A CPASS Athletic Coaching Education graduate has created a workout facility that offers area residents the same personal strength training that college, professional and Olympic athletes experience.
Viking Performance Training founder Jerry Handley’s interest in physical training was never tied to his participation in a sport, instead, he became intrigued by the science and passion that establishes the drive to succeed. According to Handley, a former West Virginia University conditioning coach, this makes Morgantown-based VPT unique to other gyms and weight lifting facilities.
“The future of VPT is going to be big. We’ve grown very quickly because athletes have seen the results of a sport-specific program and it’s something never offered in Morgantown to this degree,” explained Handley.
Instead of implementing traditional, standardized workout regimens, each member receives an individualized training plan, based on fitness and health goals or personalized to an athlete’s position or role on the team.
“Morgantown has gyms, but Viking Performance is the only training center where athletes anywhere from middle school to the Olympics can be trained directly for their specific goal,” he added.
Handley spent more than a decade working as a strength and conditioning coach at WVU where he was responsible for training of every varsity sports program throughout his career. Handley has worked with Mike Barwis, former WVU strength and conditioning director, and other nationally known top strength coaches, while learning the many variables that go into achieving elite fitness goals.