Free weights are of ‘100 percent’ importance to freshman George Bova’s workouts at Archbold Fitness Center. But if he tried to visit the Marshall Square Mall (MSQ) Fitness Center to replicate that workout, he would be out of luck.

The MSQ Fitness Center, which has been successful in averaging approximately 1,500 students per week in its second semester on campus, does not offer any free weights, said Joseph Lore, director of the Department of Recreation Services.

Free weights include equipment like barbells and dumbbells.

This has led to a shortage of men at the gym and a primarily female audience, staff members of the MSQ Fitness Center said.

‘There’s definitely more girls than guys, but I think the girls like it that way,’ said freshman Kiona Scherrer, who has been working at the MSQ Fitness Center for two semesters.

‘There are a lot of guys that come in and ask why we don’t have free weights,’ Scherrer said. ‘I would say during my shift, which is usually two to three hours, I see one or two guys compared to a lot of girls. It’s been consistent like this for both semesters.’

The exclusion of free weights was one of several options that Lore faced when ordering the machinery for the new fitness center last spring.

Options included ordering free weights, weight machines or a combination of both.

With only 3,900 square feet to work with, Lore decided to order only the weight machines due to the space constraints.

‘My goal was to provide a machine that worked every muscle group so you don’t need to duplicate,’ Lore said.

At Archbold Fitness Center is more than two and a half times larger than the MSQ Fitness Center. The entire back wall is filled with a mirror and free weights in the form of dumbbells ranging from five pounds to more than 100 pounds.

In addition to dumbbells, space is needed to put in different types of machines that use weight plates to work areas such as the chest, shoulders and the legs along with barbells.

‘Some of the weight machines that are in there are not traditional in where you workout with both (hands and legs) at the same time,’ Lore said. ‘There is some independent movement to simulate a free-weight workout.’

Women’s tendencies to use cardiovascular machines may explain the high female population at the MSQ Fitness Center, said Eliza Decker, Syracuse University’s fitness director.

Decker said women in general are more likely to use cardiovascular machines in attempt to lose weight rather than lifting weights to bulk up. In MSQ Fitness Center there are 33 cardiovascular machines, including 10 treadmills, 10 elliptical machines and 12 weight machines.

Even though there have been requests for free weights in the MSQ Fitness Center, Lore said he would not change a thing about the facility, considering the space given. He said he is particularly proud of the unisex bathrooms that appeal to a diverse group of individuals, and the facility is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lore said a main reason he would not make changes is the new recreation area opening in 2009 in the new residence hall on Comstock Avenue. The recreation area will contain an 8,000 square foot fitness center, which will include cardiovascular machines, free weights and weight machines.

‘We can accommodate everybody that wants to use the dumbbells, or we’ll wait until one and a half years from now when we open the new residence hall facility,’ Lore said. ‘Who goes in (MSQ Fitness Center) and uses it is up to individual regimes. I get a lot of feedback from people, and our people are extremely pleased with that facility.’

mrehalt@syr.edu

Published on March 5, 2008 at 12:00 pm