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December Members of the Month: North Carolina FC

Athletic Lab is one of the premier fitness and performance training centers in the country, and each month we highlight one or more of our members in our member of the month feature. We have an energetic and diverse community ranging from fitness enthusiasts looking to get in the best shape of their lives to elite professional athletes. You can read about previous members of the month here. For the month of December we've selected the North Carolina Football Club as our members of the month. On November 5th, North Carolina FC won the 2023 USL League One Championship. The match was a thrilling win for the club decided on penalty kicks (5-4) over the Charlotte Independence following a 1-1 final at WakeMed Soccer Park. North Carolina FC's Raheem Somersall was named Final MVP. The championship was the club's first league final championship, and second overall title, in the team’s 17-year history. Athletic Lab has been the official strength and conditioning providers for the club for over a decade (2009-2011; 2015-Present) including during the club's previous top achievements: NASL Supporters Cup: 2011 NASL Conference Champions: 2010 In the gym, the team is managed by Athletic Lab coach Mohammed Ameen. Coach Mohammed has been the team's primary coach since 2021. North Carolina scored in the last 22 games of the season, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition (since at least 2019/2020). The club finishes a worst-to-first turnaround in their final season in USL League One. The team will compete in the USL Championship, United States’ second division, beginning in 2024.

By |2023-12-04T10:31:20-05:00December 5th, 2023|News|0 Comments
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NC Courage U23 win USL-W Conference Title

Congratulations to the North Carolina Courage USL-W team for winning Southern Conference Champions. The team beat Tampa Bay United with a 3-0 win this past Saturday evening and they are now in the National Final Four - two victories away from a national title! Nine of the 11 starters for the Courage were either current or former members of the NC Courage Academy team that is trained by Athletic Lab year round at WRAL. These teams are coached by Beatriz Fernandes who has trained many of these players over the past 2 years and can attest to the hard work and talent that these athletes bring to the game. The NC Courage U23 advances to the USL-W National Semifinals, where they will face the Eastern Conference Champion. This Semi-final match will be this Friday night at 7:00 PM at Wake Med #2!

By |2023-07-31T12:40:55-04:00July 14th, 2023|News|0 Comments
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Member of the Month: North Carolina Courage

Athletic Lab is home to professional athletes, young kids and adults looking to be the best version of themselves they can be. Our community is an incredibly diverse group of goal-oriented and hard-working individuals. Each month we highlight one (or more) of our members in our member of the month feature. For the month of October, we've chosen the North Carolina Courage Football Club. The Courage have trained at Athletic Lab the past 2 years and Athletic Lab's Mike Young is on staff with the team as their Director of Performance. In late September, the Courage capped what is arguably the most dominant season in women's professional soccer history. During the 2018 season, the North Carolina Courage claimed a historic treble, winning the Women's International Champions Cup over Paris St Germain and Lyon, the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. Along the way the team broke multiple records in the most dominant and most successful U.S. women's professional soccer season to date. During the regular season the team set the NWSL records for wins (17), regular-season points (57) and regular-season goals (53). The team stormed through the post-season making their second consecutive league final by beating the Chicago Red Stars 2-0 and the Portland Thorns 5-0. You can also check out our previous members of the month here.

By |2018-10-29T12:29:20-04:00October 29th, 2018|News|0 Comments
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In-Season NCFC Youth Training

With the successful launch of our NCFC Youth Training program, Athletic Lab is excited to announce an option for those players who are entering their competitive season and wish to continue their training. Physical development is an ongoing process and does not end when the season begins. It's very important to continue sports performance training to ensure that an athlete is progressing during the season and not losing the gains they made in the off-season. Research evidence suggests that soccer players can lose fitness very quickly (1, 2) even during the season. but reduced volume high intensity training will help to minimize losses and can even continue to improve performance. Our in-season NCFC Youth Training option looks to address these needs with a specialized program that has the same elements of our original planned and progressive training while being a more sustainable and flexible option for those players in the midst of a demanding sport and academic schedule. Like the original program, our in-season option will address the specific needs of the individual athlete as determined by pre-session testing. The details of the program are as follows: Format: Up to six 75 minutes sessions to be used at the athletes convenience over a 6 week block. Focus: Each session will address strength, speed, change of direction and power in a manner that is suitable for an in-season athlete. Schedule: Friday at 6:15 pm; Sunday at 11 am (for both in-season and out-of-season athletes) Cost: $99.95

