Working behind the scenes to help UC Riverside student-athletes reach their physical best is Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh Everett.

“Our purpose is to maximize the athletic potential of every UCR student-athlete and produce winning sports teams,” Everett said. “We do this by performing Olympic lifting, strength lifting, body weight calisthenics, plyometrics, medicine ball throws, agility work, speed work, stretching, and tumbling routines.”

Everett's devotion to a strong workout plan has helped the Highlanders reach a level of physical excellence that has never been seen before at UCR.

“The strength of the human body originates in the ‘core’ of the human body,” Everett said. “Since the great athletes posses great strength, power, and flexibility in the ‘core,’ this is where we place most of our emphasis.”

The workouts do not come at the expense of practice time, but are designed to augment them. “The most important activity an athlete can do to improve at their sport is to work on the skill of the sport,” he said “But here are very few champion athletes today who are physically weak. Strength training is a must to become a standout athlete.”

“We attack the weights in the same manner as we attack within the athletic arena,” he added. “Since most sports are stand up power sports that involve multiple joints and muscle groups we will lift a large percentage of the time on our feet performing free weight, multiple joint/muscle exercises in an explosive fashion. We will vary intensities in our training as to develop speed, strength, and power. We know that by doing these activities we will maximize each athlete’s potential and produce winning teams.”

To see photos of the UCR Fitness Center, click here.