The Athletic Republic training center in Clifton Park, NY is helping hockey players in Update New York improve their skating mechanics, and increase foot speed and on-ice performance.

Ice Hockey Treadmill Increases Skating Speed for Saratoga County Athletes  ~by Stan Hudy

CLIFTON PARK — Parents have yelled at children for decades for putting their feet up on the coffee table and the furniture.

Now, imagine their reaction if their young, skate-wearing hockey player decided to jump on mom and dad’s treadmill at home?

Jack Bartoszek, owner of the Athletic Republic franchise in Clifton Park doesn’t see a problem in that and actually encourages it.

Bartoszek teamed up with Athletic Republic and provided the ideal training for hockey players with a need to increase speed — the ice hockey treadmill.

Introduced as part of each Athletic Republic location the skating treadmill allows skaters to lace up their ice skates and work on their strides on a treadmill designed just for them.

“It’s a synthetic surface, kind of like if you were to compare it to the cutting board in your kitchen, the white board that you cut vegetables up with,” Bartoszek said. “It’s similar to that in that the skates will make a mark in it, but they won’t really cut it too badly.”

Instead of a single piece of running surface or mat stretched across two rollers, the ice hockey treadmill utilizes synthetic slats, attached to the mat surface and then pulled across the rollers.

“We replace the slats every couple of years,” Bartoszek explained. “Youth athletes, Olympic athletes and professional athletes come in and they skate on this.”

The unique treadmill — the only one in Upstate New York — provides a workout in from the cold for a number of athletes during a training session and provides unique challenges when the treadmill, like its running cousin, is lifted up at an angle.

“They are improving their skating performance by skating uphill at different various speeds and angles all controlled by a computer,” Bartoszek said. “You come in here and skate, become a better skater and that translates directly onto the ice when you are skating on flat ice.”

With a safety system for each skater, the overhead beams, rope and harness gives the ice skating treadmill a feel of a ride at an amusement park, but these rides are much shorter and more strenuous.

“When you are skating uphill, incline training recruits muscles at a rate of three times more than skating or running on flat ground,” Bartoszek said. “When the athletes come in here, their longest time on the treadmill is 45 seconds and that’s a warm-up at a very slow speed and very low angle.”

Professional hockey player and Clifton Park resident Peter MacArthur pushed himself to the limit on the treadmill earlier this week, stepping on for a few strides at its highest point.

“When you go 30 degrees like that, five or six seconds is the longest time you are going to be on there,” MacArthur said. “Usually we’ll go through that three or four times and be really, really difficult by the third time. The first time isn’t bad and you get through it. The more you do things — the repetition — that’s what really gets you.”

Even for a professional athlete, the treadmill wins every time.

“If you go for 20 seconds you’re done, you need at least a minute break to get your heart rate down and the lactic acid out of your legs,” MacArthur said. “It’s really tough. You’re just not used to using those muscles for that period of time at that quick of a rate.”

The skating treadmill isn’t limited to high school, collegiate or professional athletes as Jack’s daughter, Mandy Bartoszek, jumped on for some stride work and family friend David Wehrlin took his first strides on the synthetic surface.

“When I started it felt kind of weird, then the second time I got on it I felt really good about myself and it was really fun,” she said.

Her interaction on the treadmill stirred a return to the slippery flat surface for Bartoszek. “I played when I was 5 and then I stopped for a little while because it didn’t feel right for me,” she said. “Then when I started on the treadmill I just wanted to try again for a while, just me and my dad, to have some fun on the ice.”

Twelve-year-old David Wehrlin wasn’t intimidated by the unique treadmill.

“Since we were harnessed I knew if we did fall I would just swing back,” he said. “Really it wasn’t that scary. It was just weird.”

With a full life on the ice for MacArthur, skating for Shenendehowa, Boston University and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, the professional hockey player knows what it takes to be successful on the ice.