By |2018-09-07T10:27:45-04:00September 7th, 2018|News|0 Comments
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Sports Performance Schedule Changes

With Summer coming to a close and student athletes heading back to school, we're making some adjustments to our Sports Performance schedule and services. our Scholastic Sports Performance and North Carolina FC Youth Soccer Fitness Program schedules will be changing. Effective on Monday August 27th, our Scholastic, NCFC Youth Sports Performance, Lab Rats and our new Scholastic Prep class schedules will be as follows: Scholastic Sports Performance Training (rising Freshman through entering college): Mon - Fri: 3:45 pm; 5 pm Mon: 6:30 pm Sat: 10 am NCFC Youth Soccer Sports Performance Training (North Carolina Football Club athletes only): Fri: 6:15 pm Sun: 11 am Scholastic Prep (rising 5th grader through completion of 8th grade): Mon / Wed / Fri: 5 pm Lab Rats (rising 2nd grade through completion of 4th grade): Tues / Thurs: 5 pm

By |2018-08-22T09:23:12-04:00August 22nd, 2018|News|0 Comments
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Time Change for Evening NCFC Youth Soccer Fitness

Beginning on July 23, 2018, Athletic Lab s North Carolina FC Youth evening classes will now begin at 6:15 pm rather than 6 pm. Classes will remain 75 minutes and finish at 7:30 pm. For the duration of Summer, the schedule for the NCFC Youth soccer fitness program is as follows: Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 1:30 pm and 6:15 pm Athletic Lab is the training center and sports science providers for the NCFC Professional team and the North Carolina Courage team. Find out details about our soccer fitness program here.

By |2018-07-20T19:17:43-04:00July 20th, 2018|News|0 Comments
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Soccer University Prep Program Returns for Summer 2018

Athletic Lab's highly successful University Prep Soccer Program will be returning this summer. Our eight week program will take place from June 4th to July 27th. This program is designed for current and incoming collegiate soccer athletes. Athletic Lab is the official Sports Performance Training Center for the North Carolina FC and North Carolina Courage. This program allows high school and university to train like the pros! This program will focus on soccer specific and injury prevention training to prepare college athletes for the upcoming season. Each 90 minute session will develop soccer strength, speed, power, and conditioning. The program is in its seventh year and has had tremendous success preparing both high school players transitioning to college as well as current collegiate players for the rigors of the season. We will incorporate pro-style player monitoring and assessment to guide the training process. The training will incorporate the ball and game-like decision making to develop soccer-specific fitness that transfers to the game. The planned programming will be developed and coached by Dr. Mike Young and Greg Gustin. Mike is the Director of Performance for the North Carolina Courage and the Head Fitness Coach for North Carolina FC. Previously, Mike was the Head Fitness Coach of the 2012 & 2013 Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS and the Carolina Railhawks from 2009-2011. In these roles, Mike worked directly with the first team athletes in the weight room and on the field to aid in their physical development, injury prevention, and recovery. He has been an invited guest at Real Madrid, Fulham FC and Liverpool FC and has lectured around the United States as well as Jamaica, Canada, Ireland, England, Japan, and Korea [...]

By |2018-05-01T16:40:28-04:00April 30th, 2018|News|0 Comments
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North Carolina Courage select Athletic Lab for Sports Science Monitoring & Training

