Marcus Morris is strong. How strong you may ask?
How about top ten all time on the charts in the 181 pound class and top ten on the multi-ply list. A native of New York, he's on his way to trying to nail a huge squat in less than a month in Buffalo.
I wanted to know what made this guy tick, so I reached out to him and wanted know what drives him, his methods, and who pushed him to be the best he can be.
Ladies and Gents....Marcus Morris.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
For starters, I'm 27 years old and reside in Syracuse, New York. By day, because we all have bills to pay, I work as an account manager for Coca-Cola.
afterwards, all of my free waking moments are dedicated to my passion, which is competing.
I am privileged enough to train out of THE Hercules Gym, owned by Rheta West and Pete Knutsen. Everyday I feel beyond blessed not only to be able to compete in such a wonderful sport, but to be able to do in in such a cohesive and supportive environment alongside some other great lifters.
Were you active in sports growing up?
Growing up, I was very underweight early on. Sports became a huge factor in my life for that reason. In high school, I played football, baseball, and wrestled. Being one of the smaller guys standing at 5’4 and some change, I always had to bust my ass to get on the field.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a huge chip on my shoulder...and because of that I am a workhorse. I thank God for childhood and high school athletics because they taught me from an early age that life isn't fair, but with hard work, consistency, and an opportunity...anyone can make a play.
What drew you to the weights?
It's cliche, but I was first drawn to weights out of fear and insecurity. As a young overweight kid, I was picked on a lot. I remember one incident specifically where coming home on the bus, two older kids cornered me in a seat and harassed me the whole ride home. I remember getting off the bus and breaking down crying at the front door to my mom. First, my grandmother felt that karate would do the trick. The thing is, I'm not a fighter. After that didn't take, she got me a membership at Bally’s as well as a personal trainer named Janis.
From the minute I stepped inside the gym, I was addicted. I would train with Janis two times a week...but I would go there on my own every chance I could. I loved everything about the weights. The smell, the sounds, the physical exertion and release, I loved it all. Training right then and there, became not only my emotional escape, but it allowed me to create a version of myself that I wanted. From the day I walked in there untill now, I have been chipping away at that version of myself that I want to see. When I think about what competing and training does for me today..it's simple.
The platform is the only place in the world where I can prove to myself that I am enough.
Have you ever tried your hand at bodybuilding?
This makes me laugh...because I made one sad attempt. When I was about 19, before I seriously got into powerlifting, I did a natural bodybuilding show. To be be honest, I just wasn't carrying nearly enough muscle to do a show, nor was I able to diet the way I should have. In the future, perhaps after my time in powerlifting is done, I would be curious to make another attempt.
What made powerlifting more appealing to you?
The objectivity. The grittiness of it.
Powerlifting is black and white, you either got better or you didn't. More than anything, the chaos is what draws me in the most. Step foot into the warmup room at any big meet..what do you see? Adrenaline, aggression, and a bunch of bad motherfuckers just waiting to punch the clock and do what they have been training 16 weeks for.
You hear the sounds of plates being loaded, handlers cueing lifters, backs being slapped, and you hear the infamous “bar is loaded” coming from the main platform. There is not another sport like it.
Who are your favorites in the sport?
There is one lifter I look up to, and one only. Rheta West.
Rheta is a multiple all-time record holder both raw and equipped in the 148 and 165 weight classes. When I was 21, Rheta took me under her wing and has been nothing short of my source of motivation for training, a great mentor, and an even better friend. If I could be 1/10 the lifter and person Rheta is, then I will have accomplished a hell of a lot.
Lets shift gears and dive right into training. You’re the best in your class at 181 at multiply. No easy feat. What is your best total and what your training like leading up to that meet?
My best multiply Total to date is 2100 pounds from about a year and a half ago. All meet cycles are pretty much the same for me raw or equipped. My training style is an adaption of conjugate, and then some of the things I have learned along the way from Rheta, Scott Rowe, and a few others.
Essentially, I have a dynamic effort day and a maximum effort day. I use my “speed” days to accumulate volume and refine technique using specialty bars to manipulate positioning, as well as
varying forms of accommodating resistance.
For my max effort work I stick to primarily singles and view my training weeks much like a climber attempting to reach the summit of Everest. For the squat and deadlift I utilize reverse bands alongside staggered straight weight attempts to climb that intensity latter until finally at the meet I reach the peak. Same thing with the bench, only I use boards. I am very aggressive with my attempts and sometimes it backfires. But I'm not scared of shit and I'd rather fail trying than take an easy make.
What are your current goals?
Currently I have made a shift into raw powerlifting. I competed in my first raw meet about 4 months ago and totaled 1700 at 181. I currently have a meet August 5th where I plan to put together a total that I am capable of, and I will also be taking a shot at the all-time squat record which currently stands at 759.
It's going to be a fun ride, and more importantly it's going to be fun to shut all those raw zealots up. I have the sack to step in their world, let's see them come to mine.
What's a typical training cycle look for you, as far as percentages go?
My speed work is broken down into three micro cycles that make up a larger nine week cycle.
Currently I am competing raw, so for the squat my bar weight percentage is 40, 45, and then 50. Over three weeks I go 12x2, 10x2, 6 to 8x2.
