Notre Dame strength coach and Hamilton resident John McKenna (left) hangs out with MaxOut Vice-President Matt Cubbler and CEO Jason Griggs, along with MaxOut’s newest strength equipment, The Barwis Methods Tower.  

Notre Dame High School has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to strength and conditioning and much of that has to do with Hamilton resident John McKenna, the Irish’s renowned strength training coach who works with athletes from numerous high schools.

Always looking for new ways to get an edge, McKenna, has students of all ages and skill set using The Barwis Methods Tower, which he introduced earlier this winter. McKenna is already pleased with the results thanks to its advanced technology and the MaxOut team that introduced the system to him.

“A machine is a machine, but it’s only as good as the people behind it,” said McKenna, whose daughter Lindsey Diamond is the Hamilton West softball coach. “I never would have taken the time to learn about this machine if it wasn’t for MaxOut’s Jason Griggs, Matt Cubbler and Dennis Shea, three guys who made me feel like family the minute I walked in the door.”

The Barwis Methods Tower was created by MaxOut Strength Systems, LLC and named after the legendary Mike Barwis, a strength training expert who is the senior advisor to the New York Mets and former director of strength and conditioning at the University of Michigan. The Barwis Methods Tower allows for the benefits of “Wolff’s Law” to be implemented on every repetition. When the Barwis Methods Tower is connected to almost any piece of strength training equipment, the lifter is able to lower a heavier weight (eccentric phase) while lifting (concentric phase) a lighter weight. This ability to off-load a prescribed amount of weight allows for the lifter to precisely reduce the amount of weight lifted on every single repetition.

This capability allows new muscle fiber to form, increases bone density and ultimately improves function and stability to the targeted area of the body – in less time and with better results – than traditional methodologies. Only through this method are these results possible.

In addition to building stronger athletes, The Barwis Methods Tower also puts less wear and tear on the joints and connective tissue, which means an increase in performance and a reduction in the risk of injury – a key component to a winning season for competitors at any level.

“Since we purchased the Barwis Methods Towers, we are watching our numbers climb right before our very eyes and our technique is improving,” McKenna said. “It’s the best investment we have made in our ‘Irish Nation’ in the last 10 years. My goal is to add four more Towers in the very near future.”

MaxOut Strength Systems is a science-based technology development company that designs and manufactures strength training solutions for high school, collegiate and professional sports teams as well as for the United States government and military personnel.

For more information, visit http://www.maxoutstrengthsystems.com.