<\/p>\n
Kemari Copeland shot to fame in 2024 after obliterating Virginia Tech\u2019s squat record, lifting an astonishing 605 pounds\u2014for 10 reps! And, while the Hokies\u2019 defensive lineman\u2019s powerful performance in the gym is building a solid foundation for football, he\u2019s also working on the finer details, like working on his strategy and hitting the right bodyweight for Saturdays this season\u2014and hopefully Sundays in the NFL.<\/p>\n
M&F<\/em> sat down with the exciting lineman to find out more about his love of lifting, and how he\u2019s been using the off-season to ready for 2026 and beyond. And the way he describes it, it\u2019s been a family affair.<\/p>\n With three football-playing brothers, and a father in the Navy, Copeland<\/a> has never been short of a strong male presence to motivate him into action. Still, being part of a naval family has meant a lot of moving around for this young athlete who showed promise as a stellar defensive lineman back at Floyd E. Kellam High School. He began his college footballing career in 2022, for Army West Point, but would soon transfer to Iowa Western Community College in search of more minutes on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to have self-belief,\u201d he tells M&F.<\/em> \u201cBecause you don\u2019t really know, when you\u2019re hopping in the transfer portal, there\u2019s so many unknowns. There\u2019s kids that were getting dropped, kids that don\u2019t find a home, so I kind of had to bet on myself and be like: I can prove to college scouts that I\u2019m the player that I say I am, and that\u2019s what I did, and luckily it worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the reasons that it all worked out is the fact that Copeland was able to resist the temptations of college life in favor of bettering himself as a player.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way my mom raised us, we were never really able to mess around, because we were in the military,\u201d explains Copeland. Still, while life as a miliary family provided the young man with self-control, the constant moving around made it difficult to find friends. So, when Covid hit, he decided to use an even greater time of solitude to cement his relationship with the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cThey say that hard work pays off, so I went as hard as I could during Covid to try and get ahead of people, and that\u2019s really where it took off,\u201d confesses Copeland, explaining that he would repeat a push\/pull split. \u201cI\u2019ve actually never told anyone about this, but I just searched a random workout routine, and Big Man on Campus<\/em> (by Steve Cook) came up,\u201d he shares. \u201cIt was kind of my escape. I just wanted to become the best football player I could be and I love working out, so it was the best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n Signing with Virginia Tech in 2023, Copeland had already helped Iowa Western to win the NJCAA Division I National Championship, and it didn\u2019t take long for him to make an impact in the Hokies weightroom, repping a record-setting 10 squats at 605 pounds. \u201cI knew I was going to be able to do it,\u201d he reflects, noting that at just 19 years of age he\u2019d already squatted a single rep of 675 pounds.\u201d Still, Copeland recalls that he had to go to a \u201cdark place\u201d in his early 20s to nail his\u00a0 605-pound, double-digit-rep feat. \u201cI dang near passed out after, but I got it done,\u201d he beams.<\/p>\n Copeland\u2019s herculean strength is one thing, but he tells M&F<\/em> that he\u2019s now concentrating on form and technique, in order to develop further as a player. \u201cAfter that squatting record, there\u2019s no point maxing out and going higher in weight,\u201d he notes. \u201cAs a football player, you only need to get so much stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from the traditional back squat, Copeland has also been practicing the front squat with straps at Virginia Tech<\/a>. \u201cSo, our coaches want us to do a lot of movements based on trying to get a stronger power clean,\u201d he explains. \u201cBuilding on out explosive movements. So, front squats with straps work on the end of the movement of the power clean, where you have to get under it, squat, and stand up.\u201d Copeland says the straps also help with those that have stiff shoulders or wrists, because the elbow is further away from the barbell.<\/p>\n In terms of fueling his ferocious activities on the defensive line, Copeland says that his nutritional priority is protein, and he tries to consume around a gram per pound of bodyweight, meaning that he eats around 280 to 300g of protein per day, mostly made up of whole foods like chicken, beans, and rice\u2014topped up with shakes. The defensive tackle also takes vitamin D to bolster his bone density. This is critical, he says, because Copeland\u2019s body takes a regular beating on the field. \u201cI would say, as a D-lineman, we\u2019re always bent over, and we\u2019re always striking somebody. So in terms of what hurts the most, the next day, my fingers are jammed. You\u2019re using your knees, ankles, and just constantly bumping heads with the other dudes.\u201d<\/p>\n For recovery, the Hokies get regular massage treatment, and Copeland is a huge fan of hot saunas. \u201cWe\u2019ll have a game Saturday, then Sunday we\u2019ll have an off day, then Monday is our repair day,\u201d explains the baller. Of course, the best way to deal with an injury is to prevent one in the first place. \u201cIf I don\u2019t stretch beforehand, my lower back is gonna be real tight,\u201d Copeland says. \u201cI stretch my hips flexors, my glutes, my hamstrings, my quads, and I try to make sure that my whole lower body is loose.\u201d<\/p>\n Copeland says that he uses the foam roller to build flexibility, and that having stayed consistent with his training, he\u2019s excited for what\u2019s to come in 2026. \u201cI wanna know as much information as the offense does,\u201d he shares, noting that he has been study film in order to build his strategic IQ. The Hokies Number #13<\/a> says that he\u2019s also upping the cardio to trim around ten pounds off his frame.<\/p>\n In his limited downtime, Copeland continues his passion for making social media content. \u201cSince I was like 8 or 9 years old, just making stupid little cringey videos,\u201d he jokes. \u201cI have a TikTok channel that I grew to 150,000 followers. I just love making content.\u201d But right now, the upcoming season is taking priority, and then there\u2019s the prospect of gaining interest from the NFL. \u201cI\u2019m trying to take it day by day,\u201d shares Copeland. \u201cI was projected to get drafted last year but I decided to come back and play my last year and raise my draft stock. I\u2019m definitely going to do the NFL Draft next year, and hopefully it\u2019s a high pick, so we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow Kemari Copeland\u2019s progress on TikTok<\/a> | YouTube<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nKemari Copeland Recalls his Record-Breaking Squats at Virginia Tech<\/h2>\n
Kamari Copeland is Digging into the Details Ahead of the 2026 Season<\/h2>\n