COVID-19 Mask Update

Effective immediately, masks will be required for entry to Athletic Lab. The Town of Morrisville has announced the decision to join Wake County to reinstate a mask mandate throughout the town of Morrisville. The mandate requires masks to be worn by all (vaccinated/unvaccinated) in all indoor public settings. We fully understand that training with a mask is not ideal and it can be frustrating. Every effort will be made to provide a safe training environment for our members and staff. When possible, accommodations will be made through programming and when we're able, we'll move outdoors (masks are not required outside while social distancing). We thank you for your continued patience and understanding throughout the ever changing policies and mandates throughout COVID.

By |2021-08-20T12:11:02-04:00August 20th, 2021|News|0 Comments

Session Attendance Restrictions Eased

Athletic Lab is pleased to announce that attendance limits for all classes have been increased. This change is made following guidance from the recent Executive Order from Governor Cooper. Executive Order 195 takes effect February 26th at 5pm and eases previous pandemic related restrictions. Cases of COVID-19 have improved state and nationwide. All session types have seen attendance limits increased to the level that social distancing can continue to be enforced. Note that attendance limits have not been increased uniformly. This is due to the nature of our schedule and the fact that multiple sessions take place concurrently. Please see our schedule for the most up to date information. Athletic Lab remains committed to our members health and safety and we continue to adhere to all CDC and state guidelines. To ensure we can maintain the safest possible training experience, class reservations are still required and we ask that you follow all our COVID-10 policies and procedures.

By |2021-02-25T19:36:21-05:00February 25th, 2021|News|0 Comments

Athletic Lab Reopening Policies & Procedures COVID-19

As always, our member safety and wellbeing are our top priorities and we have taken several steps to ensure that Athletic Lab can provide an environment that meets this goal. You may read the most recent North Carolina guidelines for Gym and Indoor Fitness Centers here. What to Expect Before your Visit Reservations are required in an effort to ensure social distancing and cleanliness. All reservations should be made through our membership management portal. Participation in all sessions requires an active membership (or a paid class drop-in) and completion of a supplemental waiver. Free trial sessions will only be permitted in certain group classes. Open Gym drop-ins are not being permitted at this time. If you have not already done so, please complete the supplemental waiver via on our membership management portal. To cut down on person-to-person contact, we request that online accounts be utilized for payment and digital waivers in advance of any sessions. Arrival & Before Class If you are sick, have a fever, cough or have been exposed to COVID-19, we request that you please stay home. Please limit use of the lobby whenever possible. The mask mandate will be required again starting on 8/20/21 until further notice. Masks are required in the lobby and throughout Athletic Lab's facility. Our public kiosks are closed at this time. Our coaches will be entering attendance for each class. Members will be provided with a sanitized bottle of disinfectant and a sanitized cleaning rag. Please help us by wiping down your equipment. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before the start of your training session. Alternatively, hand sanitizer is available by the men's locker room. Masks are required at [...]

By |2021-12-30T12:44:22-05:00September 3rd, 2020|News|0 Comments

Obesity and COVID-19: A Deadly Combination by Gaby Smith

The United States has inarguably been one the hardest hit countries in the world by COVID-19. While the reasons for this is undoubtedly multi-factorial, an often overlooked confounding issue is the state of our nationwide health. In this guest post, Gaby Smith presents the compelling science on why COVID-19 and obesity are such a deadly combination. [This is a guest blog by Gaby Smith. Gaby Smith completed her MS in Exercise Science at Northeastern University and is participating in the Athletic Lab Mentorship Program. Gaby is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and holds certifications with U.S. Soccer, USAW, and USTFCCCA.] In the United States, we find ourselves in the midst of two epidemics: COVID-19 and obesity. While initially the two may seem to be only tangentially related, numerous studies have found a significant association between BMI and risk for death among COVID-19 patients independent of related health conditions (diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease) (Tartof et al., 2020). This association is of particular concern in the United States, as over 40% of the population is considered obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) (Kass, 2020). To this point, the two primary strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 include mitigation (handwashing, wearing a face covering, social distancing) and the adoption of practices consistent with good overall health. COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through airborne droplets when infected individuals cough, sneeze, talk, or breathe deeply. Inhaled droplets infect cells lining the airway and cause modest symptoms including coughing, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell, among others (CDC, 2020). Why is obesity such a significant risk factor Obesity seems to increase the severity of COVID-19 cases as a result of the chronic inflammation that characterizes obesity [...]

