THE SUPER STATION
- Dynamic Fitness & Strength
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Building Out a Work Station with the “More Strength Per Square Foot®” Philosophy
You can’t walk into a high school, college, or professional strength and conditioning facility today without immediately noticing the centerpiece of the room—the multipurpose strength station. Whether a room holds four stations or forty, the modern training hall is built around the idea that the majority of the work should be completed in one defined area. This layout maximizes efficiency, cuts wasted movement, improves traffic flow, and frees up valuable floor space for accessory training, turf work, or conditioning zones.
This approach isn’t an accident. It’s a response to the reality all coaches face: limited time, limited space, and a growing number of athletes who need quality work in a structured environment.
Where Did the “Super Station” Begin?
I can't say with absolute certainty where the first true multipurpose workstation originated, but for us, it started in 1997 at Boise State University. Back then, our facility looked like most others: segmented into traditional training zones.
Squat racks and lower-body accessories in one area
Platforms for Olympic lifting in another
Benches for flat, incline, and overhead pressing off to the side
That was the standard across the country. If a coach followed High-Intensity Training principles (HIT), the room typically resembled a machine-based circuit with limited free-weight options. Regardless of philosophy, weight rooms were siloed—good for organization, not great for efficiency.
But as more Olympic sport athletes embraced strength training—and as coaches recognized the role of resistance training in improving durability, resilience, and sport readiness—the old model couldn’t handle the increase in training volume or traffic
Fast Forward to the 2020s
Today’s coach must prioritize maximizing training efficiency and minimizing dead time. With athletes juggling:
Sport practice
Speed and agility work
Recovery sessions
Academic demands
Life outside of sport
…you simply cannot afford to waste time in the weight room. Every second counts, and the modern “Super Station” solves that problem by providing everything an athlete needs within an arm’s reach.
This is not just about equipment, it’s about building an environment where coaching, communication, and execution are optimized.
Why the Super Station Works
Coach Kenn philosophy additions include:
One Station, One Team: Athletes stay together, work faster, and stay more engaged.
Coaching Efficiency: One coach can effectively watch multiple lifters performing varied movements safely.
Reduced Chaos: Less wandering, fewer bottlenecks, and more flow.
Increased Work Density: More quality reps in less time—critical for team training.
Adaptability: When you build out a rack correctly, you can train full-body sessions, single-leg work, Olympic variations, pressing patterns, pulls, and accessories all in one place.
At Dynamic Fitness & Strength, our staff includes coaches with over a century of combined experience designing weight rooms at every level of sport. We understand that every facility is unique, and no two programs operate the same way. But the principles behind a truly efficient Super Station remain constant.
Below is a detailed overview of what is required to outfit a highly functional, high-efficiency station capable of supporting an entire training session.
STANDARD EFFICIENT START-UP PACKAGE
Approximate Footprint: 8 ft x 12 ft
This space allows for safe barbell work, movement variation, and athlete flow without unnecessary clutter.
1. Power Rack (Core of the Station)
Recommended Options:
Dynamic Fitness & Strength Titan Pro Power Rack
Safety straps and safety arms for maximum versatility
Dynamic Fitness & Strength Ultra Pro Power Rack
A half rack may be substituted depending on space or budget.
These racks serve as the central hub for squatting, pressing, pulling, single-leg variations, and barbell derivatives—the backbone of whole-body training.
2. Add-Ons and Storage Solutions
Plate and Bar Storage (integrated on-rack when possible)
Dumbbell Storage (compact and accessible)
Rack Attachment Storage (critical for keeping the area clean and organized)
A Super Station must be tidy and intuitive. If an athlete wastes time digging for attachments, you’ve already lost the efficiency battle.
3. Adjustable Bench
Dynamic Fitness & Strength Adjustable Ladder Bench with 10– or 12-inch pad
Adjusts from 0° to 80°
Stand-up storage capability is a major space saver
This allows seamless transitions between incline press, flat press, seated overhead press, and single-arm variations.
4. Barbell and Barbell Accessories
20 kg / 45 lb multipurpose barbell
(15 kg / 35 lb options for women and youth)
Three sets of barbell collars
Standard Trap Bar
A station without multiple collars slows the entire room down—small details matter.
5. Bumper Plates (Baseline)
8 × 20 kg / 45 lb
4 × 10 kg / 25 lb
6 × 5 kg / 10 lb
4 × 2.5 kg / 5 lb
4 × 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb
This plate loadout supports:
Olympic variations
Strength lifts
Progressions for youth and developmental athletes
Micro-loading strategies
6. Dumbbells / Adjustable DB System
PowerBlock 90–125 lb set (based on population and training age)
These replace large dumbbell racks and keep the station clean and compact.
7. Key Rack Attachments
Landmine
Uses: rows, presses, rotational strength, hinge variations Adds a dynamic movement option without leaving the station.
Single-Leg Squat Roller
Uses: rear-foot elevated squats, RDL variations, Nordic curl progressions Supports unilateral strength development—critical in Joe Kenn programming.
Step-Up Platform
Uses: varied-height step-ups, box-squat variations, single-leg jumps Adjustable, space-saving, and multi-functional.
Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar
Uses: vertical pulling variations, grip variations, isometric work Pull-ups remain a staple in every Joe Kenn program.
Final Thoughts: Building the Ideal Training Environment
The Super Station isn’t just a rack—it’s a complete training ecosystem. It represents the evolution of the weight room from segmented zones to an integrated, high-efficiency performance environment.
This philosophy aligns perfectly with the More Strength Per Square Foot mindset:
Maximize space
Maximize efficiency
Maximize coaching
Maximize athlete development
When you bring together smart design, purposeful equipment, and a coaching philosophy rooted in practicality and performance, you create a training space where athletes can thrive and coaches can execute their vision without compromise.
Comments