If you’ve stepped foot in Fike since 2017 began, then you know there’s barely room to walk, let alone work out. Many people are exercising their holiday meals off and working on their “new year, new me” selves. However, it’s more than just working out for a new years resolution now, it’s a battle for the machines.

Apparently everyone at Clemson decided to start their New Years resolution today. Can't move in Fike. — Travis Bates (@TravisBates94) January 13, 2017

With that in mind, we decided to see how many more people actually went to Fike in January. While every student gets a membership, the gym is also open to the public. According to Victoria Roberts, the Assistant Director of Member Services at Fike, in the month of January about 450 people in the community purchased a membership.

But what does this mean compared to other months in the year? In November 2016, there were about 43,500 member card swipes into Fike, a number which includes student and non-student members. In January, there were almost 55,000 swipes. This would explain why the gym is making everyone feel so claustrophobic. It’s hard to lift weights with someone standing right next to you.

Don’t get discouraged, however. If you’re willing to wait out the crowd, people will be dropping like flies as the idea of a new years resolution fades away in the next couple months. Ellipticals will be free again and your favorite weights won’t be coated in a hundred people’s sweat. Or maybe they still will be, but try not to think about it.

Better yet, maybe just avoid the modern day torture chamber all together and go to the dining hall for some french fries. At least if there’s a line in there, there’s something tasty at the end of it.

have officially gone to clemson for three full semesters and have yet to step foot in fike — cassidy (@__sassidy) December 10, 2016

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” is a flat out lie, Kate Moss. Anyone who’s had a chocolate chip cookie at Harcombe knows nothing’s better.