The Department of Athletics has a modern strength facility that may be used by North Carolina Central University student-athletes. The strength center is located in the L. T. Walker Complex. The strength facility features a variety of free weights, power stations and benches.

The Director of Strength and Conditioning, along with his staff, tailor conditioning program to sport-specific needs. The goals of the Strength and Conditioning Program are to assist student-athletes in reaching their full physical potential with regard to strength, flexibility, speed and endurance, and to help eliminate injuries.

Developing speed and explosive power, with an emphasis on injury prevention, through the use of ground based multi-joint movement to improve upper/lower body strength is essential to every student-athlete. No movement done by student-athlete in their act of competition is performed slow and concentrated. Therefore, the philosophy of the strength program is to mimic movements of those competitive acts. Every movement is fast and explosive; therefore, every lift our student-athletes perform is executed in a explosive manner. We put a great amount of emphasis on our student-athletes' conditioning level, which requires dedication and an incomparable mental toughness. At our level of competition, we work to eliminate the mental fatigue factor.

It is our belief that in order to compete at the highest level, year-round training is essential. Our program design utilizes several different phases. Those phases include a preseason phase, an in-season phase, and a post-season phase. We incorporate the use of periodization and prescribe a series of core lifts coupled with other exercises requiring full range of motion which helps strengthen ligaments and tendons in order to aid in injury prevention. We also teach and supervise a Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching routine that our student-athletes are to perform upon completion of their workouts that also aids in injury prevention and increases flexibility.

We expect our student-athletes to improve physically, develop a passion for training, and build character in our system. Hard work, dedication, a high intensity level, and relating training to sport-specific situations are the foundation of building the student-athlete we are proud to have wear the Maroon and Gray.

MEET THE STAFF

George "Bulldog" Smith - Director of Strength and Conditioning

Darrell Sanders - Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach