By J.D. Eddy, Editorial Editor
Working out as an athlete is different from working out in the J.R. Holder Wellness Center. The main differences are the intensity of the workouts, the quality and the diversity of the equipment at the athletic weight room.
The difference between these two is the amount of free-weight equipment available. The weight room for athletes has more benches, squat racks, barbells, dumbbells and resistance bands. I’m used to working out like this, so it comes more naturally. It is also nice to have access to cable machines like the quad extension machine, hamstring machine, rotator cuff machine (doesn’t work well), leg press and the large cable machines located in the back. These cable machines do allow for more isolation of certain muscle groups to enhance mass, but you must be careful not to create a muscular imbalance by working out the same specific muscle group. That is not the same for free-weight. It allows you to build mass evenly as long as you have good form.
One thing that the wellness center has that the fieldhouse and weight room does not is a large amount of cardio equipment and a track to alleviate the strain on your knees and legs. Having an indoor track, although not a large one, offers more advantages than an outdoor one or a football field. It keeps you out of the elements, which is important because Oklahoma’s weather is bipolar.
A rubber track lessens the impact of running on your knees and can keep you healthy for longer. At the same time, it acclimates your legs to running on a softer, more even surface. So, if you run on a surface like the football field, hills, stadiums or streets, you will notice the difference almost immediately. Your knees will hurt. Your legs will become tired more quickly and become tired faster.
There are advantages of training as an athlete at the athletics weight room. The main one is not having to wait for the equipment to become available.
Something the wellness center has that makes me jealous is the hot tub and the sauna. Sure, as a student, I have access to these. I am talking about the convenience of having it within a hundred-yard walk. For most students, the main thing is finding parking that is not the commuter lot. That has always been a problem before I lived off campus.
I am envious of the convenience of the wellness center. Sure, we have a training room in our fieldhouse. But there is never anyone in there because the trainers’ main rooms are in Percefull Fieldhouse. So, we are still next to the wellness center, but having access to ice and heat treatments to help alleviate some of the pain and soreness from these workouts is nice.
This entire article was meant to show the differences, not to say one place is better than the other. There are aspects of each that I find appealing, but I wish they were in the same location to allow for easier movement in between.
As always, if you agree or disagree with some of the aspects of this article, write a letter to the Northwestern News. The news team and I would love to read your thoughts on paper. We would love to have more student inclusion in the newspaper.