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Lieutenant teaches athletes how to lift
By TAMARA LUSH © St. Petersburg Times, published February 5, 2001 NEW PORT RICHEY -- When Michael Ferrantelli was a 14-year-old student at Gulf High School, he weighed 120 pounds, had no friends, was ignored by girls and was picked on by classmates. A lot has changed in 20 years. Ferrantelli now is a massive 230 pounds -- on a 5-foot, 6-inch frame. He holds 15 world records as a drug-free power lifter and will compete in the Pan Am Games in West Palm Beach in April. When he spoke to a group of Ridgewood High School athletes recently, the guys sitting in the bleachers watched slack-jawed as Ferrantelli easily bench-pressed 455 pounds. "Pretty cool," said Anthony Nelson, 15. Women no longer ignore Ferrantelli, whose biceps are so hard that a quarter would bounce off them. "Take off your shirt," ordered one girl in the audience. But Ferrantelli wasn't there to show off. It was the first of many sessions with Pasco high school students. Ferrantelli, who is a lieutenant in the jail at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, talks to the kids about safe weight training, goal setting and drug-free athletics. Then, he goes into the weight room and helps students with their lifting techniques for several hours. Because weight lifters -- especially high school boys -- want to bulk up quickly, they are at risk for using steroids or other drugs to increase their size, Ferrantelli said. As someone who has known five people who have died from steroid use, Ferrantelli said there is no quick way to bulk up. "People want everything now," said Ferrantelli, who has lifted weights since 1982. "You've got to learn to take your time. You have to be patient." Ferrantelli also stresses the importance of a "spotter" -- the person who stands over a weight lifter, ready to catch the bar if the lifter slips or has trouble with the weight. In 1997, Ferrantelli's hands slipped from the barbell as he tried for a world-record bench press of 562 pounds. His spotter wasn't paying attention, and the weight fell on Ferrantelli's chest. Ferrantelli was lucky. He suffered no broken bones and no internal organ damage. His chest swelled six inches, and he still has flashbacks of the horrific hoist. After several months of recovery, Ferrantelli went on to bench press 580 pounds. For the record, that is the weight of an adult male gorilla. Or a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Still, Ferrantelli thinks of power lifting as a hobby -- and as an opportunity to teach. "I want to pass on the information, pass on the torch," Ferrantelli said. "There is no greater satisfaction as a teacher to see students be successful." - Tamara Lush is the police reporter in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6245. Her e-mail address is lush@sptimes.com.
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