Turning 30 is a big deal for a lot of people. When you’re a company that has stayed on the cutting edge of sports performance training for 30 years, it’s a VERY big deal. If you think about all the fitness fads that have come and gone in that time (Step Aerobics, Thighmaster, Tae Bo, and many more) the staying power of the Athletic Republic system is truly remarkable. And remember, a safe, reliable training system for younger scholastic athletes didn’t even exist -- AR pioneered that category. We may shake our heads and marvel at how much athletic training progressed since then but really, it’s simply a matter of public perception catching up to what Athletic Republic has known all along.
The key to the AR system and, indeed, its staying power is the solid foundation of science and evidence-based iteration. When an exercise science physiologist from North Dakota named John Frappier made his fateful visit to the Soviet Union in 1986, he probably had little idea his findings would be the basis of a long-lived, successful brand or that the systems he would develop based on his observations from that trip would help millions of dedicated athletes achieve their goals.
He learned that the astounding success of the Soviets in sport in the previous decades was based on several approaches, including “overspeed training” in which the body was artificially pushed beyond its normal limits to raise its performance threshold. This principle of neuromuscular training is still that basis of much of AR’s training protocols today. Why? Because it works. It’s a complex process that gets the athlete’s system firing faster, at a higher level, and with much greater efficiency. At Athletic Republic better athletes are made, not born.
Another concept Frappier explored during his trip to the USSR was the comprehensive testing employed to gather data and validate results. These results informed future training, further reinforcing the superiority of drawing on scientific principles to train athletes.
At that time, there was very little science and a lot of tradition involved in the training of most athletes, at least those who weren’t lucky enough to be part of an Olympic or national team. But when scientific principles were applied to training, the results immediately jumped out. Upon his return to Fargo, Frappier began experimenting with applying and refining his learnings from his trip. Within two years, three football athletes enrolled in his program had signed with the University of Nebraska football program, a first for a town not known for producing high-level athletes. Things only took off from there, and his methods and the results being achieved by his athletes began attracting notice not only from university coaches but from pro athletes as well.
Well beyond the founding of Acceleration Products in 1990, Frappier continued to refine and innovate. He is, in fact, considered an early pioneer in plyometric training, studying the benefit of low impact, quick movements to improve stability and foot speed. He was so far ahead of his time that many of the concepts, protocols, and equipment that he developed over the course of the next decade are still considered cutting-edge today.
While Frappier has long since retired from training, Athletic Republic is well positioned to continue its trajectory of innovation in sports performance training with the recent addition of Dr. Jim Walker to its staff, who brings to the table many years of experience in training athletes leveraging his considerable scientific knowledge, as well as a deep understanding of and experience with the Athletic Republic system. Under his guidance, new programs, new protocols, and a strengthened emphasis on continuing education for trainers to help them deliver the high quality experience to their athletes are being rolled out. In addition, new technology products that will enhance the training experience for clients are in the works, and the company is continuing to aggressively work to expand into new markets, both in the U.S. and abroad.
In the meantime, we’ll be celebrating this big milestone in our history by honoring everyone that’s been a part of our legacy: our athletes, our franchisees, our training staff, and our partners. We’ll be celebrating the entire month of August with live social events, commemorative anniversary gifts, limited-edition swag, weekly giveaways, community give-back, and more. Stay tuned on our social media sites for daily updates and be part of the celebration.
