Ever since Dave Johnson took over as coach of the Baker High School football team in 2002 the theme has been “we” rather than “I.”

That even applies to off-season team activities such as summer weightlifting workouts.

This year’s Bulldogs are lifting weights three nights a week — Monday, Wednesday and Thursday — in the BHS weight room.

Johnson said the lifting started the last week of June and will continue three nights a week until daily doubles begin in August. The only week the Bulldogs won’t lift during that time is the OSAA-mandated moratorium the last week of July.

Johnson said attendance at the lifting is not required. Still, three dozen Bulldogs showed up for Monday’s session.

“It’s not mandatory,” Johnson said. “We just want them to come and jack their heart rates up, come and hang out, and get better.”

The Baker coach said the usual workouts are a mix of upper and lower body weights on Monday and Thursday, and Olympic lifts — “explosive stuff” — on Wednesdays.

“All the lifts are multi-joint, total fitness approaches,” Johnson said.

Monday’s routine consisted of a half-hour of isometric and agility work on the BHS gym balcony followed by a half-hour of various lifts in the weight room.

Included in the agility work were 300 rope skips, footwork on a ladder drawn on the floor, explosive jumps on a variety of boxes at varying heights, agility footwork on white dots laid out on the floor, followed by a circuit of the same stations plus others that included weights and stretching routines.

In the weight room each player reviews a list of the weights and reps on the various stations. They then complete a rotation completing each of the work on each station.