With ten-minute lines for the aerobic machines, little room to stretch and numerous broken treadmills, it's no secret: Tufts' fitness center is overcrowded and neglected.
The administration last September announced a $30-million expansion and renovation of the gym, set to be completed in 2011. But in the meantime, Tufts' message seems to be that there is little the university can do.
"The fact that the gym is crowded is one of the main driving forces behind the renovation plan," said Director of Athletics Bill Gehling. "We're well aware of the fact that we need more space."
Fitness Center Coordinator Michael Pimentel agreed, emphasizing that Tufts students are now in the thick of the most crowded season.
"[The overcrowding] is unfortunate," Fitness Center Coordinator Michael Pimentel said. "I've seen it for quite some time now, especially during the winter months when the [number of people who use] the gym doubles and 1,200 people come in on a single day. We have [varsity] teams coming in here as early as 6:30 in the morning and as late as 7:00 at night."
The overcrowding leads to longer waiting times for exercise machines, especially cardiac machines like treadmills and ellipticals. Pimintel estimated that the average waiting time for the aerobic machines ranges from five to 15 minutes and can be "quite challenging."
Freshman Patrick McKelvy agreed with Pimintel. "I rarely get a treadmill, and when I do, usually five of them are out of order."
Freshman Evan Steinberg has had similar experiences as McKelvy. "It's impossible to get on the treadmills, the free weights are always busy, and there is not enough room for stretching," he said.
These issues are exacerbated when students ignore the gym rule stating that students may only use cardiac machines for a maximum of 30 minutes when there is a queue.
Pimentel said that many machines break down due to the overuse that results from overcrowding.
"Unfortunately, with the treadmills, the use is absolutely incredible," said Pimentel. "Machines are going nonstop from 7:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night. Additionally, a lot of dirt gets lodged under the treadmill belts during the winter and that can also really take its toll on them."
The Athletics Department has entered into a contract with an outside company to review the machines' conditions on a quarterly basis. A group of students also comes in three times a week to clean the machines.
But even with these maintenance operations, only six of the ten treadmills were working as of yesterday. On Sunday, only five were working.
For now, Pimentel said, "The biggest challenge will be how [to renovate] and stay functional at the same time." He explained that the athletic staff is meeting to discuss phasing the renovation project in the most unobtrusive way as possible.
The fitness center will double in size during the renovation, said Director of Construction Management Mitchell Bodnarchuk.
"By the time we are done renovating, our fitness center will end up being substantially bigger than those at other NESCAC schools," Bodnarchuk said. "Even though Tufts is a bigger institution, we are going to be much more generous in terms of our fitness center size [compared to other NESCAC schools]."
Bodnarchuk explained that there would be two main additions to the sports complex: expansions of the fitness center outward toward the street and toward the back
"In the new facility, we are looking to more than double the number of aerobic machines," Pimentel said.
In the meantime, Pimentel suggested that in order to make the most of their workouts, students sign up for weight training classes and run around the track that goes around the Carzo Cage near the entrance. He also recommended that students come to the gym during non-peak hours, which he defined as before three in the afternoon and after seven in the evening.