North Carolina's newest soccer club has partnered with Athletic Lab for their Sports Science and Strength & Conditioning needs for the 2017 season. Athletic Lab will provide both training and sports science monitoring for the Courage. The North Carolina Courage are a professional women's soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. Its former incarnation, the Western New York Flash, was a founding member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top level of women's soccer in the U.S. They relocated to North Carolina for 2017. They play their home games at WakeMed Soccer Park and will start their inaugural season on April 22nd. The team won the NWSL league championship in 2016 and boasts multiple players with national team experience including Lynn Williams (US),Samantha Mewis (US), Rosana dos Santos Augusto (Brazil), Ashley Hatch (US), Debora Cristiane de Oliveira (Brazil), Jaelene Hinkle (US), Jessica McDonald (US), Abby Erceg (New Zealand), and Sabrina D'Angelo (Canada). We're very excited to be working with the North Carolina Courage. They are top class with a winning tradition and the ownership and front office are committed to success. Our staff has experience working in professional soccer both domestically and abroad and we are uniquely poised to help the team become more physically commanding on the pitch and reduce their risk of injury. We'll be using advanced sports science tools like GPS and heart rate tracking as well as wellness monitoring to ensure that the team is responding to training in a positive way. It's an honor to be chosen by the Courage and we're excited to work with their amazing coaches and players. - Mike Young, PhD Athletic Lab Owner & Director of Performance In addition to the North Carolina [...]

By |2017-04-12T19:26:54-04:00March 21st, 2017|News|0 Comments
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North Carolina FC Select Athletic Lab for Sports Science & Performance

The newly minted North Carolina FC (formerly Carolina Railhawks) have officially partnered with Athletic Lab for their Sports Science and Strength & Conditioning needs during the upcoming 2017 season. North Carolina FC (NCFC) is a an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. The team trained at Athletic Lab during the last weeks of the 2016 season on a trial basis. The team was founded in 2006, as the Carolina Railhawks and recently announced a rebranding to become North Carolina FC and make a bid to join the MLS. The team currently plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team previously trained at Athletic Lab during the 2010 and 2011 seasons during which they won the 2010 NASL Conference title and the 2011 NASL regular season title. Following those two banner years, Athletic Lab's Mike Young joined the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS where he served as the Head Fitness coach for the First team from 2012-2014. During his time in Vancouver, the team became the first Canadian team to make the MLS playoffs by posting one of the largest turn-around seasons in MLS history. In the 2013, the team improved on their record again and won the coveted Cascadia Cup over the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders. We're very excited to be working with North Carolina FC again. With myself and Coach John Grace both having experience in the MLS, I believe we have the knowledge and know-how to really help the team. The organization is top notch from the players all the way up through the coaches and team executives. NCFC is the top soccer club in a state with an [...]

By |2017-04-12T19:28:09-04:00December 31st, 2016|News|0 Comments
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The matches are over but we`d like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour.

Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. 

Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country`s top rising professionals.

Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick`s performance journey, and we`re incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement.

Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 18060967151501744
The matches are over but we'd like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour. Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.  Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country's top rising professionals. Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick's performance journey, and we're incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement. Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_

Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium.

Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 17933162355339138
Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_ Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium. Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big.

#athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

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Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big. #athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀
⠀
#mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

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Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀ ⠀ #mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

Most coaches stop sets based on how athletes look, rather than how they are actually moving. VBT allows you to set a simple cutoff by monitoring bar speed. A bar speed drop of more than 20% from the first rep is an indicator that no matter how the athlete looks or what percentage of 1RM they are supposed to be moving, that they are fatigued beyond the necessary output they need to reach the target stimulus. We shut down the set so that we don’t keep the athlete accumulating a bunch of junk reps.

#BeTheStandard

#velocitybasedtraining #vbt #powertraining #strengthandconditioning

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Most coaches stop sets based on how athletes look, rather than how they are actually moving. VBT allows you to set a simple cutoff by monitoring bar speed. A bar speed drop of more than 20% from the first rep is an indicator that no matter how the athlete looks or what percentage of 1RM they are supposed to be moving, that they are fatigued beyond the necessary output they need to reach the target stimulus. We shut down the set so that we don’t keep the athlete accumulating a bunch of junk reps. #BeTheStandard #velocitybasedtraining #vbt #powertraining #strengthandconditioning

Top 5 Reasons to use VBT with your athletes: Reason #3: Objective load & zone prescription. Research over the years has mapped clear velocity zones for different strength qualities. Accelerative strength, strength speed, speed strength, and starting strength all live in different velocity zones. While percentage based training can target these qualities by prescribing an “ideal” load that can allow for different velocities, verifying the quality of the reps becomes a coaches visual interpretation and is subjective. Using VBT gives a clear picture of the athletes bar speed and verifies the quality of the bar speed and whether or not the target is hit on every rep. For the full series in more detail, follow @mikeyoungphd

