Oct 21, 2024Strength Training Facilities of Excellence: Cedar Rapids Prairie High School
Cedar Rapids Prairie High School in Iowa wanted to give its student-athletes an NCAA Division I feel. To do that, they brought in Zach Walrod to be its new physical education teacher and strength coach, after he had spent most of his career working with NCAA Division 1 athletes. The next step was to provide its student-athletes with a top-notch weight room.
With Walrod spearheading the project, Prairie quickly transformed its former weight room into a sprawling 7,800 square-foot space that is now an exciting showpiece for the school.
“The weight room has a ton of windows and can be seen from the parking lot as you enter the main entrance of the school,” Walrod said.
With help from PowerLift, Prairie outfitted its new weight room with the following equipment: 12 9’ short base combo racks, 12 upgraded ‘Rhino Hook’ bar catches, 24 multi-angle dumbbell benches, 24 rotating utility pads, 24 high rotation attachments, 12 rack dip attachments, 12 custom connection brace chin handles, five foam plyo box sets with custom logos, four 3-tier medicine ball racks, 10,800 pounds of Intek bumper plates with custom logos, Iron Grip dumbbell sets (5-110 lbs), 86 Dynamax medicine balls, 24 TRK pro systems, five 100’ LED TVs, and three Prosler sleds.
Additionally, they have an area committed to Keiser pneumatic-based resistance equipment with four functional trainers, two squat pros, and two chest press machines. Prairie is one of the few high schools in the area with this specialized equipment that allows for safe high-speed training.
The flooring was provided by Spec Athletic and included 1,830 square feet of turf with yard markings and 5,978 square feet of flooring with 24 custom logoed inlaid platforms.
» ALSO SEE: 2024 Strength Coaches Survey results
The space not only holds the school’s 5A varsity football team but also physical education classes of 115 kids. The upgraded weight room coincided with Prairie opting for block scheduling and creating an Athletic Physical Education class that allows student-athletes to get workouts in during the school day and prioritizes recovery without early morning lift sessions.
“It was really cool to see the looks on [the student-athletes’] faces,” Walrod said. “The same can be said for the sport coaches. They know how elite high school programs operate. It’s great to put together a sound strength and conditioning program as a support system for their respective sports.”
To see all of the Strength Training Facilities of Excellence winners, view the October/November 2024 digital edition of Training & Conditioning.
