Our Philosophy: An Integrated Path to Your Best Self

Welcome to Carolina Athletic Development, where we offer a unique approach to wellness by seamlessly blending elite personal training with holistic physical therapy. Our guiding principle is to treat the mind, body, and spirit as one interconnected system. We believe this integrated philosophy is the key to unlocking our clients' best outcomes, helping them build a foundation of strength, resilience, and vitality that lasts a lifetime.

Expertise for Every Body and Every Goal

Whether you are a beginner taking the first step on your health journey or an advanced athlete pushing for peak performance, we have the expertise to maximize your results. We are committed to being a part of your entire support system and will gladly collaborate with your coaches, high school or collegiate programs, rehabilitation professionals, doctors, or agents. Our doors are open to all client types—from adolescents building their athletic foundation to mature adults enhancing their quality of life, we have powerful and effective options for you.

Our Integrated Services

We provide two distinct but complementary disciplines under one roof, allowing us to create a truly comprehensive plan for your health.

Holistic Physical Therapy: Our physical therapy practice moves beyond treating symptoms to address the root cause of pain and dysfunction. We utilize a range of advanced, hands-on techniques, including Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Mobilization, Dry Needling, and Spinal Manipulation, to restore balance to the body and facilitate deep, effective healing.
Personal Training: Our training programs are built on the science of human performance. We design your personalized plan using a diverse array of tools and methods, including a variety of weights, cardiovascular equipment, and targeted stretching and balance protocols. The goal is to build a functional, powerful, and resilient body that is prepared for the demands of your sport and your life.

Discover the difference an integrated approach can make. Welcome to Carolina Athletic Development.

- Lee Howard PhD, PT (owner)

Personal Training

Our Services

Unlock Your Potential with Personalized Training

At Carolina Athletic Development, we believe that cookie-cutter workout plans yield mediocre results. Your body, your goals, and your lifestyle are unique, and your fitness program should be too. We are dedicated to helping you unlock your full potential through customized personal training sessions designed to deliver tangible, lasting results. Our certified and experienced trainer will partner with you to transform not just your body, but your entire approach to health and performance.

Our Approach: A Blueprint for Your Success

True fitness success is built on a solid foundation. Our method is designed to identify and correct the root causes of physical limitation, creating a stronger, more balanced, and resilient you.

Comprehensive Evaluation: Your journey begins with a thorough assessment. We analyze your movement patterns, strength, mobility, and overall fitness to get a clear picture of your body's unique mechanics. This evaluation provides a score that allows us to pinpoint your strengths and identify "weak links" that may be holding you back or causing pain.
Custom Program Design: Using the data from your evaluation, we design a completely personalized fitness plan. Our primary goal is to achieve structural balance—a state where your body is functionally strong, mobile, and aligned. This proactive approach helps reduce pain, maximize mobility, and build a physique that moves with ease and power through life.
Expert-Led Training & Adaptation: Your trainer will provide dedicated, one-on-one guidance, ensuring you perform each exercise with perfect form and technique. As you get stronger and your needs evolve, your program adapts with you, guaranteeing you never plateau.
Achieve Your Goals
We specialize in creating pathways to success, whether you are just starting your fitness journey or are a seasoned athlete. Our personalized plans are designed to target your specific objectives, including:
- Weight Loss & Body Composition: Effectively shed fat and build lean muscle.
- Muscle & Strength Gain: Systematically increase strength and develop a powerful physique.
- Athletic Performance: Enhance your speed, power, and agility to dominate in your sport.
- Injury Prevention: Strengthen your body's weak links to build resilience against injury.
- Overall Health Enhancement: Improve energy levels, boost your metabolism, and elevate your quality of life

OUR TRAINING SPECIALTIES

We integrate a variety of proven training modalities to keep your sessions engaging and effective. Your personalized program may include:

Functional Training: Build strength in movements that directly apply to your daily life, making you stronger for any task.

Kettlebell Training: Develop explosive power, cardiovascular endurance, and rock-solid core strength.

Weightlifting: Master foundational lifts to build muscle, increase bone density, and sculpt your body.