Every fourth week the specialty bar changes to attack a specific positioning weakness. In regards to the accommodating resistance, I let that remain the same over nine weeks. After nine weeks, I add more in either band or chain. Currently I am utilizing a choked heavy band, and eight chain.
The next 9 week cycle will see a light band added to that. For the deadlift, my bar weight is usually 50 percent for 5x2 week one, 60% 10x1 week 2.
I use a lot of deficits early on in the cycle and rotate bands and chains every three weeks. Week three I back off. I currently do not utilize a speed day for bench, as I have Pete Knutsen programing my bench and he feels I need volume over speed at the moment and it's working.
For my heavy work, especially with the squat...I attack the intensity ladder much like a climber would Everest. A very rudimentary peaking cycle for the squat would go as follows..
week 1: last warmup x2, reverse band opener x1
Week 2: opener x1, reverse band second
Week 3: off
Week 4: Second attempt, reverse band third
Week 5: Overload to 30-50 pounds over third with reverse band
Week 6: off
Week 7: Take all Attempts, cruise until the meet.
For the deadlift I pull three times over 9 weeks...
9 weeks out: Reverse band x2
6 weeks out: four mat deficit vs eight chain
3 weeks out: pull opener
The bench is in Pete's hands at the moment and I am on autopilot. I will tell you right now, he knows what he is doing.
Tell us about the gym you train at. Looks to be a place where someone can get pretty damn strong.
Hercules Gym is my home. I would be nothing if it wasn't for those walls. I mean that sincerely.
It is owned by Rheta West and Pete Knutsen, both of whom make every attempt to provide their lifters with the best training environment possible. I have said this before. Hercules is a shark tank. It is home to multiple personalities, training methodologies, and athletes. We have everyone from beginners just getting their feet wet, to IFBB pro's and all-time record holders. Does everyone always get along? No. But I will say this, everyone there is there to get better. When you walk in that door, that is the only thing that matters. Leaving better than you were before you came in.
Don't be a big fish in a small pond. Go jump in the fucking shark tank and take some risks.
I’ve noticed you use the box squat a lot. If I’m a raw beginner….how would I start off learning the movement?
Find someone who knows what they are doing. Outside of that...getting proper cueing and understanding it. Are you breaking the floor apart on the pickup, the descent, and the ascent? Are you sitting back? Are you rocking, or are you managing to stay tight to the box? These are all things that need to happen. Basic things to get right..
1: Chest stays up..dont rock on the box
2: Break the floor apart the whole time
3: Touch the box with your adductor....not your ass
4: Lead with your shoulders to get off the box and drive your head back
5: Go slightly wider than comp stance.
What drives you?
Diet wise, what are your staple foods?
I usually stick to chicken, beef, rice, pasta, eggs, bread, and then fill in the blanks with whatever I want.
I have a hard time eating enough, especially due to anxiety, so sometimes i need some shitty food.
Do you ever go on a “diet” to cut weight?
Where is the competitive advantage in that? all cuts should revolve around water manipulation only.
What was your most severe weight cut?
Typically I cut 22-24 pounds over 36 hours.
They all run like clockwork for me at this point, as I have a routine and I stick to it.
I try to only sweat the last 10-12 hours. I make sure to only be at my target weight for the 3 seconds I am on the scale.
For me the hardest aspect has always been the recomp. However with the help of others I finally have come up with the perfect IV/nutrition/and supplement combo to bring me back.
My whole life I have never felt like I was good enough.
Maybe it was from getting bullied at a young age. Maybe it's from always being the smallest in every sport I played. Maybe it's from all the girls that made me feel like I'm worth nothing. Maybe it's a little of everything. I don't know. But I do know this. The only person in my life who truly made me feel as though I was enough was my grandfather.
He would sit and watch every practice, come to every game, and he would bring me home almost every time. If there is one thing in my life I miss, it's those car rides home, and the lessons that were instilled in me..even if I didn't know it at the time. When I was a junior in highschool, my grandfather...who had battled cancer for some time at this point..was told he didn't have much time left.
The hardest thing in the world is to watch someone who means so much to you, who is so strong, and that you look up to so much, just start to wear down and fade away.
The one thing he would always make sure to tell me....every single time he saw me...was to "be a pro". I didn't get what it meant until those last few months. You see, being a pro isn't about being the best.....it's about controlling the things you can control, and regardless of the cards you are dealt...you play them out and you play them out to the best of your ability. A pro doesn't fold. He doesn't back down, and he most certainly doesn't let the things he can't control dictate the things he can. I watched my grandfather do all of those things in those last few months. I don't think I will ever learn a stronger lesson than that.
So everytime touch a bar, I remember him...I remember the message he was trying to convey without even saying it. There will never be a weight on my back that is as heavy as life can be.
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| Marcus's Grandfather |
Anyone you would like to thank?
I would like the thank Rheta for everything she does for me. It goes so far beyond powerlifting. She has been there for me when things were as low as they could be. She really is a great human being. I also want to thank my teammates and training partners, you guys do a lot day in and day out to put me in a position to make a play....and I will always be there to do the same for you.
Follow Marcus on Instagram: Marcusmorris15
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