With warmer weather coming to Syracuse and summer on the horizon, many Syracuse University students are looking to work out more. With this has come a massive influx of students at the Barnes Center at The Arch gym.

Freshman Luke Muoio has been going to the gym all year and said he has noticed an increase in gym goers this semester.

“It really started at the beginning of second semester, the second floor especially gets really packed. I end up waiting a long time for machines or cables,” Muoio said.

This creates a problem for students wishing to work out. There is just not enough space, and often all of the machines or weights are taken because there are so many students there. Freshman Shavonne Strelevitz often has trouble finding the machines she wants that are available at the moment.

“It can be very frustrating trying to find open machines and having to jump around in my workout when half the machines are taken,” she said. “Sometimes I have to switch around which muscle groups I am targeting.”

The over-crowded gym can leave students feeling discouraged and unmotivated, especially during prime hours, like between 4-7 p.m. For some students, these hours are the only time of the day they are able to go to the gym due to busy schedules.

“Sometimes I feel like it’s pointless when I know that I won’t effectively be able to work out,” Strelevtiz said.

There are, however, solutions to these problems. It starts with having students sign up for time slots to use the main floors, much like the system that was previously in place for the Barnes Center basement gym. This will limit the amount of people that are on the gym floor at a given time while still allowing students flexibility for when they want to work out. Although students will have to plan their workouts ahead of time, this system has worked smoothly before and will ultimately lead to a better experience at the gym.

To help with overcrowding, students can also take advantage of the Ernie Davis Fitness Center. Although smaller than Barnes, it still has plenty of machines and equipment to use. Moreover, students should be more focused when using weights or machines. Instead of sitting on their phone or talking to their friends for minutes at a time in between sets, they should be brisk with their rest times so that others can use the equipment. It’s not fair to those who want to use equipment if those using it take an unnecessary amount of time to finish.

“It’s upsetting seeing people take a whole five minutes in between sets, when they’re just on their phone when that machine could be used by other people,” Strelevitz said.

Even adding signage at the gym that suggests students take quicker rest times could go a long way, encouraging students to take less time up on the machines. In fact, the optimal rest time between sets is about three minutes at an absolute maximum.

Changes at the Barnes Center gym must come from both gym staff and students. Introducing a scheduling system is an easy fix that would give students a better time at the gym. Furthermore, students focusing more on their workout so that others can use the machines is not only an easy fix, but common courtesy. Ultimately, these small changes have the potential to significantly reduce overcrowding, encourage more students to work out and create an overall better gym experience at SU.

John Hepp is a freshman sports analytics major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jwhepp@syr.edu.

Published on March 22, 2022 at 9:09 pm