The Simon Recreation Center has many opportunities for students to enjoy, including everything from the volleyball and basketball courts to the dance rooms and pickleball courts.
One thing that is seemingly not utilized as often is the free gym space. There are two separate gyms in the rec center: one on the lower level and one on the upper level. Some students already use the gym for a multitude of reasons, most commonly to get fit and stay healthy. The gym also provides a dopamine release for many of its visitors by offering a space for people to focus on themselves and escape the stresses of everyday life.
Jack Luster, a junior majoring in sports business and leadership and HR management, has been going to the gym for three years. Luster has recently expanded on his time training in the gym, typically eight hours per week, by starting to compete in powerlifting competitions.
Luster’s reasons for going to the gym in the first place are simple: “To become the strongest and best version of myself possible.”
While many people go to the gym by themselves, it is also common to see patrons working out in pairs or small groups. The buddy system is something that gym members adopt to hold each other accountable, making sure their workout partners stay consistent and do not skip. Luster will occasionally go with others, depending on what muscle groups he’s exercising that day, and he encourages more people to go to the gym.
“The pain of working out is less than the pain of regret later,” Luster said.
Another frequent visitor of the Simon Rec is Sami Hussein, a sophomore majoring in accounting and political science on the pre-law track. He’s been going to the gym since August 2024.
Hussein does not often utilize the buddy system because of his demanding schedule, but he always makes sure to hit the gym during his free time. His workouts are shorter than Luster’s, only spending 35-50 minutes a day on them.
“Life is full of mysteries, but I know I can always count on a good workout to reset my mind and keep me moving forward,” Hussein said.
People enter the gym with goals of losing weight, gaining muscle or building strength. The gym keeps many individuals healthy, helps them build a trained body, and allows them to be more productive and have more energy throughout the day.
This is the reason that Nina Sherman, a sophomore majoring in nursing, and Madeline Gerloff, a sophomore majoring in geo-informatics, decided to start going to the gym and have remained consistent for over a year.
Sherman and Gerloff do not always go together, but when they do, it always makes for a powerful workout. Working out with another person provides an additional way to detox from stress and can help gym-goers push past their limits when they have someone to assist in certain exercises, like the bench press.
Sherman and Gerloff’s reasons for going to the gym are similar to Hussein’s and Luster’s: “Health.” Sherman gives an emphatic “just go” message to people who want to start their fitness journey by going to the gym.
“It’s something that you can be consistent at in your life,” said Gerloff in support of Sherman’s encouragement towards people to make a habit out of exercise.