By |2020-08-29T13:22:55-04:00August 29th, 2020|Nutrition Info, Training Info|0 Comments

Updated Scholastic Membership Options

Effective immediately, we are offering a 10 session punchcard for our Scholastic Sports Performance program. Athletic Lab's indoor facility is currently closed for training in response to COVID-19. At the present time, only professional athlete populations and those with medical waivers are permitted indoors. We do, however, have an outdoor training space which includes a full size turf field that allows to do train speed, power, change of direction and strength. Once our indoor facility is permitted to reopen any remaining sessions on an athlete's punchcard can be used for indoor training sessions. Schedule: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 am Membership Options: Single Session Drop-In: $20 Weekly: $45 / week for up to 3 sessions 10 Session Punchcard: $149.85 (8 week expiry) Session Duration: 60 minutes Eligibility: 7th through 12th grade Please note that the eligibility and membership options will return to our pre-COVID-19 format once our facility is allowed to reopen. Athletes in 7th and 8th grade will be eligible for our Scholastic Prep program and high school athletes will be eligible for our Scholastic program.    

By |2020-07-20T10:12:03-04:00July 20th, 2020|News|0 Comments

Athletic Lab Outdoor Schedule Changes – COVID-19 [6.29.20]

Gyms and fitness facilities in North Carolina remain closed by Executive Order. In response to the recent extension, we are expanding our outdoor training schedule and availability. In response to feedback and demand please note (in Italics) the following changes to our outdoor training schedule. These changes go into effect on Monday June 29th:. Monday & Wednesday 7 am - 7:45 am Endurance 11 am - 12 pm Scholastic Sports Performance 3 pm - 5 pm Open Gym 5 pm - 6 pm CF / Strength 6 pm - 6:45 pm Endurance 6 pm - 7 pm Open Gym Tuesday & Thursday 6 am - 6:45 am Endurance 7 am - 7:45 am Endurance 11 am - 12 pm Scholastic Sports Performance 3 pm - 5 pm Open Gym 5 pm - 6 pm CF / Strength 6 pm - 7 pm CF / Strength Friday 7 am - 7:45 am Endurance 3 pm - 5 pm Open Gym 5 pm - 6 pm CF / Strength Saturday 9 am - 9:45 am Endurance In addition to the schedule expansion we have increased the attendance limits for Endurance classes to 8 and have purchased 2 outdoor tents to help cover the training area. Spaces are not guaranteed unless they have been reserved in advance. Participation requires an active Performance Fitness membership and completion of a supplemental waiver. Members may complete the supplemental waiver on their membership management portal. Equipment and a coach will be onsite and outdoors for Open Gym hours. Members may follow our remote programming or do a session of their choosing during these times. Individuals will be assigned their own "training bay" to ensure safe social distancing and allow staff to [...]

By |2020-06-30T09:23:04-04:00June 29th, 2020|News|0 Comments

Post-Quarantine Training by Craig Kleinberg

[Craig Kleinberg is a Performance Coach at Athletic Lab where we regularly integrate Velocity Based Training] We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is still some uncertainty, but athletics are beginning to come out of pandemic hibernation. Here in North Carolina, professional and collegiate athletes have begun training, the NBA just released a plan to resume activities, and several European soccer leagues have been active for a few weeks. Eventually, youth and high school sports will begin to open back up as well. When training is finally able to resume as "normal," our instincts will be to dive right back into where we were pre-pandemic, but it is important to approach our preparation with thoughtfulness. This article may be geared toward return to sport, but the principles still apply to the general fitness enthusiast as well. What type of impact could we expect to see after this period of interrupted training? Many of us have been doing something, but we haven't had the access to the full gym experience for two months now. It only takes approximately four weeks to observe a 4-14% drop in aerobic capacity (5). While we might be able maintain strength for 2-3 weeks, after eight weeks, there could be a 7-8% loss in strength (6). Additionally, Kubo and colleagues found that after an eight-week detraining period, tendon stiffness returned back to pre-training levels (3). Basically, we will not be able to sprint as fast, jump as high, or run as far. Hopefully, training and preparation hasn't completely halted, but to some extent, it has been disrupted. How athletes, and the regular gym member approach return to training has the potential make an outstanding season or [...]

