Yes, You Can Go To The Gym

By Azra

To me, the biggest challenge going to the campus gym is that — to a newcomer — it can feel a bit overwhelming. Personally, I did not venture to the gym until my third year, and I didn’t feel fully comfortable there until my fourth year. My nervousness simply had to do with the fact that I wasn’t fully acquainted with the environment. But the reality is that it is a space for everyone, plus we get access to it from our school fees, so it really is meant to be one of our spaces. That’s why I decided to write this blog post — to ease the nerves of any newcomers with this brief introduction to the U of A gym.

The Locker Rooms:

I really can’t tell you the number of times I have seen students go up to the gates at the locker rooms and look extremely confused as to how they are supposed to get through the metal barricade. But I promise, the change rooms are for you to use! If there’s one important tip I can tell you about the University’s gym it is to always have your ONEcard! To get into the locker room, you just swipe your ONEcard, wait till you hear a beep, and walk through. You can either bring a lock for a day-use locker or you can rent a locker from Facility Services (just outside the locker room). The locker room also has shower rooms, so you can shower after a work out if you choose. I would recommend bringing shower shoes. Towel rental is either included with your locker rental fee or can be rented separately.

[Editor’s Note: As of January 2020, the first of two universal change rooms is open.]

The Gym:

Every year, I always hear newcomers ask similar questions about the gym, so this would be an excellent time to address those.

Where is the gym? The gym entrance can be found downstairs in the Van Vliet Complex. Similar to the lockers in the change room, to get into the gym, you swipe your ONEcard.

When can I go to the gym? During the school year (September-April), the hours of the gym [Hanson Fitness and Lifestyle Centre] are from 6 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 7pm on weekends. I would say that the gym is fairly busy throughout the entire day but the peak hours are around 12 pm to 6 pm. That being said, no matter how crowded it may look, there is always enough equipment for everyone!

Are there any special rules? The university’s gym follows similar etiquette to other gyms such as wearing proper gym attire, wiping down equipment after use, and returning equipment to their original place after usage.

Can I use equipment? To borrow special equipment from the front desk (such as a lifting belt, skipping ropes, ab wheels etc.), you simply exchange your ONEcard for the item. There are mats located upstairs and downstairs for stretching along with a lot of open space throughout the gym to do so. The downstairs area includes squat racks, cardio equipment and the powerlifting equipment while the upstairs area has most of the free weights and strength machines.

The Cardio Equipment:

There are treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes distributed on the first and second floor. Typically, people use cardio equipment for around half an hour. As a result, if the machine that you want is in use, check back in a couple minutes and it might have freed up! I think the only real expectations are that when you are done using a machine, you wipe it down and that you don’t use one piece of cardio equipment for a very long time.

If you are not sure about how to use a machine, you can ask the people around you or the front desk for some help. Additionally, if you are not a fan of doing cardio on the machines, the Pavilion (i.e. the Butterdome) and the Clare Drake Arena also have tracks for drop-in running. The Pavillion’s drop in hours differ based on different activities. There is a track on the lower floor but you can also choose to challenge yourself by running the stairs in the spectator area. The track for the Clare Drake Arena is the green pathway that wraps around the rink.

The Squat Racks:

I dedicated a section of this post to the squat racks because there are 14 squat racks at our gym. 14! It is very impressive and therefore very popular. During peak hours, you may get people asking to work on them with you, or they might just hang around wondering how many sets you have left, but for the most part the 14 squat racks are enough.

My only piece of advice to someone just starting to squat is to make sure that you are squatting with proper form to avoid injuries. Additionally, the squat bars weigh 20kg (45lbs) so that’s a decent amount weight right out of the gate. If you are not able the squat the bar right away, there are barbells at lighter weight that you can use to work your way up.

Strength and Conditioning:

In addition to the squat racks, there is a wide variety of strength and conditioning equipment for all fitness levels. These include various strength machines and TRX training stations, as well as free weight training.

The separate free weight training area is located upstairs and includes equipment ranging from 5–100 lbs and barbells ranging from 20–115 lbs. Additionally, there are adjustable benches so that you can complete lots of different exercises! The only thing to be mindful of is to ensure that you don’t stand right in front of someone and block their view in the mirror.

The Powerlifting Area:

The powerlifting area was the most intimidating aspect to me when I first ventured into the gym. Probably because everything looked so intense and heavy and everyone in the powerlifting area seemed to know each other. Looking back, this is sort of amusing because now I spend my mornings in the powerlifting area.

If you have questions about how to use the equipment, or if you are looking for a spotter, there are usually other lifters present to give you a hand. Also, if you’re looking to get into powerlifting or weightlifting, you can reach out to the Powerlifting Club for more information.

And Remember, You aren’t embarrassing yourself!

At our gym, there are people of all fitness levels pursuing different goals. Even if you are a beginner, just by going to the gym, you are making invaluable progress and impacting your health beneficially. If you feel intimidated by the other gym goers, always remember that they’ve been in the same position as you and likely are able to offer you advice to help you improve and progress. If you don’t find that you enjoy working out at the gym, our gym also has a climbing wall and various group classes that you can drop-in for, too!