Over the course this month, the weight room has gotten some new additions and upgrades to the existing room. Some of these upgrades include new televisions and upgraded TRX (Total-Body Resistance Exercise) benches. This upgrade is long overdue, as the old equipment was starting to get worn down and difficult to use.
The class that gets the most benefit out of this new equipment is the weightlifting, leadership and conditioning course. This course, as well as many others, are taught by Christopher Coennen. This course pushes students to perform high intensity workouts and teaches what it means to be a leader. 

“The new equipment is great. We have a couple of fixed machines that help the lifting burn wake you up in the morning,” junior Christopher Hartley said. 

Students who frequently get to use this equipment have shown real appreciation for the upgrade to the room.

“The televisions are a great add-on for days you want to relax and work on cardio. I think they were all great add-ons to the weight room,” Hartley said. 

While a person may not think a television could benefit a weightlifting course, many use the televisions to pull up YouTube videos of others working out to follow along with. These new additions give the appeal of a public gym located within a high school.

Some students even saw this upgrade as a new way to motivate themselves. The weight room had never had television before this renovation, so students were excited to take advantage of them. 

“It is really cool. It definitely improves the mood in the room, and makes it feel more fun, and the new benches are a lot comfier than the older ones,” senior Chris Zarilla said. 

For some, it is their first year in weightlifting, and they are glad to have a more comfortable and beneficial experience starting out in the class. This class also teaches those enrolled about being motivational and being a leader. Coennen has shaped the class to motivate those enrolled, as well as make the experience more like real life.

“I wanted it to be like a simulation of the real world,” Coennen said. 

Coennen wants this class to focus on what life would be like after high school and how to continue to stay in shape. The remodel to the room has been able to give an appearance that resembles a public gym.

“I think it is a great motivator for others and keeps them going,” Coennen said.

With these new additions into the weight room, those enrolled within the weightlifting course have become more self-motivated to work out. Not only can students who are enrolled within the class use these facilities, but students who are not can as well. All the student would need is teacher supervision while in the room, and they would be more than welcome to take advantage of these new upgrades.