Students participate in after school lifting

By Rhett Everhart

TASD offers after-school lifting in the remodeled fitness room next to the high school gym for both middle and high school students, along with staff members, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

After school lifting starts at 3:15 and runs to 4:30 – 5:00pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Lifting is offered to all students in fall, winter, and spring sports, as well as students that do not participate in a school sport.

The remodeled fitness room is different from the old fitness room that was in the same location last year because it is open to both students and staff, compared to last year when it was only open to staff members.

Also the remodeled fitness room combines the equipment from the old weight room, which was located in the boy’s locker room hallway, along with the equipment that was previously in the fitness room.

“I like this new fitness room much better than the old weight room because it is bigger and more people can exercise. I’m in here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I think everyone needs to use this new facility,” Jake Makdad, freshman, said.

In the remodeled fitness room there are three bench presses, two leg presses, two lat pull-down machines, two military presses, three sit-up machines, one assisted pull-up machine, one tricep machine, along with many cardio machines, which include: a stair stepper, three bikes, two elliptical running machines, and two treadmills.

The remodeled fitness room also comes with its own Golden Eagle Workout Plan, which consists of a different workout for every day that the fitness room is open. This workout plan is designed to work every muscle in the body over the period of one week while incorporating 20 minutes of cardio exercise each day the fitness room is open.

The remodeled fitness room already has many students using the facility.

In November alone, up to 70 different students and staff have signed in to use the facility, with an average of 40 students using the fitness room each day it’s open.

“Let’s just say it’s packed compared to the old weight room, which only had 10-20 students attending when it was open,” Mr. Everhart, strength coach, said.

“I use the fitness room every day that it’s open because I think it’s a lot of fun, the people are nice and I get to exercise with people who encourage me,” Alexa Patton, sophomore, said.

To make this remodeled fitness room possible, funding was provided by Albemarle Corporation and The Family Clothesline.

Employees of the sponsoring companies are welcome to lift at the fitness room from 4:30-5:30 daily.

“Without these kindhearted folks, the door would be locked, and $150,000 of equipment would be rusting in the dark,” Everhart said. “I see a lot of proud and smiling faces every day I walk in the door; I’m just thankful that Tyrone businessmen, Tom Getz and John Gummo, had the heart to make this happen. I’m hopeful that if local sponsorship should dry up, our school board would recognize how important this facility is to so many children and employees and make it a priority to sustain and fund it.”