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Friday, April 6, 2001
A kind of power trip
King junior Amber Schulze places first at state lift competition
Andrea Wall
Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

King junior Amber Schulze bench presses at the Ironhorse Gym. The 17-year-old lifted a total of 513 pounds in three events.

With shuddering strain and pouring sweat, King High School junior Amber Schulze finishes her last set of squats.
   On her first set, only the bar is used. Twenty pounds are added each set after, until Schulze - all 5'7", 127 pounds of her - is squatting almost 225 pounds.
   Muscles aching, she flashes a big grin.
   "I've added 25 yards to my drive thanks to this," Schulze said. "And I know my golf game will keep getting better the more I power lift."
   But what do golf and power lifting have to do with one another?
   For Schulze, 17, it has made short drives and tiring walks a thing of the past.

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Schulze works out with trainer John Fowler. Schulze says she first started lifting weights to make carrying her golf bag for 18 holes easier.

   "She's been hitting the ball a lot farther," said King sophomore Veronica Trevino, Schulze's teammate on the golf team. "I think it has helped her game a lot. Her scores have improved."
   At first glance, the frosty green eye shadow, pink lip gloss and neatly put together hair would lead one to believe that Schulze is anything but a power lifter - or at least how most people would imagine a power lifter to look.
   Five months ago, she started training with John Fowler, owner of Ironhorse Gym, merely in hopes of improving her golf game.
   She hoped that if she improved her strength, it would help her drives and build endurance for carrying a golf bag 18 holes.
   "In high school, they don't give you carts to ride around in," Schulze said. "You have to walk a couple miles every time you play while having your clubs on your shoulder or back. It can get really tiring and if that happens, you will start playing worse."
   Power lifting consists of only three exercises - squats, bench press and dead lifts.
   Schulze entered her first power lifting competition last month, at the United States Power Lifting Texas state power lifting championship in Killeen, and took first place in her weight division.
   "I was so nervous that morning, I was shaking," she said. "But as soon as I got the first lift out of the way, I felt comfortable."
   She entered the 132-pound teen weight class at the competition, and lifted a total of 513 pounds.
   Fowler competed in the same championship and was entered in the men's 275-pound open division. He squatted 740 pounds, bench pressed 440 and dead lifted 705 - and took first place as well.
   "When I first met her, she was this really skinny kid," Fowler said. "But as soon as we started lifting, I could tell there was something in her - she really digs down when she feels she can't lift anymore. Most people don't do that."
   That determination is shown through her hard work.
   "I think the fact that she weight trains is great," said King golf coach Patty Robinson. "She is a competitor. She doesn't have a problem withstanding 18 holes anymore."
   The King girls golf team finished second in district and will play in the regionals April 24-25 in San Antonio.
   Schulze golfs after school four days week until the sun goes down.
   Then she heads to the gym to work out with weights for another two hours.
   "I do put in a lot of time, but I enjoy everything I do," she said. "And I can honestly say that power lifting has benefited every aspect of my life."

Contact Andrea Wall at 886-3631 or walla@caller.com

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