New Weight Training Facility Ready to Debut

An all-new professionally designed and outfitted weight training and fitness facility is ready to debut at Huntington High School. It is the third exercise and training related room to come online in the past three years.

The new room is located on the lower level, beneath the gymnasium. It is accessible via a staircase off the main lobby and also by walking down the outdoor ramp that leads under the building. Double doors grant entry directly into the room.

The room will be open to both boys and girls teams and physical education classes, including the new high school Personal Fitness course that will run for the first time this year.

The previous weight training and conditioning room was outdated with many non-operational machines and others that were 25 years old or even older. Students have been requesting an upgraded and modern facility and the district is giving them one. The athletic department surveyed seniors in June about all aspects of its operations, including the weight training facility.

Specifically, the graduating seniors were asked: “What changes, if any, would you like to see made to the high school’s weight training and fitness facilities?” Nearly two dozen seniors submitted responses. A sampling includes:

• More accessible to the girls’ teams.

• AC/heat, more space, new machines and new weights.

• Need new equipment in the weight room downstairs; lots of broken machines and rust on plates.

• From a gymnast: We used Harborfields, but I think it should be implemented into gymnastics because strength training is very important.

• Better weights and a better weight room; overall better quality to help us get stronger.

• More weights/more updated weights. A lot of the weights are old.

• More machines.

• Training equipment in the basement could be improved.

• Plyometrics

• New equipment in the basement.

• New updated equipment.

• The main weight training room in the basement could go with some updates.

• More gym equipment.

• I would like to see some new equipment because the ones in there right now are very defective and rusted; so full replacements of the equipment would be great.

• Never used personally, but I’ve heard MANY complaints from the girls that it’s less accessible to them.

• Newer equipment is needed.

Blue Devil athletic officials and district administrators listened. Highlights of the new facility include:

• The room has been completely repainted (including the ceiling and doors) with a new color scheme.

• A professional fitness company devised the layout of the new equipment and installed it.

• Everything in the room is brand new.

• All weights are encased in rubber.

• There are modern safety collars for all free weight bars.

• A total of nine mirrors are affixed to two of the walls.

• The room is designed to meet the needs of both male and female students and participants on every sport team, not just football and boys’ lacrosse.

• The new room will be utilized by students enrolled in the high school’s new Personal Fitness class.

• The room includes thousands of pounds of dumbbells. Students can utilize dumbbells of various weights while checking on their form in the mirrors.

• There are six chest and shoulder press stations and four pull-up/chin-up bars. The six stations can also be used for squats as they include the necessary racks.

• Two high quality air bikes are also in the room.

• Four different types of exercise bands are available.

• The ventilation ductwork has been completed enclosed in an attractive design scheme.

• All new LED lighting has been installed. Additional lighting has been added to brighten the room.

• Branding and pride decal panels have been installed.

• Electric outlets have been moved to accommodate the new equipment.

• Eight different exercise machines have been installed in addition to the dumbbells, bikes, exercise bands and six chest/shoulder press and squat stations.

• The room is completely air conditioned and it includes a rubberized floor.

• There is a door into an adjacent hallway that makes it convenient to access it from the gym area above. (A second exit door can also access this same hallway or can be used to access the ramp and outdoor area.)

• Double doors directly to the ramp and outside are also available.

Siegel Performance Systems visited the site last year and came up with a proposal, including a design for how the room and equipment should be organized. Athletic officials discussed the proposal and reached out to physical education and coaches for their opinions. A few machines were swapped out for different ones before the proposal was finalized.

District officials and Huntington School Board members toured the old facility and were provided with a verbal preview of what athletic department officials envisioned the new room to look like. A separate company was hired to install nine large mirrors, with five on one wall and four on a second wall.

Huntington High School’s new weight training and exercise room joins two other rooms that are off the gym. The so-called rig room was upgraded one year ago with the complete repositioning of the rig itself and the addition of all new weight training and exercise equipment. The district is in the process of air conditioning the room. Currently a door to the outside is opened to help increase air flow. The AC will not only cool the room, but it will also dehumidify it and help protect the equipment. No open doors will be necessary, which will also increase security and cleanliness.

A separate large fitness room has also been developed on the opposite side of the gym. It is air conditioned and includes treadmills, exercise bikes, weight training machines, dumbbells, rowing machines, a large area for stretching and yoga, jump ropes, exercise bands and a SMART Board which allows for students and athletes to follow filmed exercise routines and classes. An adjacent area is being developed for “spin” type workouts with exercise bikes and a TV.

Teachers, coaches, students and athletes as well as department officials all expressed thanks and appreciation to district executives and Huntington School Board members for their support in many these proposed initiatives a reality and seeing the projects through to completion.