The Green Wave wants to pump you up.

Cathedral High School’s powerlifting team will host the 2001 Powerade Powerlifting Invitational at the Cathedral High Gym at 2 p.m. Monday.

This will be the first time Cathedral has hosted a powerlifting meet.

&uot;We’re excited about it,&uot; said Cathedral powerlifting coach Craig Beesley.

Three different lifts are involved in powerlifting – the squat, the bench press and the dead lift.

&uot;In the squat, the hip joint has to be below the knee,&uot; and strength of one’s legs are tested, Beesley said. &uot;With the bench press, you lay the bar on the chest and it must be motionless until the judge tells you to move it. With the dead lift, you bend over and pull it up to your waist.&uot;

He said the dead lift is the event in which many competitions are won and lost.

&uot;There will be three judges on each platform and there will be two platforms,&uot; he said. &uot;If two give a good lift, then it’s a good lift.&uot;

Beesley said four other teams will be competing with Class 2A Cathedral in the meet: defending South 3A State Champion Wilkinson County, Class 5A Natchez High, Class 3A Franklin County and Class 1A Bouge Chitto.

Among the members of Cathedral’s powerlifting team are four seniors: Scott McLemore, Key Smith, Michael Shull and Ben Tillman.

&uot;I just like to lift,&uot; said McLemore, who started powerlifting last year. &uot;It helps for all your other sports and it makes you stronger.&uot;

McLemore said his favorite event is the bench press because, &uot;I’ve always worked my upper body more than my lower body.&uot;

&uot;I started off because coach started us doing this for football,&uot; Smith said. &uot;My sophomore season, Craig asked if I wanted to be on the team.&uot;

Like McLemore, Smith’s favorite event is the bench press. &uot;It’s what I’ve always been best at,&uot; Smith said.

&uot;I started out lifting to get ready for football,&uot; Shull said. &uot;It keeps you in shape and it keeps you strong. It helps me for other sports.&uot;

Tillman said he has always enjoyed lifting weights.

&uot;If I wasn’t doing this, I wouldn’t be doing anything,&uot; he said.

Tillman said his favorite event is the dead lift because &uot;you’re able to push yourself the most in that.&uot;

Beesley said there is safety is a concern when it comes to powerlifting.

&uot;We go through the safety precautions,&uot; he said. &uot;They’ve got the belts to protect the backs and the knee wraps. But there’s risks with everything.&uot;

Admission will be $2 to the general public for the Monday meet.