“The game is all about confidence and skating. If you can’t skate now you can’t play,” the AHL free agent said. “Even the big guys who are fighting they can all fly. It may not look like it, but when you’re out there next to them they can all fly.

“Skating is the number one thing if you want to be a hockey player,” MacArthur said. “If you want to be a successful playing hockey you have to be a good skater, otherwise it’s not going to work out.”

Through the years MacArthur has learned that his success has to do with the center of his body as much as his legs to propel him up and down the ice.

“A lot of things that young players and athletes don’t understand that your core is essential,” he said. “If you don’t have a strong core, strong legs, strong muscles in your stomach you can’t do anything. It’s your base. It’s like having a good center of gravity.”

“We do a lot of things with the core balls, the weights down on the floor, working on our core to make our center muscles as strong as possible and in return makes you a better skater,” MacArthur said. “Even if you don’t think it’s going to your core is number one.”

Currently back home during the off-season and fielding offers from different professional ice hockey clubs, MacArthur is taking advantage of the local skating treadmill.

“This is the only place that I have ever seen one and the only place I have ever trained on one,” MacArthur said.

“I’m sure other places have them, I think Cornell has one and a bunch of the pro teams have one, but this is the only one I have used. It’s pretty convenient. It’s nice.”

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North Shore Ice Arena in Northbrook, Illinois expands its services with an Athletic Republic performance sports training center.

It’s hard for former New Trier hockey player Stephanie Dubin to forget her first experience on a skating treadmill.

“At first, it’s weird,” said the center, who is entering her sophomore year at the University of Colorado. “It’s scary to let go of the bar and then you realize that you can’t fall. You’ve got nowhere to go.”

While attending New Trier, Dubin took advantage of Athletic Republic’s running treadmills, plyometric press machine and conditioning cords. She currently is spending her first summer as an intern at its new Northbrook location at the North Shore Ice Arena.

Since Athletic Republic opened its eighth site in the Chicago area May 19, business has been booming. The Park City, Utah-based company’s other area locations are in Lincolnwood, Geneva, Orland Park, Naperville, Willowbrook, Winnetka and Libertyville. Locally, skating treadmills are at Northbrook, the Hartland Arena in Lincolnwood and Fox Valley Arena in Geneva.

The treadmill is about eight feet wide and is supported by plastic planks that rotate. At full speed, it’s very loud.

Hockey players use the machine most often, but speed skaters and figure skaters train on it as well. Northbrook instructors are looking for figure skates without toe picks so skaters do not chew up the treadmill’s surface.

Skaters are supported by a harness and cable to prevent falls. The treadmill can be adjusted to incline for even harder workouts and can reach a top speed of 16 mph.

“It’s hard. It’s a hard time because it’s so grueling,” Dubin said. “It takes a lot out of you.”

At Northbrook, the treadmill is located near a mini-rink so skaters can work on their mechanics moments after completing a workout. Athletic Republic staff videotape from two different angles to break down the skater’s stride during and after workouts

“It’s such a great tool for stride mechanics,” said Tyler Bosch, Athletic Republic’s director of operations. “You can also be next to the athlete while they are skating.”

Workouts on the treadmill take up 40 minutes of an hour-long workout, which includes warm-up exercises and drills to improve balance and flexibility. Typical programs last 20-26 sessions over six to eight weeks.

The U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs uses similar equipment for its skaters.

Athletic training has come a long way since Debbie Stoery graduated from Glenbrook North in 1970. Stoery was a figure skater long before her current role as an elite coach at North Shore Ice Arena. She formerly coached Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek when he competed at the novice level.

“As a little girl, my father took me to the forest preserve to run up hills,” Stoery said. “I used to jump the fence to use Glenbrook North’s running track.”

Now, Stoery’s students as young as 8 years old belong to Athletic Republic and train under Bosch and Dubin.

“What the (training) does is maximize our efficiency,” Stoery said. “In our sport, we are part artistic (skater) and part power skater.”

Article by George M. Wilcox originally printed in Wilmette Life.

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“The strategic alliance with Panasonic will certainly be very beneficial for both parties and we value Panasonic’s expertise and flexibility in integrating and creating innovative technology systems for enterprises like us,” said Athletic Republic CEO Charlie Graves. “We have lofty goals to expand our businesses in the future, and to continue our industry-leading practices: our facilities will feature advanced technology needed in sports training.”

Each of the 160 existing Athletic Republic training centers will be eligible to purchase the sports technology package Athletic Republic has developed with Panasonic. In addition, all new Athletic Republic facilities will include the use of Panasonic plasma screens, HD cameras, computers and point of sale systems as part of the athlete training experience.

Panasonic will have their advanced technology products on display to more than 80,000- athletes that will use Athletic Republic facilities this year. While staying true to its approach to uniting sports with science, Athletic Republic has a history of applying the newest technology to improve an athlete’s development. This alliance is another example of the competitive advantage Athletic Republic offers.

“The formation of the Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company allows our company to address specific vertical markets in meaningful ways,” said James Doyle, President of the newly formed Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company.  “The alliance with Athletic Republic shows how a company best-known as an electronics company can align successfully with innovative, entrepreneurial companies, and create real value for customers. Through this alliance, we have the opportunity to position Panasonic products in front of some of the most technologically-savvy consumers in the U.S.”

Panasonic has been an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category for more than 20 years.  Our alliance with Athletic Republic puts the same world-class Panasonic technology that has fueled Olympians for decades into the hands of today’s developing athletes.

Toby Gerhart, Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up, is eager to prove doubters wrong this week in the NFL scouting combine which will be held in Indianapolis.  Gerhart has been training in the Athletic Republic network since eighth grade, and returned to work on his speed in preparation for the combine.

“Toby has an incredible work ethic!” said Athletic Republic - Inland Empire Owner Darrel Barnes.  “He has a tremendous amount of God-given ability, but what stands out the most is his character and attitude, which puts him second to none.  It is a tremendous pleasure to train him and to have watched his progress through the years.”

Gerhart has worked closely with coaches Darrel Barnes and Sione Taufoou of the Athletic Republic network as he prepares for the next stage of his athletic career.

Read more about Toby at ESPN.com

Athletic Republic is proud to announce an advanced certification recognizing trainers who demonstrate extraordinary athlete development skills, maintain the highest level of professionalism, strive to improve their training centers’ operations and contribute to the advancement of Athletic Republic. The Master Trainer certification is being awarded to 20 long-time members of the performance sports training network to commemorate the company’s 20 year anniversary. The inaugural class of Master Trainers will be awarded the distinction on Saturday, April 24, 2010 as part of Athletic Republic’s Facility Conference, being held in Park City, Utah, and include:

» Mike Antoniades: Sport Dimensions - London, UK

» Darrel Barnes: Athletic Republic - Rancho Cucamonga, CA

» Paul Cialone: Athletic Republic - Rochester, NY

» Myron Cullen: St. Alexius Medical Center - Bismarck, ND

» Shawn Dassie: Athletic Republic - New Braunfels, TX

» Derek Ferley: Athletic Republic - Sioux Falls, SD

» Dan Hutchison: Ultimate Speed - Jupiter, FL

» Jim Kielbaso: Total Sports Performance - Wixom, MI

» Pete Leno: Dickinson State University - Dickinson, ND

» BJ Maack: Athletic Republic - Little Rock, AK

» Jay MacLeod: Athletic Republic - Fargo, ND

» David & Gary Nelson: Acceleration Indiana - Indianapolis, IN

» Kyle Nettestad: Athletic Republic - Lincolnwood, Morris and Orland Park, IL and Merrillville, IN

