Which sport has the toughest workout?

Both in and out of season, workouts play a crucial role in preparing Luther athletes to be on top of their games. While all sports at Luther have physically and mentally demanding workouts, athletes discuss how some in particular really make them work up a sweat.

Chris Reynolds (‘12): Football

In middle school, Reynolds and his football team endured a workout that nobody enjoyed. “It was called ‘Dirty Names’, simply because doing the workout, that’s all you would want to do was say dirty names,” Reynolds said.

The workout involved running 10 yards, completing a plyometric [to improve jumping] exercise, and running back. This was repeated on 10 yard intervals until the team reached 100 yards.

“Everyone hated it, and it did make you say dirty names,” Reynolds said.

Kelsey Bies (‘14): Softball

The softball team is known for its difficult off-season workouts, but for Bies, high school swimming was where she found her toughest workout.

“On the first Saturday of the swim season, we would have ‘The Practice’,” Bies said.

Over the course of three hours, Bies and the team swam one set of 100 yards, two sets of 200 yards, three sets of 300 yards, four sets of 400 yards and five sets of 500 yards.

“Though it was physically tiring, the mental pain was worse,” Bies said.

Molly McHenry (‘12): Soccer

For soccer, McHenry and the rest of her teammates do a test that measures the oxygen intake. The athletes are required to run 40 meters on an increasingly shorter interval marked by a beeping noise.

“It’s hard, I’ll admit,” McHenry said. “Not only is it tough physically, but mentally draining as well.”