Students can try out, evaluate new machines

Students have the opportunity to demo cardio machines at the Recreation and Wellness Center to decide which equipment would fill the expanded fitness facility opening spring of 2011.

Treadmills, an elliptical machine, a spinning bike and other cardio equipment can be used and evaluated.

Five-question surveys are available on a table near the cardio floor.

"The survey has basic questions on the features," said Kim Halliday, RWC fitness coordinator. "Does it feel like a natural range of motion? Does it give an intense and effective workout?"

Halliday took the student staff of the RWC to the Athletic Business Conference in Orlando to demo equipment and narrow a list of preferred vendors.

Now those choices are available for students to try out.

Katie Blizzard, a freshman marketing major, tested the Life Fitness elliptical located near the survey table at the front of the cardio floor. She compared the existing elliptical machine with the demo.

"There are a lot more options, and the handles seem to be in a better position," Blizzard said. "I also like how it has an iPod connection that lets you control on the touch screen what plays."

The facility is heavy in terms of machines and light in terms of free weight.

"We are severely lacking in recreation space based on UCF enrollment," Halliday said.

The RWC gets 2,800 visitors during the week, but expects 3,500 once the expansion is complete, according to Jim Wilkening, RWC director.

Basic free weight equipment and equipment not available, like certain types of squat racks and free weight plate-loaded machines, will be in the new fitness area.

"We made all our choices and decisions based on a student survey done in 2004 or 2005," Wilkening said. "Students wanted more free weight space, cardio space and machine weight space, which is why we went so strong on fitness."

The expansion will add 60,000 square feet to the existing 80,000 square feet of space and cost $21.7 million, he said.

The money came from two Capital Improvement Trust Fund allotments in 2006 and 2009.

"We knew we needed a couple expansions to be to do the things students wanted,"  Wilkening said. "We were fortunate to be able to combine the two allocations at one time."
RWC staff started on the master plan in 2005.

The extension will add about 75 to 100 student employees.