Matt Mangum is the strength and conditioning coordinator for all varsity sports at NIU. He did his first bench press competition when he was 16 years old and weighed 130 pounds. He pushed up 245 pounds.

Northern Star: You oversee all 17 sports at NIU. Which is your favorite?

Matt Mangum: I don’t have a favorite. I have favorite athletes like P.J. Fleck, Scott Owen, Ben Heizer and Thomas Hammock – guys with as much work ethic as talent.

NS: What’s the best part of your job?

MM: Seeing an athlete develop. They come in here raw as freshmen and develop, and then I get to see them graduate.

NS: What is your dream job?

MM: To have a weight room full of blue-collar athletes who know how valuable training is. Also, a bigger staff and better facilities.

This is my dream job. The only thing that makes this feel like work are the long hours and having to convince some people to do their entire workout knowing we are here for their benefit.

NS: Some football guys have other strength and conditioning coaches to prepare for the draft. How active are you with them now?

MM: Not very. Once they get agents, they call all the shots.

NS: What is something about yourself that not many people know?

MM: I used to stutter so bad I couldn’t talk until the fourth grade. And I used to play the saxophone.

NS: How did you get into power lifting?

MM: In high school, I was a terrible athlete. I worked out to help me be better at sports. In the course of training to be a wrestler, I got into power lifting.

NS: How much do you bench, squat and deadlift?

MM: At the last contest, I benched 491 pounds and weighed 198. The most I’ve ever squatted was 613, and I deadlifted 574 pounds.

NS: So you are stronger than the people you train?

MM: I’m not going to say that, but yeah. In this field, you have to practice what you preach.

When I’m screaming at a guy doing 400 pounds on the bench, he knows that I know what it’s like having that weight over your face.

NS: What is the difference between power lifters and bodybuilders?

MM: Power lifters train for function. They train for one repetition regardless of form. Bodybuilders train specifically for form and no function. Some power lifters have a gut that sticks out half a foot.

NS: Do power lifters and bodybuilders get along?

MM: As long as they stop doing biceps curls on my squat rack. And don’t scream and yell in the weight room unless you can bench 400 pounds. Oh yeah, and don’t cut the sleeves off your shirt unless your arms are at least 18 inches.

NS: What is the worst food an athlete can eat?

MM: Any fast food or junk food. In this situation, you are what you eat.

NS: Ever think about getting a power lifting team at NIU?

MM: I’m organizing one right now. I put up an ad on the bulletin board in the Student Recreation Center for two to three workout partners. But I didn’t mention who I was.