New SRC Equipment Widens Students’ Fitness Horizons 

By Teagan Davidge 

More than 80 upgraded equipment pieces, including Olympic lifting platforms and a dedicated six-station glute strength circuit, are now available to students at no additional cost in the University Student Union’s (USU) Student Recreation Center (SRC). 

Officials said the SRC has not upgraded or added new equipment since 2017, making this the perfect opportunity for students to start, or continue, their fitness journeys. 

“The new equipment will benefit everyone, from reducing wait times for squat racks to enabling Olympic lifting, which wasn’t previously possible due to a lack of the necessary equipment,” said Alfredo Padilla, the SRC’s acting assistant director for fitness. “Additionally, we collaborated with other campus partners to ensure inclusivity in our selections. Dr. Ellen Stohl from the Educational Psychology & Counseling department consulted with the USU, helping us identify improvements to ensure the equipment is accessible to all users.” 

The USU Board of Directors approved the purchase of new equipment in Spring 2023, allowing the center to update its fitness offerings and avoid additional expenses due to expired warranties. 

“We saw this equipment replacement as an opportunity to introduce new fitness options that students had been requesting for some time. Their input was key to ensuring we met their needs and preferences,” said Padilla. 

Prior to purchasing the new equipment, SRC staff conducted a survey to better grasp student opinions of existing equipment, and to determine which pieces they felt were missing. 

“There are not a lot of benches and squat racks when compared to the number of students and as these are the things used for the main compound lifts, everyone wants to use them,” said one student in a survey response. 

“The quantity of mainly squat racks. These get taken very quickly, and I often have to wait quite a while for access to one,” another student wrote. 

“[The SRC] could use more free-weight areas designated for Olympic weight training with platforms such as deadlifting,” wrote another. 

Students also listed their wishes for more inclusive, accessible machines, as well as more glute training options at the facility. 

In response to these students’ desires, the SRC added some brand-new pieces including Olympic lifting platforms, more squat racks, a hack squat machine, additional Olympic benches and the Glute Factory, a dedicated space for glute training with the GluteBuilder line from Precor. 

Additionally, equipment replacements include the NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer, an upgraded Upper Body Exerciser, and the Nautilus HumanSport strength line. 

Padilla said he hopes that these equipment improvements will encourage more students to visit the center and to take care of their health during semesters to come.