Duck weight trainer says job is perfect
By Julie Shippen
Of th» Emerald
The pair of dimly-lit rooms
that constitute the Harold C.
Hagg Memorial Weight Room
look more like a medieval tor
ture chamber than a spa for the
muscularly flawless.
Located between two tunnels
on the east side of Autzen
Stadium, the rooms are jam
packed with racks, benches,
bars, presses and weights. The
giant masses of rippling flesh
who frequent the facility appear
quite able of inflicting any sort
of punishment they please.
But for Eric Hohn, who is
now in his second year as the
University's assistant weight
trainer, the sweat-filled rooms
are home, sweet home.
When he isn’t giving his
245-pound frame a grueling
workout on the weights, Hohn
devotes his attention and skills
to literally scores of football and
basketball players, and other
players of college sports.
“This job allows me the
perfect situation,” he says. “I
have a weight room I can train
in any hour of the day, seven
days a week. It's also fun to
write up (training) programs
and see people progress.”
Many individuals who come
to the room have no team con
nections, and use Hohn’s ad
vice and watchful eye to help
master the art on their own, he
says. The coaching is a must, he
adds, in order to keep new
lifters from overdoing it.
“There’s a danger with that,
but we monitor it pretty well,”
Hohn says. “If they don't know
what they’re doing, we won’t
let them lift.”
Most, however, are Universi
ty athletes required by their
coach to spend a certain number
of hours per week in the weight
room.
oume ui mem tume in
because they have to,” Hohn
says. Although the players are
not always enthusiastic about
this duty, he says they usually
make the sessions to avoid
possible “disciplinary action,”
such as extra running after
practice.
The strength training also has
another benefit for team
athletes, especially those in
football. “If you lift properly on
the right program, it will help
you avoid injuries out on the
field or court,” Hohn says. He
explains that toned muscles are
better able to absorb physical
blows. “Obviously it makes
them stronger. In some cases it
helps them improve their
speed.”
Hohn says he spends around
30 hours a week at the weight
room, filling his free time with
training toward future power
lifting competitions. Hohn's
strongest areas include the
squat, bench and dead lifts. He
adds that he can dead lift up to
700 pounds.
“I’m high enough now that if
I stay healthy, I could be com
peting on the national level,”
Hohn says. He is slow to admit
his abilities, though, adding
that “it sounds like I’m tooting
my own horn.”
But national competition is
nothing new to Hohn. He made
his way to an NCAA champion
t Sidelines. , «
ship one year as a hammer
thrower on the University track
team.
Although Hohn began serious
weight lifting more than eight
years ago in high school, it
wasn’t until 1982 when he
graduated from the University
and ended his five-year col
legiate track career, that he says
he took it up agaih.
“1 did all right. , .but I have
more of a knack for weight lift
ing,” he says. "I saw more pro
gress in the short period 1
weight-trained than I did in the
five years on track.”
In addition to making the ad
justment to a new sport, Hohn
says the switch from “trainee”
to “trainer” was interesting and
sometimes difficult.
“Last year I really felt in
secure with that,” he says. “I
had to gain their respect as a
coach. When they saw how in
tense I was in my own training
and saw the good results I was
getting, they finally felt comfor
table coming to me and asking
for my help.
“I’m still not a coach-athlete
per se, but I’m probably the best
lifter,” he says. And feeling
secure in his ability was
necessary, Hohn adds, as the
majority of the athletes were
often his peers.
“It took awhile before I could
tell the guys that they were do
ing something wrong with con
fidence,” Hohn says. “But by
the end of the season, the guys
didn’t think of me as just
someone to take roll and keep
tabs on ’em.”
Photo by Karen Stallwood
Assistant weight trainer Eric Hohn shares his intense dedication
with University athletes and other devotees to the art of “pump
ing iron.’’
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