The Tom Keel Fitness Center is used for fitness classes and team training but can also be used for personal workouts.
The Center includes a wide variety of stationary machines and aerobic equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals; however, it is lacking in the area of free weights.
“We are really looking to modernize,” said former UCC basketball coach and current professor Rod Snook. “All of our power lifting equipment, our squat rack, and benches etc.., are all getting old and outdated so we really want to improve the overall standing of the fitness center. At the moment Tom Keel only has two flat benches, two incline benches, one squat rack, and two bumper platforms which are used for lifts including deadlifts and cleans.
These types of exercises are commonly used by athletes because of the fact that the weight is free. This means that not only are the targeted muscles worked, but also muscles used to stabilize and balance the weight. Free weights are weights that aren’t attached to the structure that the lifter is standing or laying on. Free weight exercises include lifts such as bench press, back squat, and power cleans just to name a few. Free weights are also the sole category of equipment used by powerlifters, a group at UCC who frequent the Center and tend to become crowded.
The purchasing of the new equipment will also benefit the new athletic programs, “There is some correlation, (between the new equipment and the athletic programs) we definitely want our athletes to have good training facilities, but the overall goal is to improve the fitness center for everyone,” Snook said.
The variety of stationary machines and aerobic equipment currently in the facility will remain as is for students and staff pursuing personal fitness goals.
If students are interested in classes that use the weight room, UCC offers fitness center basics, fitness center aerobics, and fitness center strength classes. These can be added online via student self-service in the physical education section.
