My name is Josh Porter, and I am the Adapted PE Teacher and Special Olympics Coach at Milton High School in Fulton County, Georgia. I am also the founder and Head Coach of Big Dog Barbell Strength Training for Special Needs, where I guide students through strength training and foster world champion powerlifters.
Going into the 2016-2017 school year, my principal at MHS asked if I would like to teach two adapted PE classes as we were getting an intellectually disabled program for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect, so I said, “Let’s do it!” While learning to be a good APE teacher, I would see the weight room open and think, “Why can’t my students use the weight room?” I have always enjoyed lifting weights for my own fitness journey and assumed my APE students would, too. We entered the weight room, laid down on the bench press, and started pumping iron. We did some curls that day, too, and had some fun. Little did I know that it would change my teaching career for the better!
I began my coaching journey with Special Olympic powerlifters in 2018 when I took two student-athletes to a Special Olympics meet. Although neither lifter performed exceptionally well, I was enthusiastic about this new venture. Since then, my Big Dog lifters have achieved significant success. We have had one teenage division AWPC World Champion and seven AWPC Special Olympics World Champions. Additionally, we have guided seven lifters to become AAPF National Champions, with five securing multiple National Championships. My athletes have set over ten world and national records in the AWPC and AAPF, and this all started from the question I asked myself, “Why can’t my students use the weight room?”
I incorporated Big Dog Barbell as a public charity 501(c)(3) in 2023, but its origins trace back to 2021. That year, I took four lifters to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for the Amateur American Powerlifting Federation (AAPF) National Championship in the AAPF’s newly established Special Olympics division. All four lifters won national championships and developed a passion for powerlifting. In 2022, I returned to Gatlinburg with five lifters, winning national championships in their respective Special Olympics divisions. One lifter, Dave Githutu, qualified for the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) World Championship in Manchester, England, and secured Big Dog’s first World Championship in both the Special Olympics Division and the typical 18-19-year-old division, setting world records with a 600 lbs total.
After fundraising for Dave’s trip, I established Big Dog Barbell Strength Training for Special Needs as a 501(c)(3) public charity. In 2023, Big Dog Barbell funded seven lifters to attend the AAPF Nationals in Chicago, IL, and the AWPC World Championship in Baton Rouge, LA, where they all won national and Special Olympics World Championships. In 2024, I sent five lifters to Baton Rouge for the AAPF Nationals, and all five won national championships and qualified for the AWPC World Championships in Limerick, Ireland, with total funding provided by Big Dog Barbell. Big Dog Barbell has 14 members, 12 competing in at least one powerlifting meet. The organization also includes an assistant coach and two volunteer assistants who help run training sessions. We continue to grow and aim to involve more individuals with intellectual disabilities in strength training and powerlifting.
According to the Special Olympics Florida website, 74% of Special Olympics athletes over the age of 20 are obese or overweight, and 56% have strength issues. This underscores the importance of strength training for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Strength training offers numerous benefits for individuals with ID, including improved physical health, increased self-confidence, and enhanced overall well-being. Regular strength training can help manage weight by increasing muscle mass and metabolism. This is crucial for reducing the high rates of obesity among athletes with ID. By focusing on strength training, we can address the significant percentage of students with strength issues, enhancing their ability to perform daily activities and participate in sports. One of the biggest reasons I love lifting weights with my students is to see the sense of accomplishment on their faces after completing a lift. Whether they lift 10, 100, or 1000 pounds, the weight is heavy, and they accomplished something that day!
You don’t have to coach world-champion powerlifters to teach your students how to lift weights. Squatting is the king and queen of strength training exercises, incorporating more muscle groups than any other exercise, so I encourage you to start there. Below you will find some tips on getting your students into a strength training program:
For squats, here is the progression we focus on:
1. Start with Zombie Squats:
Have your students sit to stand while keeping their arms out in front of them like zombies. This helps them learn to keep their chest up, chin level, and knees pushed out while sitting back on a box or weight bench.
2. Progress to Goblet Squats:
Once your students master the zombie squats, introduce goblet squats using a kettlebell or dumbbell. Emphasize the concepts of chest up, chin level, and knees out.
3. Move to Broom Handle or PVC Pipe Squats:
After being comfortable with goblet squats, have them use a broom handle or PVC pipe on their backs to simulate the barbell squat.
Additional Adaptations:
• Students in wheelchairs who can stand
For students who can stand up, practice sit-to-stand exercises to build the strength to assist caregivers during transitions from their chairs. This exercise enhances their independence and confidence in daily activities. By repeatedly standing up from a seated position and using their arms for balance, they develop the leg strength and coordination required for smoother and safer transfers.
• Students in wheelchairs who cannot stand
For students who cannot stand up, focus on leg extensions to help build muscle. They can work on extending their legs using resistance bands or specialized equipment. This strengthens their quadriceps and improves overall lower body function, contributing to better mobility and stability in their everyday lives.
For the bench press, here are the key points and progression we focus on:
1. Assist students in lying down on the bench
2. Grip: thumb distance from the smooth portion of the bar
3. Maintain a slight arch in the lower back
4. Keep feet flat on the ground
5. Bar path: Bring the bar down below the nipple line, then push up in a straight line to the elbows, locking out
• Bench Press Progression:
• Broomstick/training bar
• Power barbell
• Bar with weights
Additional Adaptations:
• Students with reclining wheelchair
Recline the wheelchair and provide hand-over-hand assistance as needed
For the deadlift, here are the key points (italicized statements are cues I use) and progression we focus on:
1. Chest up, head up: Keep your chest and head up to maintain a neutral spine
2. Pull bar in and up: Engage your lats and pull the bar towards your body as you lift
3. Arms straight: Keep your arms straight throughout the lift
4. Bar at knees, squeeze booty cheeks: As the bar reaches knee level, squeeze your glutes to lock out the lift
• Deadlift Progression:
• Start with kettlebell off the ground
• Begin by lifting a kettlebell to develop initial strength and form
• Transition to a bar with weights
• As students get stronger and can safely perform the lift, progress to using weights
Additional Adaptations:
• Student in wheelchairs will do curls as their adaptions with a sand bar or dumbbells
An additional exercise we like to incorporate is the banded pull-up. It is not one of the power lifts, but it does help with strength and the students love it for the sensory effect of bouncing up and down! These exercises not only improve back and arm strength but also enhance grip strength, which is essential for various daily activities.
Banded Pull-Ups Progression:
• Add exercise bands to help students perform pull-ups
• Use heavy-duty bands attached to safety catches on the rack, adjusted for height
• Use boxes to help students reach the bands.
• Spot them the whole way through to ensure safety and proper form.
Additional Adaptations
• Students in wheelchairs use mini bands to perform a curl or modified pull-up
Have fun with your adapted PE students by taking them into the weight room. You will be surprised by what they can accomplish. Our students know that typical general education students lift weights in the weight room. They see their parents going to the gym to exercise and lift weights. They want to do the same things their peers and family members do, so allow them to do that. Have some fun in the weight room; everyone loves to do bicep curls. Start small with 5, 10, or 15 lbs. weights and see where it takes you. You don’t have to train Special Olympic world champion powerlifters to get your students into the weight room. Just take them in, have some fun, and watch them thrive. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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