Long after the final bell at John Jay High School and students have left the building, the school gym becomes alive with the sound of weights being slammed and feet stomping as people cheer each other on. For many of these off-season athletes, this Strength and Conditioning workout is the head start and the edge they need to excel during their sports season. In their minds, preparation during the off season is vital in preventing injury and standing out during the first days of practice. 

These dedicated athletes come together for a singular common purpose. They are there to take advantage of a customized workout routine developed and led by Coaches Christian Tsakanikas, Will Carter, and Adrionna Palmiero. These sessions hone in on strength and speed, giving athletes the opportunity to improve off the field. This schedule spans 12 weeks with 3 sessions every week, typically Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

These workouts seek to help athletes build speed, strength, and agility while also building bonds with one another.  

A standard workout consists of warmups, such as jumping jacks, body weight squats, and  stationary bike rides. Athletes then move on to weights, where they do exercises like cleans, variations of squats, barbell bench press, shoulder press, and deadlifts. 

Students track their progress on an app called PLT4M. This app shows the improvements you made by tracking your starting weight for an exercise, and your final weight for that exercise and the end of the 12-week program. Seeing the gains being made will give these athletes another reason to come back to the next session. 

Sophomore athlete, Oliver Browning, who plays lacrosse, said the workouts have not only helped him get stronger, but helped him connect with his teammates. Browning stated, “One thing that I have improved is how fast I’ve gotten” (Browning). He also said, “We get to talk during the lifts, and we all have a great time in there” (Browning). 

Gym teacher, field hockey coach, and lifting instructor Adrionna Palmiero said that her favorite part about coaching these sessions is having the students compete against themselves to become a better athlete. Palmiero said, “You can play a sport and assist in a goal or a point, but here in the weight room it’s you vs you. No one is coming to save you, and no one is going to do it for you. It may sound harsh, but our athletes begin to grow the mentality that it’s their responsibility to get stronger and get better” (Palmiero). 

Apart from the physical benefits from the gym, many athletes can agree that the best part of the workout is the community they share it with. Students training from all different sports but sharing a common goal: to be better than they were before they joined the program.