If there is indeed strength in numbers, then "455," "318" and "610" are powerful statements.

Those were the highs in three key weight-lifting disciplines during the Hawai'i football team's strength tests last week.

Defensive end David Veikune and linebacker R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane each bench pressed a maximum 455 pounds. While matching last year's total, Veikune's lift was impressive because he had lost 30 pounds and now weighs 250. He wanted to be faster to play in the 4-3 alignment UH implemented last year. Still, he said, "I was disappointed (in the bench total). I didn't feel 100 percent that day."

Veikune, who once benched 495 pounds, seeks to break the 500-pound barrier. He will attempt a lift of 465 pounds this week.

This year, 13 Warriors bench pressed at least 400 pounds. Mel deLaura, who coordinates the offseason workouts, believes another 12 should be able to reach that bench mark. For instance, linebacker Brashton Satele, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, and center Matagisila "Sila" Lefiti did not bench press this year. Both have benched 400-plus pounds in the past.

Weakside linebacker Adam Leonard, who played all of last season despite a broken right thumb, benched 405 pounds. The injury had prevented him from lifting most of last season.

Kiesel-Kauhane, who is 5 feet 11 and 225 pounds, also bench pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

"I kind of do heavy reps and heavy weights to get my endurance up," said Kiesel-Kauhane, who lifts six days a week during the offseason. "I kind of focused on getting my body into better shape. As you do that, you get stronger at the same time."

He missed the team record of 42 reps of 225 pounds, set by Chris Brown, now a student assistant who assists the lifters.

Brown also had the power clean record for a linebacker. He watched his record of 304 pounds go down with Blaze Soares' 318-pound clean.

"He definitely let me know he broke my record," Brown said. "I'm glad it was by a local boy from the East Side. He's from Kane'ohe. I'm from Kahalu'u. Records are made to be broken. I told them, 'Go get it.' "

The power clean is a discipline in which the lifter brings the weight from the floor to a racked position across the deltoids. The gold standard is considered to be 300 pounds. Twelve Warriors power cleaned more than 300 pounds, with center Clarence "Lafu" Tuioti-Mariner, left tackle Ray Hisatake and running back Daniel Libre matching Soares' top lift.

"For his size (5 feet 8, 185 pounds) and strength, Daniel Libre is the most impressive guy in the weight room," Brown said. "He lifts what a lineman should be lifting. He's a warrior in the weight room."

Leonard had a power clean of 308 pounds. He started at 296 pounds, then moved up.

The power clean is considered to be one of the best measurements of strength for a football player. It combines power, lower- and upper-body strength, and leverage.

"Tuioti-Mariner was the team leader in the squat with a lift of 610 pounds — 110 more than what the second-place lifters squatted. "That was really impressive to see the six plates go up," Brown said.

Former UH player Houston Ala has the team record with a 625-pound squat lift.

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.