#BeTheStandard

#velocitybasedtraining #vbt #morepower

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Open post by athleticlabacademy with ID 18088613996617480
Top 5 Reasons to use VBT with your athletes: Reason #3: Objective load & zone prescription. Research over the years has mapped clear velocity zones for different strength qualities. Accelerative strength, strength speed, speed strength, and starting strength all live in different velocity zones. While percentage based training can target these qualities by prescribing an “ideal” load that can allow for different velocities, verifying the quality of the reps becomes a coaches visual interpretation and is subjective. Using VBT gives a clear picture of the athletes bar speed and verifies the quality of the bar speed and whether or not the target is hit on every rep. For the full series in more detail, follow @mikeyoungphd #BeTheStandard #velocitybasedtraining #vbt #morepower

We know there are weight room activities - squats, cleans, plyos, etc that contribute to speed development but we also know that these activities don’t come close enough to the intensity of forces and contraction speeds seen during a max velocity sprint. Therefore the best way to become faster is…..to sprint.

To reach a proper stimulus, sprinting must be done at 95%+ of the athletes max velocity. Do not confuse this with EFFORT. An athlete can be at an RPE of 10 yet not sprinting at 95%+ of their max velocity. So even if an athlete is running fast, even running as fast as they can, it doesn’t mean they are sprinting.

🔹 More in-depth speed training guidelines are found in our CHPC L1 online course #linkinbio

#BeTheStandard

#strengthcoach #sportsperformance #trainingsession personaltrainer fitnesscoach physicalpreparation coachingeducation alca highperformance ltad athleticdevelopment weightroom weightliftingcoach strengthandconditioning exercisescience kinesiology speedtraining sprinttraining

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Open post by athleticlabacademy with ID 18003701174758349
We know there are weight room activities - squats, cleans, plyos, etc that contribute to speed development but we also know that these activities don’t come close enough to the intensity of forces and contraction speeds seen during a max velocity sprint. Therefore the best way to become faster is…..to sprint. To reach a proper stimulus, sprinting must be done at 95%+ of the athletes max velocity. Do not confuse this with EFFORT. An athlete can be at an RPE of 10 yet not sprinting at 95%+ of their max velocity. So even if an athlete is running fast, even running as fast as they can, it doesn’t mean they are sprinting. 🔹 More in-depth speed training guidelines are found in our CHPC L1 online course #linkinbio #BeTheStandard #strengthcoach #sportsperformance #trainingsession personaltrainer fitnesscoach physicalpreparation coachingeducation alca highperformance ltad athleticdevelopment weightroom weightliftingcoach strengthandconditioning exercisescience kinesiology speedtraining sprinttraining

CONTACT INFO

Athletic Lab
110 Competition Center Drive
Suite 150
Phone: 919.617.1472
Email: info@athleticlab.com
Web: athleticlab.com

athleticlabacademy

455 9,436

High performance coaching education for aspiring sport science experts & master practitioners.
#BeTheStandard
FREE SAMPLE of our CHPC L1 Course ⬇️

The matches are over but we`d like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour.

Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. 

Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country`s top rising professionals.

Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick`s performance journey, and we`re incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement.

Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

31 0
Open post by athleticlab with ID 18060967151501744
The matches are over but we'd like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour. Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.  Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country's top rising professionals. Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick's performance journey, and we're incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement. Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_

Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium.

Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

45 3
Open post by athleticlab with ID 17933162355339138
Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_ Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium. Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big.

#athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

57 1
Open post by athleticlab with ID 18073644527314654
Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big. #athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀
⠀
#mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

13 0
Open post by athleticlab with ID 17903971887428527
Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀ ⠀ #mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

CONTACT INFO

Athletic Lab
110 Competition Center Drive
Suite 150
Phone: 919.617.1472
Email: info@athleticlab.com
Web: athleticlab.com

Copyright 2026 Athletic Lab | All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2026 Athletic Lab | All Rights Reserved

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