Other college athletic training facilities have incorporated inclines for plyometric workouts, but few showcase the amenity like Utah State University.
Prominently positioned adjacent to a staircase leading to the USU Athletic Strength and Conditioning Center's agility and cardio mezzanine, the 28-degree incline measures 10 yards long by four yards wide and is covered in a padding-backed medium-pile synthetic turf. Athletes in a variety of sports can run and hop up or down the so-called "plyo ramp" during programmed workouts or use it simply to sprint up to the second level. The ramp also provides extra gravitational resistance to weight sleds. "We were interested in making it a central feature within the facility," says Chris Roberts, senior associate at Opsis Architecture LLP, the project's design firm. "You don't see these everywhere, and we thought the energy around that ramp would be really cool — a demonstration of the work being put in, right out in the open."
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