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Speed, agility and power are the performance skills an athlete needs to maintain the competitive edge.
At Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah, that’s exactly what the Acceleration program embodies. Trainers follow more than 4,000, science-based protocols tailored to any athlete at any level.
Exercise physiologist Allison Bradley said they meet with athletes from all walks of life: “We’ve gone as young as 8 and we’ve gone all the way up until the lifetime athletes, individuals up into their 80s.”
The Acceleration sports training programs are not the traditional strength-training regimen, but a method of fine-tuning any athlete for competition.
Throughout the year, trainers like Bradley see soccer players, football players, rugby players, lacrosse players, BMX riders, ballet dancers, cheerleaders and runners come through their doors.
“It’s like having a personal trainer but you’re also in here working with other athletes that are motivating each other, pushing each other," Bradley said. "It’s an intense training but it’s worth it because you see the results.”
Bradley all the equipment is patented and that gives athletes the edge they need.
“Our treadmills are called ‘super treadmills.’ They go up to 28 miles per hour and a 40 percent incline which your typical treadmill does not do," she said. "The controlled environment is customizable to change up the working environment while teaching injury prevention.
"We have the controlled environment to change up the run to work on hill incline, to work on the power of their hips, to work on their stride lengths, stride frequency. We can control it safely while they’re in our gym and take them to the next level.”
The Acceleration program not only teaches explosive power and agility, but injury prevention as well.
“If we can teach them now to not only do better in their sport, but know that exercise and these things are important and how to do it well, they’ll hopefully want to do it their whole life and know the importance of how health and keeping yourself healthy is important so you reduce your risk of having to come back to the hospital," Bradley said.
Bradley said as athletes train 2-3 days a week for their sport, they feel better and they have the confidence they need when it comes time to compete.
Video Contributor: Mike Headrick
