Florida State is home to one of the nicest gyms in the nation. The Leach is by far the best gym in Tally, and it’s for good reason. They have all the best machines, rows of treadmills and ellipticals, an Olympic sized pool… the list goes on and on. Although there are a lot of great things about our beloved gym, there are also things about it that we’re not so fond of aka how packed it can get at certain times of the day. Sometimes it feels like a vast, empty sea of opportunity and freedom, and other times it feels like walking into a sweaty, sticky, overcrowded wasteland filled with people trying to get towels that never seem to be clean. Here are the best and worst times to go to the gym, and what to expect every time you go.
Courtesy: True Nole
The Best:
6 a.m. – 7 a.m. – If you’re crazy enough to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, then this is the gym time for you. The Leach opens at this time, awaiting the arrival of enthusiastic gym rats who are ready to get a head start on their day. You’ll typically find a lot of professors in sweatpants and headbands getting their cardio in on the treadmills. Most of the people you’ll see at the gym at this time are doing cardio so if you want to hit the weights it’s probably the best time to do that.
8 a.m. – 10 a.m. – If there is a time better than six in the morning to go to the gym, this is it. There is even less people at the gym at this time than there are at 6 a.m. and that’s because people are starting to leave the gym and go to class. If you’re lucky enough not to have any 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. classes, get to the gym at that time. You won’t be disappointed.
Nor good or bad:
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – The gym at this time is a weird in between of full and empty. It’s a good time to go if you want a quick workout in between your classes. There are enough open treadmills and machines so you don’t have to wait too long for a leg press machine to free up, and they almost always have clean towels.
10 p.m. – 11 p.m. – The gym is pretty empty around this time, but it’s kind of pointless to go unless you have a quick workout ahead of you. If you only want to do a quick 30-minute cardio workout and some abs then this is the time for you. You’ll really only get a couple of stragglers walking throughout the rows of machines and no wait on the treadmills.
The Worst:
3 p.m. – 9 p.m. – You won’t go to the gym at this time if you know what’s good for you. So let me make this very clear: Do NOT go to the gym between the hours of six and nine at night. The gym is extremely packed during these hours, ESPECIALLY if it’s a weekday. You might be able to get away with a semi-empty gym at six on a Friday, but if you’re planning on going to the gym Monday at four, there is no way in hell that you’re going to have a quick workout. You’ll spend more time waiting for a squat rack to free up than the time it takes you to run three miles. Take our advice and avoid it at all costs.
Now, of course there are exceptions to every rule. Seeing as how Florida State is one of the biggest party schools in the nation (and we’re proud of it), the gym is slightly less busy on weekends. I know I said that you should avoid the gym from the hours of three to nine, but you might be able to get away with it on a Friday or Saturday night. Typically everyone is at happy hour at Clyde’s or getting ready to go out during that time on the weekends. Happy exercising Collegiettes!