Did you know that Pagel Activity Center offers a strength and conditioning weight lifting program after school? It turns out that not many Minnetonka High School students are aware of this opportunity. Strength training is an affordable, accessible option for anyone in a high school sport to train, whether in or out of season, or for anyone who just wants to get some movement in at the end of their day.
The coaches in the weight room at Pagel are all Minnetonka High School staff members, and they are incredibly supportive and encouraging. They provide detailed instruction on how to use the exercise machines, how to train on the racks, and above all, foster a community among the students. Each lifting session follows a rotation of various exercises to train different muscles in the body. All of the exercises are learned with little or no weight to start out, adding weight gradually as your body gets stronger. There’s no shame in starting with the basics. Everyone in the weight room was a beginner at one point, no matter how much weight they can lift now.
Ethan Robinson, ‘25, a lacrosse player, says “the energy in the weight room makes [training] really fun.” Robinson participates in the strength training program to keep in shape for the lacrosse season, but stresses “it’s not just about building the strength aspect. Obviously you get stronger through the lifting we do, but it’s also about building community.” During the strength training sessions at Pagel, students have the opportunity to meet lots of new people. Warm ups are very social, and often, groups of three to four students will train at a rack together. This way, students can get stronger while socializing and helping one another.
Lincoln Heitkamp, ‘25, plays baseball, and he loves strength training at Pagel “because you get to build relationships with your teammates and [with people] in other sports.” He says that he has “met people through [strength training] that [he] never would’ve met, because [he] had never played with them before.” Heitkamp recommends strength training for anyone who is interested, regardless of any previous experience in sports. He loves training at Pagel because “everyone in the weight room is one big team instead of a bunch of separate teams doing their own thing. Everyone is together.”
If you’re looking for a new activity to try out this year, Pagel strength and conditioning training may be the thing for you. Movement is good for the mind after a long day at school, even for a little while. Even though it can be nerve-racking to try new things, Pagel is a great chance to get involved at Minnetonka High School. No matter who you are, the community of students and coaches at Pagel will welcome you.
