench Press - 6 sets of 3 reps
Offensive Linemen
Player
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Frank Ragnow330350370385400425
Zach Rogers330350370385400420
Hjalte Froholdt330350370375385405
Deion Malone330350370375380400
Defensive Linemen
Player
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Set 6
Bijhon Jackson340360380405415430
Jonathan Marshall340360380405415430
Austin Capps340360370385385390

Coach Herb Notes:

  • An EliteFTS Shoulder Saver Pad is used on the bar to decrease the amount of stress on the shoulders and will eventually be removed at the end of the 8-week program. The pad decreases the distance the bar travels by three inches.
The offensive line heavy rack featured Ragnow, sophomore Zach Rogers, sophomore Froholdt and junior Deion Malone. In the final round of the 3-rep close grip bench press, Ragnow added 2.5 pounds on each of the bar to best Rogers’ 420-pound lift just seconds before.

Rogers got some revenge just minutes later in the close grip bench press where the players are challenged to go until failure. Rogers put the pressure on Ragnow with 40 reps of 225 pounds. Ragnow came up with 38, which was the third-best rep total of the day.

 

The evening lift featured the defensive side of the ball. Knowing the numbers from the afternoon, junior defensive lineman Bijhon Jackson and freshmen Jonathan Marshall and Austin Capps took aim at the offensive man totals. Both Jackson and Marshall beat Ragnow’s 3-rep close grip bench press total of 425 pounds with three reps of 430 pounds.

Marshall then turned around and also took the top in the 225-pound bench press until failure with an amazing 42 reps.

Close Grip Bench Press – 1 set at 225 pounds until failure
Offensive Linemen
Player
Reps
Zach Rogers40
Frank Ragnow38
Hjalte Froholdt36
Deion Malone26
Defensive Linemen
Player
Reps
Jonathan Marshall42
Bijhon Jackson35

Coach Herb Notes:

  • Close grip bench press emphasizes the tricep more than a normal bench press grip. The team will switch over to a normal grip soon, which is what is used in the NFL Combine testing.
  • The most reps on 225-pound bench press at the 2016 NFL Combine was 34.
  • The most reps on the 225-pound bench press by a Razorback at the NFL Combine came in 2010 when Mitch Petrus did 45, which was the most that year and is currently the third-most at the combine since 1999.