With the renovation of the East Gym under way, FitSpace’s resources have been greatly limited.
The newly relocated FitSpace, now in the Old University Union, has been cut to 15 Cybex circuit machines, with a slim choice of cardiovascular equipment. So if you thought the lines at the gym were daunting in the past, the temporary facility is shaping up to be a nightmare.
Clyde Robinson, the director of Campus Recreational Services, expressed concern about the shortcomings of the relocated facility.
‘It will hold only 30 people at a time. That is the major concern that we are trying to address right now,’ Robinson said.
On the upside, group exercise will continue with the additional bonus of the waiving of membership fees. Schedules of group exercise can be found on the Campus Recreation home page.
While the renovation of FitSpace was long overdue, this temporary replacement will leave underclassmen a year without a decent gym, let alone one they can access on a daily basis. While off-campus options are plentiful, the grand opening of the vastly improved FitSpace, a $13.5 million facility with a spacious 10,000 square feet, should be well worth the wait. But until then, you may have to explore off-campus options.
Court Jester West and East
The upside: Jester has two locations, the West being located at 216 Reynolds Road in Johnson City, while the East is on 67 Robinson St. in Binghamton. Jester offers an almost unbeatable variety. From its Olympic-sized lap pool to its 5,500 square feet of nautilus and free-weight equipment, the court may just be the diamond in the rough you’ve been looking for.
While the new East location is open from 5:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, the West location is open all day during the week. The pricing is modest with flexible contracts: $202 for six months and $359 for the year. Remember to bring your student ID to receive student pricing.
The downside: The prices may be a bit too high for some and not everything is included in the membership fee. Their beautiful yet pricey Classical Pilates Studio can be as much as $20 per class and run up to $55 per hour for private lessons.
Shamrock Athletic Center
Location: 47 Riverside Drive, Johnson City
The upside: With its modest size and humble offerings, the Rock certainly has that musty, dank basement feel to it, but in a good way.
The gym offers a modest selection of nautilus equipment, treadmills and cycles. Much of the equipment is older with its dilapidated pads and rusty barbells. This gym is not for the faint of heart.
Cliff Jackson, personal trainer and wrestling instructor, expressed his enthusiasm for newcomers.
‘Anyone who tries out our mixed martial arts class, almost every time, ends up becoming a regular,’ Jackson said.
Beyond the mat, they also offer a wide variety of classes ranging from yoga and spinning to even wrestling.
The downside: Not to discourage the ladies, but this gym is almost 100 percent moldy testosterone. While students get 24/7 access, with a yearly membership of $100, members expressed their frustration with the equipment.
Ryan Walsh, a senior majoring in accounting, was genuinely disappointed with the Rock.
‘Numerous machines are unsafe to use, and the choice for an abdominal workout is terrible,’ Walsh explained.