The New Year brought a wealth of fresh fitness equipment to the ARC and the soon-to-be-opened athletic facilities at Mitchell Hall.
The fitness centre at Mitchell Hall, referred to as the ARC South and built on the foundations of the PEC, are connected to the original ARC (ARC North) by a tunnel. Entrance to Mitchell Hall through the tunnel can be found beyond the women’s change rooms on the ARC’s Lower Level 2.
In addition to the significant investment the University made in Mitchell Hall, Queen’s Athletics invested over $700,000 in equipment and upgrades to existing facilities in ARC North.
The ARC South is home to an exercise studio, three gymnasiums, an artificial turf training area, and the High Performance Training Centre.
The three gymnasiums were created to provide greater opportunities for intramurals and recreational activities.
The High Performance Training Centre currently remains closed due to unexpected flooding in the area earlier this week. The area was created for varsity athletes, who are only permitted to use the centre if their respective team schedules a training or conditioning session.
Graphic by Nour Mazloum
In an email to The Journal, Athletics and Recreation Executive Director Leslie Dal Cin said the Training Centre will be dedicated solely to varsity athletes to maximize the available ARC North space for students and gym members.
As a result of the changes, the Lifting Zone in ARC North will be open to the public at all hours.
“The facilities [in the Lifting Zone] will no longer be programmed throughout the day, providing more space and opportunities for general members all day long,” Dal Cin wrote in her statement to The Journal.
While students can currently access Mitchell Hall, its new athletic facilities remain under construction. The only athletic areas currently open are gyms 3, 4, and 5.
In ARC North, both the Lifting and Conditioning Zones on Lower Level 1 have been updated with new equipment and surrounding turf areas.
The Lifting Zone received a custom functional training system featuring squat racks, benches, a slam ball wall for medicine ball training, battle rope stations, chin-up bars, TRX, and turf flooring. All of the lifting platforms previously in the Conditioning Zone have been moved to the Lifting Zone.
“Overall, we have increased the number of lifting platforms so that this activity can take place in more than one area and have centralized the ‘heavy lifting’ to Lower Level 1,” Dal Cin said.
“The functional training systems allow for significantly more individuals to use [the equipment] at one time, as opposed to the lifting platform.”
In the Conditioning Zone, there’s a second functional training system, featuring overhead ladders, built-in lifting stations, fly away bars for rings, a pegboard, rock climbing board, TRX station, battle rope station, chin up bars and turf flooring.
Along with the new equipment, the personal training office has been moved into the Lifting Zone, as the strength and conditioning office will be moved into the ARC South to better accommodate varsity athletes.
In the coming week, upgrades to the Stretching Zone on the ARC North’s main floor will be underway. The area will be re-equipped with new cardio equipment, free weights, and additional turf flooring.
Dal Cin said the Athletics department continually reviews its available spaces to maximize its members’ gym experience.
“Our goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible for our members, and we constantly strive to update and enhance our equipment to meet the needs of students and other ARC users,” she said.
Tags
athletics and recreation, Mitchell Hall
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