By |2020-06-11T17:43:43-04:00June 11th, 2020|Training Info|0 Comments

Training Update including Outdoor Options – COVID-19 [5.27.20]

A recent executive order from the state of North Carolina has ordered indoor training at businesses like Athletic Lab to remain closed in response to COVID-19. The most recent order does; however, permit outdoor training as well as training for professional and collegiate athletes. Although we are certain we are able to ensure a safe training environment for our members, Athletic Lab will follow both the letter and spirt of the latest ruling out of deference to our greater community. At the time of this posting, we are expecting to reopen the facility in late June. In the meantime, we are expanding our service offerings based on the loosened restrictions in the aforementioned executive order. Outdoor Training at Athletic Lab [The schedule has been updated. Please see here for details.] Based on the latest executive order, outdoor training is now permissible. Effective Monday, June 1st we will begin offering outdoor training opportunities at Athletic Lab. All training will take place in the space outside of the facility. Reservations by this SPECIAL OUTDOOR RESERVATION PAGE are strongly recommended. Spaces are not guaranteed unless they have been reserved in advance. We recommend you bookmark the reservation link for future use. Participation requires an active Performance Fitness membership and completion of a supplemental waiver. Members may complete the supplemental waiver on their membership management portal. Equipment and a coach will be onsite and outdoors at Athletic Lab from 12 pm to 6 pm Monday through Friday weather permitting. From noon to 5 pm, an Athletic Lab coach and equipment will be available for a supervised 'open gym' format. Members may follow our remote programming or do a session of their choosing. From 5 pm to 6pm each day, [...]

By |2020-06-07T11:32:16-04:00May 27th, 2020|News|0 Comments

Maximizing the Effectiveness of Body Weight Training at Home by Julia Zwierzynski

[Julia Zwierzynski is a graduating senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Exercise and Sport Science. Julia is participating in the Athletic Lab coaching mentorship program.] Structured, programmed weight training can be incredibly challenging. Weight training at home is even more so. With the onset of the COVID-19 shutdown, many people now suddenly face the additional challenge of trying to maintain their strength with limited or no access to weights. Fortunately, body weight training has the potential to be extremely effective in maintaining or even increasing strength. There are four main acute variables that can be manipulated when resistance training: Load, volume, tempo, and rest periods. Altering some or all of these variables will result in vastly different physiological effects. Different amounts of muscular endurance, hypertrophy, strength, speed, and power will result depending on the combination of the aforementioned variables. Load is simply the amount of weight or resistance of each exercise. The higher the load, the fewer repetitions can be performed and vice versa (Haff and Triplett, 2016). Increasing the load of an exercise will result in greater increases in strength and hypertrophy for the involved muscles. Decreasing the load of an exercise will increase the muscular endurance of those muscles. At first glance, the load for any given body weight exercise may seem immutable. After all, body weight is body weight. However, depending on the exercise, there may be many ways to alter the load of your own body weight. Let's look at your standard push up. If you drop to your knees, the load decreases. If you stagger your hand placement so one hand is further in front of you than the other, the load increases on one [...]

By |2020-04-24T22:22:00-04:00April 26th, 2020|Training Info|0 Comments

Maintaining your Schedule During Quarantine by Austin Both

[Austin Both is the Associate Performance Director of Athletic Lab] COVID-19 has brought upon strange times for us all. Many people are not working, and some others who are working are doing so from home instead of going into the office. As a result, you may find your daily schedule and rhythm severely interrupted. Humans are creatures of habit and we not only prefer to maintain our routines and schedules, but we actually crave it. Aside from the preference of a comfort zone, this can largely be attributed to our circadian rhythm influencing our mood, energy, and productivity depending on the time of the day (Barnes, 2015). On the bright side, there is a simple fix that can do wonders to correct and maintain otherwise broken schedules. Exercise. Consistent exercise, especially that fit your pre-COVID-19 schedule, can be an easy fix to comfortably holding onto your daily rhythm. Furthermore, exercise occurs through a powerful two-pronged approach. The first mechanism is simple. Exercise can serve as a powerful anchor in our day. In the same way your meals might divide your workday and provide structure, exercise can have an equal or more significant effect. More importantly, exercise has a potent effect on our circadian rhythm, and from a practical point of view, this is our daily routine. For those who may be unfamiliar, circadian rhythm is a natural 24ish hour clock that manages our sleep/wake cycles as well as variable energy levels throughout the day (Sleep Foundation). Some research suggests that exercise has the ability to produce a "phase shift" in circadian rhythm, adjusting our internal clocks (Eastman et al., 1995). This effectively means that exercising earlier in the morning will allow us to become more [...]

By |2020-04-24T21:20:03-04:00April 25th, 2020|Training Info|1 Comment
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