Becky Kimmel
Editor-in-Chief
While you were spending your summer days lounging on the beach, the Messiah campus was busy getting a bit of a face lift. You may have noticed the detour by the railroad tracks has paved the way for a state-of-the-art fitness center and even a parking garage. And for those of you who commute, there is a new lounge on the south side of campus, just waiting to be used.
Photo courtesy of Mikaela Mummert.
After months of anticipation, the long awaited fitness center is up and running. At 14,000 square feet, the new gym has over 100 pieces of cardio equipment, eight squat racks, Olympic platforms and a fully functioning exercise classroom offering classes such as spin or pilates for a cost of only $1 for students.
Other amenities include two different full-body resistance machine training circuits and a Queenex functional frame complete with suspension trainers, a punching bag, resistance bands, pull-up bars, battle ropes, and more.
Photo courtesy of Mikaela Mummert.
The fitness center is also equipped with Precor’s entire line of 800 series cardio equipment. According to Advantage Sport and Fitness, each machine comes with a P82 touch screen console to “help motivate new and advanced gym-goers.”
Along with allowing users to track their workouts and compare data from one exercise session to the next, the cardio equipment has network capabilities that allow you to surf the web and watch Netflix while working out.
Photo courtesy of Mikaela Mummert.
The Falcon Fitness Center will officially open at 6:00 a.m. this Tuesday and will have two students working at all times, along with the new full-time fitness director, Kevin Ogden. There will also be a new turnstile system requiring ID to enter the fitness center.
Additionally, the new commuter lounge has taken the place of South Side Café featuring new furniture, lounging areas, and a kitchen. The former café will be separated into two rooms divided by a glass wall. The lounge will take up half of the space while the remaining area will serve as a mini learning commons for all students. Only commuters will have access to the commuter lounge.
Make sure to check back with the Pulse for more updates on the grand opening of the fitness center and the brand new Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab.