Grundy Center High School in Iowa is a small but mighty school in Iowa. With roughly 240 students at the school, the Grundy Center Spartans have made headlines over the years for their athletic success. Just last year, the school celebrated state championships in football, boy’s golf, and girl’s golf. In addition, all the other sports teams had winning seasons with a handful making late playoff runs.
While there are many reasons for Grundy Center’s success, the school knows the impact strength and conditioning has on its athletes and teams. The coaches have fostered a team and community within the weight room but take a personal approach when it comes to training. As a result, the school has celebrated positive results in the weight room that translate to the field, court, and track.
STATE CHAMPS #spartanpride pic.twitter.com/LtNcewUfTE
— GC Schools (@gcspartans) November 17, 2022
2022 Grundy Center volleyball, NICL West champions. #iahsvb pic.twitter.com/NXUGMtcmuy
— Jake Ryder (@jakearyder) September 28, 2022
Commitment To The Weight Room At Grundy Center
There has always been a high level of commitment to the weight room at Grundy Center. Chris Conger, head strength and conditioning coach, says that the athletes embrace the power of the weight room,
“We work as a team of coaches to give students as many opportunities to lift as possible. Whether before school as early as 5 AM or after school with their teams, athletes know they need to get their lifts in throughout the week and year. And our coaches are committed to helping all of our athletes find time to workout.”
While you might think a group of high school students would sparsely attend the 5 AM session, Chris says this is one of the most popular choices for Grundy Center athletes,
“Our 5 AM group has upwards of 30 student-athletes who are eager to work hard. We have multiple coaches there, and even though it is early, we see some of our top athletes showing up first thing to get after it.”
What do you do after winning a State Championship???
— Chris Conger (GC PE) (@GrundyCenterPE) November 21, 2022
Get 22 in at 5am. Another group after school and Basketball team as well.
CULTURE pic.twitter.com/LPIwJLpxMt
Muscle shirt Max out day at 5am!! GREAT numbers gained this winter!!!!!! Missing our State Wrestlers but we “tried” to let them know we are thinking of them today!!! pic.twitter.com/Ibp81UO431
— Chris Conger (GC PE) (@GrundyCenterPE) February 17, 2023
Taking Grundy Center Weight Room To The Next Level
With the weight room a priority, the athletic department and coaches got together a few years ago to see what they could do to elevate their program. Chris, leading the charge, wanted to find a better way to deliver and manage workouts,
“We did everything in Excel spreadsheets, so I was inputting tons of data and spending a crazy amount of time trying to manage and monitor everything.”
Chris, also the head track coach and assistant football coach, looked to find something that would help save time and streamline his system but also continue to empower athletes,
“We wanted to go digital because we believed it would help our student-athletes and coaches. As a result, we went with PLT4M and haven’t looked back.”
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A Personal Approach To Grundy Center Strength & Conditioning
With the addition of PLT4M, Grundy Center shifted to delivering workouts directly to students’ phones. Chris explains how the transition was exactly what they were looking for,
“It made everything so much easier. We can look at a workout or training program and see the benefits of it. We know in real-time how students are progressing and improving, and it has taken our training to another level.”
Chris says the biggest benefit is the personalized training that every student gets directly to their device,
“The phone and program have really tailored training to the individual. Sometimes, the weight room can be intimidating or leave kids feeling embarrassed about the weights they are lifting. But with PLT4M, every student knows that their training is tailored to them and will help them get better.”
Long-Term Benefits Of A Personal Approach
The personal approach to training starts as early as middle school. Chris says that the youngest students know the importance of setting a solid foundation to see the long-term benefits of the weight room,
“We expect our youngest athletes to start out lifting only the bar. But we focus on the fact that they are showing up. We are proud they want to be a part of the program and make sure they know good things will come from their commitment.”
With this early foundation, Chris says they see measurable improvement and progress across the board,
“We can look back in PLT4M and see the massive improvements students have made working out at Grundy Center over the years. I can see and highlight progress by month, year, or multiple years, and it is incredibly empowering for our athletes.”
Throughout student-athletes’ careers at Grundy Center, Chris and the other coaches know that the weight room is making a big impact.
Bonus! Highlighting Student Commitment and Excellence
As part of their on-going efforts, Grundy Center uses social media to highlight student commitment and excellence. This helps generate excitement and buy-in from student-athletes. Check out a few tweets highlighting students at Grundy Center!
This year we are trying to recognize some Spartan Standouts of the Summer! Week 1 these two stood out early and both on very different ends of the spectrum. (Continued) pic.twitter.com/UXpnAxPPUL
— Chris Conger (GC PE) (@GrundyCenterPE) June 26, 2023
Our Week 4 Winners: Lifter of the Week come from a pair of our “non-stoppers”. These 2 NEVER miss workouts all year long despite their busy schedules. Game/Meet Nights don’t matter, they r constantly developing into better athletes! Week 4 winners:Tate Jirovsky and Kayden Muller! pic.twitter.com/nNUXF4lGPl
— Chris Conger (GC PE) (@GrundyCenterPE) June 29, 2023
Key Takeaways on Grundy Center Strength and Conditioning
Grundy Center is a small school that has always dreamed big. And while last year brought championship-level success, Chris says they are looking forward to another exciting year,
“Our athletes and coaches have embraced the importance of the weight room. More importantly, we can see the hard work translate to the field and will continue pushing to improve.”
The school has invested in strength and conditioning and foster a community and environment where every student can work to get better. Keep on the lookout for continued success from Grundy Center.
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