PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison takes the power of social media seriously.
Instead of merely posting videos, Harrison prefers to power-clean them six to eight times while grunting heavily through your smartphone speaker.
Yes, we keep writing about Harrison's feats of strength in the gym. But did you just see him do three reps of 405 pounds on an incline bench press, with a half-rep between each full rep? Or hip thrust 700-plus pounds?
It's hard to look away. The 39-year-old Harrison keeps putting more on his plate(s).
"They say I'm stuntin', we gonna find out," said Harrison to a few teammates watching one of his latest conquests.
And if you missed the latest video, there will be at least one more the next day. And the next.
Until the end of time.
There's much more to Harrison's process than getting swoll, so in an effort to quantify Harrison's strength quotient, here's a Q&A about the NFL's helmeted hulk.
Why does Harrison like lifting so much?
Harrison increased his powerlifting in earnest about seven years ago, but beating tackles off the edge was only part of the reasoning. Harrison said powerlifting aids recovery from soft-tissue injuries. "Just continued maintenance of the body," as he calls it.
What is Harrison's lifting routine?
Harrison doesn't often deviate from the schedule: legs on Mondays, back and chest on Tuesdays, core muscles on Wednesdays, shoulders on Thursdays, biceps and triceps on Fridays. Each session is about one hour. Start times typically range from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the week. Musical preferences? Those vary, too. Anything from Migos, The Delfonics, Sam Cooke. His parents turned him onto soul music at a young age.
What is Harrison's go-to move?
It's gotta be Harrison's midsection/hip exercise commonly called a "glute bridge." Since last week, Harrison has posted two glute videos that garnered nearly 700,000 Instagram views combined, the latter featuring more than 700 pounds on top of him (eight 45-pound plates on each side of the bench) and two teammates there to simply keep the bench sturdy.
Can any Steelers teammates actually hang with Harrison in the gym?
That would be a no. As one team strength coach once told me, the cluster of Steelers vying for the No. 2 spot occupy a considerably lower weight class. When Harrison is ready for his set, some players resort to holding his phone to record the process. Center Maurkice Pouncey often does the honors. Those filming might get taunted by Harrison before, during or after.
What do teammates think of Harrison's work?
They are constantly in awe. Defensive end Cameron Heyward called Harrison "one of a kind" after seeing him lift 675 pounds with his midsection. Several teammates did a similar hip-thrust workout as part of team activities, but Harrison's "the only one putting the whole world on the bars," wide receiver Cobi Hamilton said. Rookie linebacker T.J. Watt, a first-round pick, said Harrison's videos "freak me out a little bit." Others see a blueprint for longevity. "It keeps me motivated," said safety Mike Mitchell, who turns 30 in June. "I'd like to play well into my 30s."
What are Harrison's limits?
Harrison must know he can lift a bar at least once before graduating to new weight challenges. He'll never try 700 pounds on the bench press. Everything else is basically fair game.
What happens when teammates lift with Harrison?
They get bigger! Mitchell said he jumped from 197 to 209 pounds this offseason by working out with Harrison in the Phoenix area. Harrison often hosts teammates in Arizona for early-morning routines that mix cardio, weights and even medicine ball volleyball. "They can think whatever they want, but I saw the guy every day at 6 a.m. in the gym, pushing 1,500 pounds on the sled," Mitchell said.
Has lifting prolonged Harrison's career?
Yes. But only when paired with Harrison's methods of muscle recovery that rack up serious bills. Harrison spends an estimated $300,000 or more on his body -- masseuses, chiropractors, dry needlists, cuppers and more. The lift-hard, recover-hard plan has kept Harrison fresh well into his late 30s.