Alex Bresler plays for National Championship

Long time Next Level client, Alex Bresler, who is a freshman for the Elmira Soaring Eagles

Women's hockey team, participated in the national championship game March 21st vs.

Amherst College. And what a game it was! This match was back and forth from start to

finish with rallies, lead changes, and momentum swings that were truly fitting for a national

championship competition. Just as fitting was the score at the end of regulation play, which

was a 3-3 tie. Unfortunately the Soaring Eagles came up short in this sudden death overtime

as Amherst scored the winning goal at the 12:12 mark.

However, we could not be more proud of Alex and her accomplishments. Coming into the

last off-season Alex had undergone shoulder surgery and knew that she had a lot of catching

up to do to make any kind of impact as an incoming freshman. Most athletes in this situation

would simply go to physical therapy and maybe ride the bike until they were totally cleared

to train. Not Alex! She would take her sling off in the parking lot, come in the gym and go

to work. (yes I know about that Alex) While rehabbing the shoulder, we found ways to

still get a training effect with specialized bars and sleds for the lower body, as well as modified

exercises to strengthen the upper body. By the end of the off-season Alex had not only

successfully rehabbed her shoulder, but was stronger, faster, and in better condition than

ever before.

It's been quite a year for Alex. Surgery, rehab, training, working her way into the lineup as

a freshman, and competing for a national championship. There are so many things that went

into such an accomplishment, but I think this quote from Alex herself sums her up the best.

Less than an hour following what had to be a heartbreaking loss for the National title I

received a text from Alex saying, " I'm ready to get to work. I will be a National Champion."

We are proud of you Alex and look forward to helping you achieve your goal.

Meet Next Level's latest scholarship athlete

Emily Hunsucker, of Pomona High School has recently committed to the University of Colorado
on a track and field scholarship. Emily started working with us in November of 2008 to prepare
for the upcoming track season with a focus on the discus and shot put. Emily had the following
three goals in mind as we started our off-season program.

1. Improve overall strength and explosiveness that would transfer to her throws
2. Be a threat for the state title in her respective events
3. Continue throwing at the collegiate level

Track season hasn't even officially started yet and Emily has already accomplished two out
three major goals. If you have seen Emily work out at our facility, I don't think this would
come as a big surprise. To her credit, Emily is one of the most coach able and dedicated
athletes I have worked with. Because of this she has smashed some on Next Level's
female records and set a new standard in the gym. Listed below are some of the
improvements she made in less than 12 weeks.

Vertical jump: 6" improvement (Next Level Record)
Power clean: went from 85 lbs. x 5 reps to 135 lbs x 2 reps
Below parallel squat: went from 185 lbs. x 3 reps to 240 lbs. x 2 reps (Next Level Record)
Press: went from 105 lbs. x 5 reps bench press to 150 lbs. x 2 incline
bench press

In addition to her commitment to excellence inside and outside of the gym, these improvements
were made by first going through a comprehensive evaluation. We were able to determine
Emily's individual weaknesses and limiting factors, which enabled us to tailor a very specific
program to meet her needs as an athlete. As you can see, performing the appropriate workout
with the right attitude can take you a long way in your athletic development. If you are interested in finding your individual limiting factors, give us a call at the number listed on
this site.

We're proud of you Emily. Now go chase that state title!

Jesse gets article PUBLISHED!

For those of you who don't know, Jesse competed at Grappler's Quest, Las Vegas, which is the largets Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in the nation. You can read about his experience in an article he wrote in http://www.elitefts.com/. The article outlines his strength training preparation for the tournament. Click here, for more information on training programs for your specific sport.

Buffs Win in double OT!

As many of you know the Next Level staff has been working with the University of Colorado men's lacrosse team since September on their speed, strength, and conditioning program. We
would like to congratulate them on winning their opening game this weekend by taking down
Boston College, ranked #7 in the country, in double over time. The Buffs showed a lot of heart
on Saturday, rallying back from a three goal deficit on two occasions. Their dedication to our
off-season workouts paid off big, especially late in the game as the CU athletes were still flying
around the field with plenty left in the tank. We have no doubt that this will set the tone for
a successful season. Best of luck to the CU Buffs and we will keep everyone updated on their
progress.