On any given school day the weight room at Junction City High School is a beehive of activity. Hundreds of students work out and train in  the facility under the watchful eye of JCHS teachers and coaches including Randall Zimmerman.

Zimmerman estimated that more than 500 students use the weight room every two-day period. “Over one-third of our student population goes through the weight room in a two-day period. ”

Some of the  equipment in the facility ranges from ten power racks and ten platforms to leg curl machines. “We’re all about free weights. Really our philosophy is we want ground based, mobile joint explosive type lifting. We lift to be better athletes.” Zimmerman added there are also a couple of recreational strength classes for non-athletes as well. “That’s just to learn how to lift correctly as a lifetime activity.”

The current weight room is a big step forward from the facility that existed when Zimmerman arrived at JCHS in 1994. Then it was upstairs at the high school in Room 202, which is now a health classroom. “We had two classes with less than 20 kids per class. We didn’t have a lot of interest there. Two years later we were outside in the mobile, which was the old wood shop. ” At that time there were six periods per day and every one of the classes filled up. ”

Zimmerman said former superintendent,  Dr.  Mary  Devin, recognized the interest in strength and conditioning, and the numbers were growing tremendously. “We ran out of room out there and that’s when she built on.” The current weight room is located on the site of what used to be a driveway on the west end of the high school building.

Photos have been provided by Javon George of JCHS.