Photo courtesy of Nate Craft’20 | Pictured above is Nate Craft’s workout room he has created due to the coronavirus pandemic closing his native gym

By Kaidan Linse ’20

THE ROUNDUP

With Brophy’s facilities as well as gyms across the valley closed for the foreseeable future, students and athletes alike have come up with creative and new ways to stay fit during quarantine.

One of the most popular methods for working out during these new times are virtual workouts which can be done live with the instructor from your own home or recorded and done at your own leisure.

In order to fill the gap for students looking to stay fit, coach Mr. Joe Denk, the director of strength and conditioning programs for all athletic teams, has used TrainHeroic, an app for students to take advantage of while at home.

“TrainHeroic is an app we’ve been using for the past year,” said Mr. Denk.

On the app, coach Mr. Denk has created virtual workout plans for each day of the week that can be paired with google meet sessions so you can workout in groups virtually.

“I write the programs for each team or class and students have unlimited access. I can also keep an unlimited number of kids on the app, so they can use it in college if they’d like,” Denk says.

“For example, there are team programs, general strength and conditioning, and advanced strength. There are video demonstrations, weight recommendations, and all data is tracked so we can ensure we’re making progress,” Mr. Denk says.

Coach Mr. Denk says that he has been writing up programs for kids with and without equipment at home, so everyone has something they can do.

Students who are interested in joining or want any further details can contact Mr. Denk at jdenk@brophybroncos.org.

As for coach Mr. Denk and his own experience during these times, he admits that gyms closing down was a real source of anxiety for himself.

“I started lifting when I was 16 and haven’t taken more than a week off since. I didn’t remember what life was like before the gym,” Denk says.

“I decided that I can’t change the situation, so I took action. I got some very inexpensive, simple equipment like bands and free weights. I typically ‘lift’ for about an hour in my backyard. I don’t have heavy weights, so I’ve been doing more reps and sets to compensate. I have been going on long walks in the afternoons as well as focusing more on my sleep and nutrition,” Denk adds.

Denk’s advice to student-athletes who wish to stay fit during the quarantine is to find a solid routine and stick to it as well as take this time to focus more on your sleep and nutrition as he has been doing.

Mateo Morris ’21, an active user of coach Denk’s app and virtual workout program, is grateful that there is a way for student-athletes to keep in shape during the quarantine.

“I think it is great what coach Denk is doing,” said Morris.

“For me personally, I would be in the lacrosse season right now, but since I lost my usual outlet for exercise, I had to find something new to replace it,” Morris says.

When asked about how the program and app works, Morris mentioned the easy-to-use interface and functionality of the system.

“The app is where we get most of the workouts. Coach Denk has it listed by day what we should do and includes a link to a google meet to workout virtually alongside other kids if we want,” Morris says.

“It has been nice to have a daily routine to follow,” Morris adds.

Alongside these virtual workout programs, other students have adapted alternative ways to remain fit.

Nate Craft ’20, a member of the varsity soccer team, spends most of his afternoons running or at the soccer fields practicing.

“In order to keep my endurance up, I have been running outside almost daily or riding my family’s Peloton bike at home,” said Craft.

“Also just recently, I have started going to the soccer fields by my house with a few friends and we have been doing various soccer drills,” Craft says.

“It has been nice to have the soccer fields remain open since I know a lot of other sports cannot even go out and practice,” Craft adds.

With everyone being stuck at home, exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety from the struggles that have been created by the pandemic.