The Heartbeat of Bloomsburg Athletics

       As I get just inside Nelson Field house, located on upper campus, the first thing I notice is a powerful bass emanating from inside the halls. This, along the slam of weights, creates the symphony that lets you know you're near the weightroom. This disjointed orchestra doesn't stop there though, even down the hall, you can hear the shouts and labored grunts of the packed room. Metal plates, barbells, dumbbells and med balls, all creating this hum as they are ripped off the ground and resoundingly brought back to Earth. Once inside, it immediately seems like chaos, and it becomes obvious why this room that looks like a kitted-out locker room causes such commotion. You see a multitude of athletes from all different sports and in all different team gear working out side by side. The long double-sided row of squat racks is where most of the magic happens, barbells are lifted, thrown, dropped and repeated. On the sides of the room weights are pulled off the long dumbbell racks, and clang against each other on the pulley machines. All number of exercise equipment lines the walls, boxes hurdles and a chalk bin for when things get really heavy. All of this gets packed to the gills with athletes, everybody working out in a chaotic harmony.

        The air feels thick, one with sweat, but also with the exertion of so many athletes working towards one goal, getting better. But how does this so-called chaos get tempered? What's the reasoning behind the workouts and how the workout plans are made? Coach Andrew Foran, the coach who runs the weightroom and makes the strength and conditioning programs for Bloomsburg athletes, has the answers. A coach who has from appearance obviously lifted all his life and from his speech knows far more about strength and conditioning than anyone on campus, speaks with reverence about the ins and outs of athletics. Coach is one of the most energetic and uplifting people in the weight room, usually slapping your back or yelling encouragement from the side of a rack. During the interview though, he's calm and speaks to the science behind his trade. Coach Andrew reasons that "all athletic endeavors require force" and strength training is a foundation of building that force. Coach also describes how strength training can, "increase strength, reduce injury, and make you more robust". Leading to better more work hardened athletes who can perform come gameday.

        It's not just about picking things up and putting them down though, careful consideration is taken to the athlete and to the method behind these workouts. To the average person, the tablets that contain these workouts look like they are written in tongues. But Coach simplifies it "Each workout includes some basic movements, rowing, squatting, Olympic and pressing". The athletes themselves are also taken into consideration. Things like volume of competitions, athlete competency and how they feel coming in that day are all thought of. Coach describes with great care how in one instance when a team had gotten back from an away game at one in the morning and had to get up early to lift that next day, he was intentional about not "hammering" them in the workout. He describes how he knows he's not the only piece of the puzzle and how athletes need to able to perform outside and inside the weightroom.

        The weightroom is truly a place meant to build. Athletes who enter its double wooden doors see the cinderblock room for more than just that, they understand it's there to make them better. The effort and passion for what is going on in there is palpable. It is both the weight on the athlete's shoulders, a responsibility to do their best, and a relief knowing they are setting themselves up for success. Coach even highlights these mental aspects of the weightroom that it exemplifies so well "it breeds confidence, teaches hard work and builds consistency". Truly, the facility itself with its time-tested look, rough atmosphere and knowledgeable coaching staff make for the foundation and heart of the Bloomsburg athletic programs. The performance on the field, track or court begins and ends in the weightroom.