Recently, the Longwood Health and Fitness Center built a new gym in the Landings residential community, the Midtown Gym.
After discussing the project for years, the staff will use the gym for a different form of exercise with the space available from the temporary gym used during the 2016 vice presidential debate.
"I love the Midtown Gym. It offers a smaller space, different workouts, and it could be new teaching space kinesiology students," said Alina Cioletti, a fitness and wellness coordinator.
Matthew McGregor, dean of wellness, added, "It gives opportunity for the student to be personal trainers to actual athletes."
Usually students studying to be personal trainers work with a student just trying to stay fit. But the Midtown Gym is also a space for Campus Recreations' sport club teams to become stronger individually and with their team.
Most of the equipment and workouts focus on strength training and also endurance for recreational teams, students, faculty and staff from Longwood.
“I want to build muscle mass and work out with my team,” said criminal justice freshman Alexis Fields, “It’ll give us more strength and stamina.”
When McGregor went to Cioletti and asked her to be the head of the project, she proceeded to ask for input from her staff members.
Cioletti said everyone agreed the new gym should be a unique space, especially for the sports clubs. However, the gym doesn't only help sports teams.
There are classes offered to students, faculty, and staff; however, there are fees that must be paid.
“I’m on volleyball, personally, (and) I’m trying to jump higher, but I know the whole team is trying to get better and stronger,” said political science junior James Hutzler. “It’ll also improve team chemistry with the workouts, we want to get in here as much as possible.”
For the sports clubs, there is an opportunity to use the gym for free for the first six months if enough of the team was at the grand opening.
Otherwise, students and teams have to pay for workshops with cash, check or Lancer Cash; credit cards will not be accepted.
The gym will continue to offer free exercise classes for students, faculty and staff members of the university.
“I feel as though the gym will provide something new: small group training, more injury prevention and could benefit students with training (for strength training or for teaching),” said Marissa Musumeci, Campus Recreation's associate director.
The space aims to provide opportunities for students they may not find anywhere else, including the Health and Fitness Center. McGregor said he believed they are a bit ahead of the curve, more universities may follow this example.
