On February 16, Assistant Athletic Director Elle O’Brien sent out an email that dismayed students, informing them that the weight room would be closed. The Hill community collectively wondered what would happen to the athletic sanctuary of the school. However, when the weight room reopened, students and faculty alike were elated to see the weight room refurbished with all new custom-made Sorinex equipment.   

The new weight room boasts eight new power racks, four highly modular pulley systems, a quad extension/hamstring curl machine, two Franken-Hypers, and new benches, among other additions. 

O’Brien hopes that the new equipment will not only allow students to train better and harder but also in new ways. She also encourages people to continue finding new ways to use equipment to train in more sports-specific fashions. Most notably, a belt squat machine is already on its way, which many students can look forward to using as an alternative to free weights. 

“The purpose was to best support our student-athletes and community with the best equipment on the market for sports performance,” O’Brien said. 

The reception of the new equipment has been overwhelmingly positive, and this is evident in the attitudes of everyone in the weight room. An avid user of the weight room, Grant McCormack ‘23 shared his thoughts. 

“I really like the new upgrades in the weight room. It took a few days to get used to the new racks, but I’ve grown to really like them over the past few weeks,” McCormack said. “My favorite addition is the cable machine because of its versatility. Another small thing that I really like is that resistance bands are now outside of the closet that is always locked so I can have access to them whenever I want.” 

The growth of Hill athletics is not, however, constrained to the shiny new machines. Students have noted definitive shifts in the weight room culture attained by O’Brien.  

McCormack went on to say that “the environment she has created in the gym is a welcoming and uplifting one where everyone not only competes with one another but encourages each other to push for that little bit of extra effort that we couldn’t give on our own. I feel lucky to be a part of strength and conditioning and know I’m going to miss it when I’m gone next year.” 

Aside from its aesthetic attraction, these developments vastly enhance the weight room, increasing the working capacity, giving athletes more options with their workouts, and allowing for greater efficiency with teams in the weight room. 

The renovation of the weight room serves as a prime example of The Hill’s unwavering commitment to providing its students with the best possible resources to help them achieve their athletic goals. With the upgraded weight room now in place, the Hill community can look forward to reaping its benefits for years to come.