Going to UCF's Recreation and Wellness Center

Introduction:

The gym can be one of the most mentally intimidating places on earth. No where else is one so acutely self conscious of picking things up and setting them back down. It can seem every one is acting according to rules of which you were not made aware. After reading this article, the reader should have a firm grasp on gym conventions, and a functioning awareness of how universal a loose grasp is.

Entering The Gym:

The Entrance:

There are two different crosswalks that cross the street to the gym, one on the same side as garage B, and

the other connects to the main sidewalk. Due to the fact that there are two crosswalk's immediately outside the building, people tend to wait for the signal then enter in waves. So depending on the time of day, and unless you're extremely slow or extremely quick, you will likely climb the stairs with a crowd of people. This means you will likely need to perform one of two actions 1) Hold the door for people behind you, or 2) acknowledge the person who is holding the door open for you. This, of course, only applies if you or another person care to practice good manners.

First Time at the Gym:

The gym has four or five horse-race-track-type stalls blocking the only entrance to the main floor and the treadmills. To enter through the stall, you must hand your UCF ID to the rec and wellness employees and they will scan you in. You are also able to scan your thumb print and enter, but this must be set up with the help of

the rec and wellness employees. Here we encounter the first problem: you are not registered in the system. Not only will you find that you're not registered, but you will notice a line forming behind you, acting as a physical embodiment of your uncertainty with the gym.

Now, there are a few ways to handle this. I will outline the two most practical, one for an averagely awkward person, and one for a significantly awkward person.

Registering for the Gym as an Averagely Awkward Person:

This is quite simple.

There is a desk to the left of the racehorse gates, behind it will be one to three employees. Walk up to the desk and say: "This is my first time here, can you register me?" and hand them your student id. Here, their inner bureaucratic procedure of actions will take over and after a minute or so, you're good to go.

Registering for the Gym as a Significantly Awkward Person:

This is a guide for one who wants to avoid any decisive action, and therefore avoid any room for personal error.

After entering the gym, follow what everyone else does, which will be: stand in a short line (there sometimes are none), then type in your student id and place your hand on the scanner. But wait you're not registered! Yes, this is the point. Go to the keypad and type in just any number, it doesn't matter, the point is that it won't work. So you type in whatever and it will read "error: see front desk." There you have it, removal of personal responsibility. Its the machine that told you to go to the front desk, not yourself, so you couldn't possibly be doing something wrong.

When you get to the front desk, just say the machine sent you there and maybe act surprised for effect if you feel so bold. They will assume you're already registered and the responsibility will be shifted from your shoulders to a "faulty system". Bureaucracy once again takes over.

That is how to enter the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, perhaps using the gym itself will be the topic for a future entry.

Before You Use the Gym

Locker Rooms:

To avoid being reprimanded by the gym staff, ensure you are utilizing the locker room, so you can secure the items that

can’t fit in your pockets. The staircase immediately right of the entrance stalls leads down to the main floor, where the two main locker rooms are. At the bottom of the steps, if you walk straight, you'll find a large opening in the wall to the right, across from the glass office to the left. The large opening leads to the men's and women's

locker rooms.

Once inside the locker room, you can choose an available locker and store your personal property, use the restroom, weigh yourself, wash your hands, look in the mirror, or change your clothes. The locker rooms are generally pretty empty, and are even designed for privacy, so you can always find a spot away from others. If you plan on storing your things, you'll want to bring a lock with you, unless you have enough faith in humanity to do without. If you do not have a lock, but have things to store, you'll want to use the lockers which are not in the locker room.

Lockers Not in Rooms:

There are a few options for using storing your things in outside the locker rooms. On the main floor, under the staircase, facing the large red digital clock and the large TV screen, you will find a set of free lockers. Straight ahead from the bottom of the main staircase, you will find a set of free lockers. Frankly, you will find these free lockers liberally scattered about the gym.

The free lockers are black and have just enough room to fit several loaves of bread, perhaps 4 or 5.

