After receiving a face-lift over the summer, which includes a new paint job and updated equipment, the weight room reopened on Sept. 8.  The school partnered with Speed Strength Training, which specializes in high school weight room remodels.

Along with the bright red paint job that accentuates the school’s colors, the weight room was decked-out with better mats and lighting in order to give it a cleaner and more purposeful feeling, as opposed to before when it felt more like a garage than a workout room. The weight room’s equipment now includes more functional pieces that allow more students to use the facilities at once.

Richard Ellis, the physical education department chair, is excited about the upgraded equipment, which includes 10 power platforms, each with a bench, squat rack, pull-up station and Olympic living station.

“It allows for more kids to do squats, more kids to do bench, more kids doing pull-ups,” Ellis said.

The overall renovation cost just over $60,000. The facilities department contributed to painting and lighting installation costs, while the athletics department and Sports Boosters provided roughly $46,000 to upgrade the racks and redo the flooring.

In the future, Ellis hopes to open up the back room as a plyometric cardio room, which should also increase the efficiency of the space.