Have you ever been sitting in the library, trying to do some work during the day, and all of a sudden you hear constant banging noises from below you? Maybe the screaming of Mr. Schaaf or the loud music blaring? Well, that is the Chaminade Gym, AKA “Schaaf’s Dungeon,” and probably some of our Chaminade gentlemen working their way up to the 750 or 1000 club.

The 750 Club isn’t technically a club that you sign up for, just a club of people who have accomplished lifting 750 total pounds in 3 total lifts. These lifts are the Bench Press, Power Clean, and Front Squat, and like I said, if your max weight from all three of these lifts is 750 or more, you are deemed a member of the 750 club. You also get your name on the wall of the Chaminade gym as well, but now since so many students are hitting this mark, it is displayed on the TV’s in the gym.

I got the chance to catch up with Junior Alex Todt, a member of the 750 club, and asked him a few questions about his lifting, what it’s like joining and how Mr. Schaaf helps motivate the students to push themselves and hit higher max weights. “I joined the 750 club in the summer going into my junior year, maybe in the end of sophomore year,” Todt told me.

One key person in this whole program is Mr. Schaaf. If you are in the Chaminade gym, you will literally see a sign that says “Schaaf’s dungeon” on the wall, really setting the tone for the mindset of the gym when you enter. “Coach Schaaf does a great deal for all of the people who go in the weight room regularly,” said Todt. “I had already been an experienced lifter when I met him, but even then, he helped my form progress to the place it is now. He also is an excellent motivational speaker and knows how to get someone ready right before.”

Mr. Schaaf was an Olympic lifter himself, so with his expertise, the Chaminade students really have a firsthand trainer and coach helping them with their goals as well as their form. From his screaming to his loud voice, he really knows how to get you going, and he definitely will never let you quit or give up. Mr. Schaaf really knows how to get someone riled up, and motivated to achieve their goal.  I finally asked Alex about how he felt when he finally hit that 750 mark, and he said, “When I first hit the 750 club, it was really crazy. I got there and looked back at some of the people who got it when I was a freshman. I remember looking at Julian McBride and how big he was, and now I am getting closer and closer to his lifts.” Todt now goes to the gym here 3-5 days a week and maxes out every 4-6 weeks.

I remember being a freshman in weight training, and everyday seeing the names on the wall. It is obvious that being in this club is a big recognition and honor and is not something that it easy. A truly tough path it is, but with the help of Mr. Schaaf, and the availability of the great equipment in the Chaminade weight room, it just makes the path there a little bit easier.