Weight room renovations coming soon
The phrase “championships are won during the off-season” is a saying used by many athletic programs all over the country. What some don’t know is that most of these athletic programs’ time during the off season is spent in the weight room.
To aid Maryville College student athletes in their quest to become bigger, faster, and stronger, the MC weight room is getting a $110,000 face lift complete with new flooring, equipment, as well as several other custom touches.
While talk of the upgrades to the weight room have circulated campus endless times, and the renovations themselves have been delayed because of various issues, by the end of January, MC is expected to sport a state of the art weight facility.
“The weight room has been a contributing factor to the success we have had here,” said Philip Bailey, the head strength and conditioning coach and offensive line coach for the MC football team. “That has paved the road for what’s going in there [the weight room],” he further explained. “The student athletes here have made a commitment to that room and to respective off-season programs, and [the athletic department] has made a decision to match that commitment by putting some top notch equipment in our weight room.”
Those in charge of this renovation process leave no doubt that MC will have a state of the art facility. In addition to an all new floor and equipment layout, the upgrades feature all new dumbbells, bars, weight racks, bumper weights, kettle bells, new machines and other various workout tools.
“It’s a complete overhaul,” Bailey said of the new equipment that will be placed in the room.
With fresh tools and spacing plans, much more can be accomplished in the weight room, explained Scot’s men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach Greg Hernandez.
“I’m excited about the new racks,” Hernandez said. “There are different exercises we will be able to do and it will be a lot easier to transfer weight and use benches.”
Hernandez also mentioned his excitement about the instillation of a new training system called Vertimax.
“It’s a pulley system on a platform that three guys can use at a time and helps with explosiveness, quickness, rehabilitation, and strength.”
This new facility will also cater especially to the student athlete, keeping in mind the above average size of many athletes. “With the bars being higher and the racks being a lot bigger, it’s going to allow us to do different exercises that we haven’t been able to do in the past,” Hernandez said.
In addition to new equipment, the layout of the room will also be changed. Weight racks will be moved from the middle of the room to both sides along the walls, increasing space for exercises.
“It’s going to give us a lot more space on the inside of the weight room,” Bailey said of the new floor plan. “The platforms will be inlayed and all on one level, which will maximize space and safety.”