
In the not-so-distant past, college weight rooms were cavernous spaces filled with clanging iron, sweaty athletes and coaches armed with clipboards and stopwatches. Fast forward to today, and youāll find a dramatically different scene: high-tech hubs where computerized vision equipment tracks every rep, force plates measure explosive power and nutrition stations fuel athletes for optimal performance. The modern college weight room has undergone a remarkable transformation, driven by advances in technology, a deeper understanding of sports science and the ever-present desire to gain a competitive edge.
Along with technology, designers of modern weight rooms and training facilities have taken a more holistic approach that mirrors the āwellnessā concept seen in college recreation centers, treating the athlete as a whole rather than compartmentalizing their training at the expense of their recovery and nutritional requirements. Workouts are no longer a one-size-fits-all affair, but rather individualized plans tailored to each athleteās needs.
Technology takes center stage
At the heart of this evolution in weight room design is the integration of cutting-edge technology. āI think there are four uses for technology in weight rooms,ā explains Michael Hessert, architect at PBK who has worked on a number of NCAA Division I strength training facilities. āOne is to assess the effectiveness of training programs. Two is to assess the condition and performance of the athlete. Three is to monitor the athleteās progress and development, and four is to track their performance over time, so you can know whether theyāre achieving goals or not.ā
Jacob Rothman, co-founder of Perch, a company that develops AI-powered weight training technology, saw an opportunity to address all four of those criteria with one product. āAround 2016, we noticed a gap in the market. When we started the company in 2016, wearables started becoming very popular. The Apple Watch was released in 2015, and a lot of the technology was geared toward measuring aerobic activity ā steps, heart rate, calories,ā explains Rothman, who at the time of the companyās founding was majoring in mechanical engineering at MIT and playing varsity baseball there. āWhat we noticed during that time was that there wasnāt really any technology to quantify strength training, so we set out to solve that problem.ā
Perchās solution involves a small 3D camera that attaches to weight racks, giving them āa set of eyes and a brain,ā as Rothman puts it. The system uses computer vision and machine learning to track reps and sets, and to calculate metrics such as power output and explosiveness. This data is then displayed on a tablet in real time and can be stored for later analysis.
Rothman says the kind of data generated by the Perch system actually makes strength training safer and more effective. āWe were really trying to make strength training more efficient, even safer, as well as a little bit more predictive in an effort to prevent injury in the weight room,ā he says. āYou know, can we help people with the proper form? Can you help them train smarter to ideally prevent an injury from happening?ā
With all this technology comes a wealth of data, and coaches are leveraging it to make more informed decisions about training and recovery. Rothman explains how Perchās velocity-based training can help coaches optimize workouts in real time. āIf an athlete is having a really good day and lifting the prescribed weight too fast, it means they can actually add some weight to optimize their session. Conversely, if theyāre moving the weight too slowly, it might indicate fatigue, and the coach can adjust accordingly.ā
This data-driven approach extends beyond individual sessions. Perchās analytics dashboard allows coaches to track athlete progress over time, even predicting one-rep max values based on daily performance without the need for frequent max-out attempts.
Kevin Wagner, a designer for Substance Architecture who worked on Iowa State Universityās Olympic sports weight room, notes that modern facilities are being wired to support technologies such as Perch.
āIn the Olympic sports facility at Iowa State, we included power to the racks for things like retractable hooks,ā Wagner explains. āThereās Wi-Fi throughout, so coaches can use iPads and monitoring software. Itās really about creating a space that can adapt to current and future technologies.ā
Rothman echoes this sentiment. āAt Baylorās recent install, power was actually built into the weight racks. Some new facilities will have Ethernet built into the floor next to the rack. In the next five to 10 years, I donāt think there will be a weight room without this kind of infrastructure.ā
Photo by Corey Gaffer courtesy of Substance Architecture
Beyond pumping iron
The modern weight room isnāt just about lifting. These spaces are increasingly incorporating recovery and nutrition elements. Hessert points out the inclusion in weight rooms, or nearby spaces, of rehab and recovery tools such as hydrotherapy, cryotherapy and even hypoxic chambers to simulate training at altitude.
Hessert says todayās college athletic programs are all about treating the whole athlete at a granular level, ensuring that they get exactly what they need based on their sport, position, body type, even injury susceptibility. That means creating a facility where all fitness and rehab modalities work together.
āIn the model where everybodyās kind of in their own silo, separated, thatās not a good thing,ā says Hessert, referencing a college strength and conditioning facility he worked on where the client demanded the exact opposite ā synergy amongst different departments. āThey were pulling together strength and conditioning. They were pulling together sports medicine. They were pulling together recovery and nutrition in one facility where the teams would come through, and all of those folks would see them. If you needed to go see a sports medicine doctor or a physical therapist or the masseuse, or you had an injury, you went to that one place. And while you were there, you could get specific guidance ā āHey, you need to do these types of stretches or exercises.ā āHey, letās go out here on the open floor and see how that looks, and see how that feels and how you react to it.ā ā
Nutrition, too, has become a core component. āWeāre seeing nutrition as an ever-increasing part of the weight room and training facility design,ā Hessert says. āSmoothie bars, hydration stations ā itās all part of the holistic approach to athlete development.ā
In the competitive world of college athletics, every advantage countsā including in the recruitment of top talent, and a state-of-the-art weight room definitely serves as sign-on incentive.
āItās not just about NIL deals,ā Rothman notes. āThe modern athlete is really looking for schools that invest in their health and longevity. They want to get to the next level, and they have to be healthy to do that.ā
Wagner describes how this factors into facility design. āAt Iowa State, we designed a recruiting path. You come into the impressive lobby with the trophies, come up the stairs, and immediately thereās a full view of this massive weight room with athletes working out. At the end of the weight room, thereās floor-to-ceiling glass looking out to the indoor training facility. Itās all about creating that āwowā factor.ā
As technology continues to advance, and philosophies around developing athletes continue to evolve, college weight rooms and training facilities will follow suit. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will likely play an even larger role, offering even deeper predictive insights into injury risk and performance optimization.
Virtual and augmented reality could find their way into weight rooms, offering new ways to engage athletes and visualize performance data. As the understanding of sports science deepens, athlete development centers will continue to see more integration of disciplines, creating truly comprehensive athlete training and wellness.
Todayās college weight room is a sophisticated blend of iron and algorithms, sweat and science, all aimed at helping athletes reach their full potential. As we look to the future, one can only imagine what innovations lie ahead in the ever-evolving world of strength and conditioning. āI think the days of just going in and pushing plates, pushing iron, those are long gone,ā says Hessert. āIn the good old days, that used to get you far enough, but everybody is so much more sophisticated nowadays. Everybodyās looking for that little edge. Itās not big gains now, itās little gains. And the more gains like that you can put together, the more effective youāre going to be.ā