News Editor
CSU Bakersfield’s Student Recreation Center has recently upgraded some equipment and is expecting more by the end of the month.
The SRC currently has seven new pieces which include five new WoodWay treadmills and two Precor stretching machines.
“We have seven new pieces currently, but we are getting probably over 20 by the end of the month,” said Trae Mathews, facilities and member services coordinator at the SRC.
“WoodWay is a brand of treadmill. It is a specific type of belt mechanism compared to your traditional treadmill. We have three of the 4Front and two of the Curve. The Curves are the ones we are really highlighting,” Mathews said.
A few of the benefits of the WoodWay, according to Mathews, are they require zero electricity, so the user controls their pace to allow for a more natural movement. The user generates the power which results in 30 percent more calories burned compared to a traditional treadmill.
Jasinda Salinas, psychology major at CSUB, has been using the WoodWays recently and enjoys them. “I really like everything,” said Salinas. “I try to come Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s very welcoming.”
The Precor 240i StretchTrainer machines are beneficial for pre and post workouts. They offer a variety of different positions to stretch various muscles throughout the body.
By the end of the month, the SRC will have more units added to accommodate everyone’s needs.
“Next year is our 10 year anniversary, so a lot of the equipment that we have has been in the building since we opened so we are starting to work on a replacement plan,” said Mathews.
The upstairs Fit Loft will be seeing five additional pieces of selectorized units as well as Cybex Prestige Selectorized Total Access units.
“What’s really exciting and great about these units is that they are wheelchair accessible,” said Mathews.
The user can remove the seat from the unit to allow wheelchair accessibility and complete the full workout. “We are very excited to be able to accommodate that student population,” said Mathews.
Student Manager for Facilities at the SRC, Jonathan Aki, mentioned that they try to offer a full body workout with the selectorized units so that the user can go down the line and hit every muscle group.
“A lot of people jump into the selectorized units first because they are user friendly and it gets them used to the environment so you can eventually progress to the dumbbell area and free range motion,” said Aki.
Mathews mentioned the SRC is 100 percent student funded as the facility receives all its money through the student recreation fee that students pay every semester.
“We like to think of ourselves as very physically responsible of the student’s money, so we like to buy new innovated equipment each year and try to purchase stuff that is kind of cutting edge,” said Mathews.
The SRC does a survey every year to ask students what they want in the facility so it gives them a better idea of what is needed.
“Whatever the students are requesting and wanting, that’s what we try to buy,” said Mathews.
The SRC has seen the largest student turn out so far this semester. The first day of school, Mathews says they saw over 1,700 people come in and use the facility.
“The facility is definitely being used more and that is why we are excited for the new equipment, because not only we are getting new equipment but we are rearranging a lot of our current equipment to make room and get rid of old pieces.”
Another big piece to be added is the Life Fitness Synrgy360 unit. “This is a very diverse unit, it brings a lot of new aspects of fitness to the Fit Floor,” said Aki. ”Right now we have a lot of free weights, selectorized cables, and this offers a lot more functional group training type of workouts.”
The MJ8 cable machine is also a new addition. It has eight different stations attached to it. Mathews said the SRC staff has noted the current one is very popular and people usually wait around for an opportunity to use it.
The last new piece arriving is the Marpo Rope Trainer that will allow its user to do a full body strength, power or endurance workout. The rope can be moved in different angles to do different types of workouts. The unit has a dual station, one with a seat and one without to accommodate wheelchairs.
The SRC also holds free fitness orientations through its fitness and wellness program to familiarize students with the proper use of the equipment. The upcoming orientations are on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Mathews also stated that the SRC will be hosting the grand opening of the Synrgy360 unit on Oct. 2 to showcase the different attachments as well as exercises to get people familiar with this big piece.