» Kyle Norris: Sports Acceleration Center - Spirit Lake, IA

» Dan O’Donnell: Athletic Republic - St. Louis, MO

» Chris Range: Madonna ProActive Sports Performance - Lincoln, NE

» Matt Stack: Bluestreak - Stamford, CT

» Rocky Tekulve: Tekulve Acceleration Training - Cincinnati , OH

» Jim Walker: TOSH - Salt Lake City, UT

Last June, Cole Marcoux was an unheralded quarterback prospect preparing for his senior season at The Fieldston School in the Bronx, when he attended Football University - Philadelphia. His size and skills impressed the production team preparing to shoot the opening episode of a new reality TV show, The Ride, and he was invited to be one of 8 unknown high school quarterbacks looking to win a spot in the All-American Bowl.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cole made great strides in both skill and strength over the ten episodes and, despite being the underdog in the group, he was able to come away with the berth they all coveted.

During last week’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Marcoux completed 5 of 8 passes for 99 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion to lead the East team, and, in the process, made a name for himself while competing against some of the nation’s marquee defenders and surpassing all expectations.

Cole credits his training with BlueStreak Sports Training at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan - one of 160 centers in the Athletic Republic network, as one of the key reasons he was able to earn the chance to succeed in the Super Bowl of high school football.

“Cole’s accomplishments in the game are the result of his commitment to becoming a better quarterback.  He absorbed the teaching provided by some of the game’s best quarterback coaches and became dedicated to improving his fitness, quickness and foot speed by following the principles of the Athletic Republic method of science-based training,” said Steve Swanson, Athletic Republic’s Chief Science and Technology Officer, and one of judges on the The Ride.

“In just five weeks, Cole lost 8 pounds of fat, doubled his foot speed scores, and improved his overall conditioning so much that the other judges quickly noticed the difference when he arrived at the Top Gun camp in late July.  Those improvements allowed him to jump ahead of some other contestants in the show and be in a position to earn the All-American Game roster spot,” Swanson continued.

Over 680,000 athletes have taken advantage of its individualized, sport-specific training programs to enhance their speed, power and agility to gain more than just a step on their competition.

Cole Marcoux is just the most-recent example.

Henderson is preparing for the upcoming Army All-American Bowl to be held in San Antonio, Texas on January 9, 2010.   Coach McNally spent over three hours taking the offensive tackle through a variety of drills and refining his technique.

Brandon Meriweather of the New England Patriots made some noise by stripping the ball from Buffalo kickoff returner Leodis McKelvin during last night’s Monday Night Football game. The fumble positioned the Patriots to make the go-ahead touchdown and provided New Englanders with an exciting start to the season.

What many might not know is that this was just another day at the office for Meriweather.  Brandon, a product of the University of Miami, is an Athletic Republic athlete who spent the off-season training with Todd Robinett, Performance Director at All-Star Sports in Paisley, Florida.

Home to the Athletic Republic and Football University’s Top Gun Camp, All-Star is the training facility of choice or many of the NFL’s best.  The center provides players the ability to sharpen their skills away from the media and spotlight in the cozy confines of a remodeled hunting lodge.   Athletes are taken through rigorous training protocols on the Athletic Republic equipment, then sharpen their football skills in the field house, sand pit, video analysis room, players’ lounge, and Olympic strength room.

“All-Star Sports is dedicated to the athlete that is looking for an edge and Brandon is another great success story.  He has tremendous work-ethic and a contagious personality.” said Robinett.  ”He is constantly asking to be challenged and taken to his limits. Brandon came to All-Star with an extremely open mind looking for ways to improve his speed, reaction and anticipation. He has really taken to the Athletic Republic ways, the Super Treadmill, Plyo Press and Plyo floor were just some of the many tools we used to challenge him.”

“Brandon never takes a rep, set, or play off and that showed in last night’s game.” Robinett continues.  ”It’s between sets that you have to watch out for, he has a great personality and keeps all of the staff on our toes here at All-Star, but when it comes to work he is all business. Brandon is just not happy if he isn’t being challenged, he is a self-motivated athlete that strives on obstacles and that shined through last night in the fourth quarter.”