Balance & Mobility Training: Improve stability and increase your range of motion for better movement and less pain.

Post Rehabilitation Transition to Fitness/ Sport: Receive training from a trainer who understands the rehab process and can help you navigate around post surgical and pain challenges.

Speed, Agility & Quickness (SAQ): Hone your athletic reflexes and gain a competitive edge.

Soccer Skill-Specific Training: Targeted drills and conditioning to elevate your performance on the pitch.

Muay Thai Combat Training: A high-energy discipline to build full-body strength, incredible conditioning, and mental focus.

Conditioning and Fitness: A strategic series of training sessions and home plans to improve general cardiovascular fitness and sport performance.

Begin Your Transformation Today

Holistic Physical Therapy

Advanced Therapy for Deep and Lasting Healing

Our holistic physical therapy service offers a profound departure from conventional treatments. We look beyond the symptoms to address the root cause of your pain and dysfunction. Using skilled, light touch and advanced manual therapies, we work to regulate your nervous system, release deep-seated restrictions, and facilitate your body’s innate capacity to heal itself. This is a partnership in which we listen to your body and honor its intelligence.

Craniosacral Therapy (CST)

What is Craniosacral Therapy?

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on therapy that focuses on the craniosacral system—the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect your brain and spinal cord. This system has a subtle, rhythmic pulse, often called the "Breath of Life."

A skilled therapist can feel this rhythm and identify areas of restriction or imbalance that may be impacting your entire body. We don't force change; instead, we follow the biodynamic philosophy, trusting that your body has an inherent intelligence and plan for healing. Our role is to use a light, perceptive touch to mirror this intelligence, allowing your system to release restrictions, re-organize, and find its way back to health. This process is deeply effective for regulating the nervous system, shifting it from a state of stress ("fight-or-flight") to one of healing ("rest-and-digest").

The Mind-Body Connection: SomatoEmotional Release (SER)

Sometimes, physical trauma or chronic stress can leave an emotional imprint stored deep within our body's tissues. SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a therapeutic process that evolves naturally from CST. It helps the mind and body work together to release the residual effects of past trauma.

This isn’t about reliving a negative experience; it’s about the profound pleasure and relief that comes from letting go. By creating a safe and supportive space, we help your body release this stored energy, freeing up resources that can be used for healing, growth, and experiencing more joy and ease in your life.

Visceral Manipulation

This gentle therapy focuses on the mobility and motion of your internal organs (viscera). Restrictions or adhesions around an organ can create tension patterns that lead to musculoskeletal pain elsewhere in the body. By restoring normal movement to the organs, we can often resolve chronic back pain, hip issues, and postural problems.

Dry Needling

This highly effective technique involves inserting a thin filament needle into a muscular trigger point or "knot." It is designed to release tight muscle bands and reset the neuromuscular system. Dry needling is exceptional for decreasing pain, dramatically improving range of motion, and restoring proper muscle activation, allowing muscles that were inhibited by pain to function correctly again.

Your Benefits: A Path to Wellness

This integrated, holistic approach provides comprehensive benefits that address the whole person:

Pain Decrease: By treating the underlying source—be it a muscular trigger point, a visceral restriction, or a nervous system imbalance—we help your body resolve pain rather than just masking it.
Improved Range of Motion: We release the deep fascial and muscular restrictions that limit your movement, restoring your body's natural freedom and flexibility.
Enhanced Muscle Activation: By releasing trigger points and calming the nervous system, we "wake up" dormant muscles, improving your strength, stability, and coordination.
A Regulated Nervous System: Through skilled, intentional touch, we calm the stress response that drives chronic pain and inflammation, creating the optimal internal environment for your body to heal and thrive. ✨

Experience the profound value of dedicated, expert guidance. It's time to stop guessing and start seeing tangible results in your fitness, your health, and your confidence. Transform your mind and body with training sessions that prioritize your personal growth.

Ready to build a stronger you? Contact us to schedule your comprehensive evaluation and take the first step on your health and performance journey. Please email us at strengththerapist@yahoo.com