is a facility that is equally usable and accessible for high performance athletes, students and community members. Students interested in recreational activities and fitness will have access to leading edge strength and conditioning equipment they haven’t had access to before – and will be able to work out in a spectacular new facility.” Among the unusual features are the eight force plates built into the floor of the speed and power centre on the third level of the facility. The plates are connected to computers and will provide trainers with a number of analytics with respect to the force individuals exert while weight training. The analytics provide individuals and trainers with instant feedback for performance improvement and injury prevention. Data can also be collected and tracked over time. The centre is also wired to support wearable accelerometers during a work-out. These devices record acceleration during exercise, and using a Bluetooth connection, transmit data directly to tablets or smart phones so users can track their progress towards a goal. Lightowler notes that the centre will also house a range of best-in-class cardiovascular training equipment, including Versa-climbers, which many facilities have not yet realized the benefits of. Versa-climbers enable users to work-out in an upright position, unlike some of the cardiovascular equipment most commonly found in fitness facilities, Lightowler explains. “Students, faculty and staff spend a lot of time sitting – whether in class or in front of a computer. Versa-climbers allow users to work out in a way that counteracts some of the
negative effects of being in a sitting position for long periods,” he says. “This was a key consideration in selecting new equipment for our users.” “Versa-climbers also allow for a hard workout to be achieved in a short space of time and without putting the body’s joints through a great deal of stress,” says Lightowler. Much of the new equipment in the centre uses pneumatic resistance, rather than more traditional weight stacks – another feature not commonly seen or the benefits realized in fitness facilities. With weight stacks, users are limited by the amount of resistance they can add at any given time because weights increase in set increments (e.g. 5lb., 10lb. and so on). “Pneumatic resistance machines allow users to adjust their resistance level by simply pushing a button – like turning up the volume on a cell phone. This enables users to really personalize their work out and expose their bodies to a type of resistance that has different training benefits as compared to more conventional types of resistance.” The pneumatic resistance option and the Versa-climbers were selected for the facility following discussions with biomechanical researchers within the Faculty, Lightowler says. “That’s the beauty of what this facility enables us to do; the findings of research conducted by the professors here will be applied to our programming and will allow us to offer our users the most effective, evidenced-based methods of training,” he says. “This is a great example of how the new building will transform sport and exercise at the university.”
PURSUIT | FALL 2014
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