After months of delays, UCLA students finally have a fitness
center to be proud of. With the opening of Wooden West today,
students and faculty should no longer have to worry about long
waits and crowded spaces when going to work out.
The opening of the $13.9 million Wooden West, which was
originally scheduled to open last summer, was postponed because of
the labor and material shortages plaguing California, in addition
to typical construction issues. Meanwhile, gym users were forced to
endure the unpleasant circumstances created by too many people
wanting to use an insufficient amount of equipment.
“It has been such a hassle trying to find any machines to
use,” said Nancy Hsu, who uses the cardio equipment almost
daily. “I’ve been anticipating the opening of the
addition since September and I’m glad that I won’t have
to waste so much time anymore just trying to find available
equipment.”
For cardio enthusiasts, the 17 new treadmills, 15 new
ellipticals and 20 new bikes are more than enough to keep the heart
pumping. To keep the workout interesting, new video entertainment
includes satellite DMX ambient music, individual viewing screens
and audio jacks.
With the weight room tripled in size and amount of equipment,
weight lifters should now be able to pump iron without the
annoyance of people waiting to use their equipment. The 42 new
machines offer a complete workout, as there are at least two
machines for every part of the body. The weight room also features
28 new pieces of plate-loaded equipment.
“This place will have me up at 6 a.m. every morning
because I’m so excited to work out,” said third-year
gym-goer Casey Grover, who got a preview of the addition yesterday
afternoon.
“It’s amazing.”
The addition of state-of-the-art equipment and video
entertainment to the strength and conditioning areas is accompanied
by an Outdoor Adventure Center and an Energy Zone convenience
store, both of which will probably open in the next week. There is
also a patio area that allows people to take a break from
exercising without having to leave the Wooden Center.
The Outdoor Adventure Center will provide outdoor recreation
information as well as equipment rental and sales, and the Energy
Zone store will sell healthy snacks, sandwiches, various sports
drinks and recreation merchandise.
“Selling food and drinks in the Wooden Center is a good
idea since people will not have to leave the gym,” frequent
weight lifter James Chyu said. “It’s also nice to have
places just to sit and relax now. Everything is so
convenient.”
The 11,000 square-foot addition should allow the Wooden Center
to regain the reputation it had when it was the first college
fitness center of its kind built in the country.
“The Wooden Center is now one of the best athletic centers
possible,” said Mick Deluca, Director of Cultural and
Recreational Affairs. “It is exciting to be able to open
Wooden West and finally fulfill our main goal, which is to meet the
needs of the students.”