Stretching:

If you would like to get a stretch before your workout, you can take a left at the bottom of the main staircase, where you will find a large area, designated for stretching. In the back left corner, there is a human sized bird cage, which offers proper leverage for a full body stretch, and even has a simple diagram displaying every possible stretch for every possible muscle group.

If you would like to go rogue, there is a significant amount of floor space where you can stretch however you like. If you are only a moderate rogue, you can grab a yoga mat from the cart to the left of the room. The majority of people use a mat while sitting on the floor.

If you want to stretch your core, there is a series of machines along the right wall of this room for doing so. If you would like to confidently stretch your groin, there is a medieval-style torture device in the back right corner on which you can sit and pry your legs apart.

Using the Gym

Cardio:

The best floor for cardio is the top floor, which is the floor you immediately scan into. The first thing you will see will be treadmills that over look the weight room to your right. There are about 10 on your immediate right and two more rows of treadmills to your immediate left. There are also more treadmills if you keep walking

straight in the second half of the cardio floor. The second half of the cardio floor has many stair stepper, climber, row, elliptical, and bike machines. It's very similar to the first half of the cardio room, except the first half of the cardio room has more treadmills and a few bikes and elliptical. There is also a huge running tract that overlooks basketball, and volleyball courts. You can get here two different ways when you first enter the gym. The first is taking your immediate left, walking between the treadmills and the desk you scan into to enter the gym. You will see the track, glass walls, and a bench against the glass wall. You can enter the track from here but I always prefer the second point of entry because it shows the proper track direction for running (which changes everyday).

Don't worry though, the second entry is very simple. When you first walk in continue to walk straight for about 150 feet, and make a left. The left will be after the few bikes in the first cardio room. You will see 2 water fountains, 2 benches, and the track. The track will have a sign that is visible from this point of entry that points which direction to go. There are 3 track lanes. The inner most lane is for sprinting, the middle lane is for jogging, and the outermost lane is for walking. Not everyone abides by these rules but the track is generally pretty empty so worst case scenario you can easily run around to pass people.

Lifting:

Weight lifting is The Recreation and Wellness Center's most popular activity, and as such there are many options for both casual and serious weight lifters. The majority of the lifting equipment is on the main floor, at the bottom of the stairs. There is however a smaller, more secluded, section near the cardio machines on the second floor. The main weight floor is divided vaguely into two sections: The section for cables and machines, and the section for free weights.

The first weight area you will encounter is the machine and cable section, immediately beside the stairs. There is a machine for every possible muscle group, some muscle groups even have multiple machines. Depending on the time of day, the cable section (below the monitors and clock, left of the windows) can be crowded and therefore intimidating, as it is situated in such a way that can make you feel on display. Though no one is actually paying attention to you, the area's location and mirror placement gives this impression; so for some, this area could be something to work up to. The machines on the main floor, are diverse and generally not crowded. The machines have large stacks of weights attached to their side, which acts as a sort of privacy partition between you and the rest of the gym. The machines are well scattered, but basically; Leg machines are under the windows, core machines are in the center, and upper body is near the wall opposite the windows.

Beyond the machine and cable area, there is the free weight section. This section can be highly intimidating, more so than any other area in the gym. The front of the room is a set of mirrors which overlooks everything. Touching the mirror are two racks of dumbbells ranging from 5-150(?) pounds, behind the racks are various benches. This area is undoubtedly tantamount to a stage to some of the more vain gym-goers. This can be intimidating for someone who just wants to use dumbbells without watching a bodybuilding competition, which is why there is a smaller dumbbell section--without a mirror--between the free weight area and the machine area. Otherwise, the free weight section is quite standard. Legs are by the windows and upper body is everywhere.

Punching Bag:

For those interested in boxing, striking, martial arts, or generally abusing inanimate objects, it is worth checking out the punching bag (covered extensively here: [1])

Mental Preparation for the Sorts of Social Interaction to Which Using the Gym Will Subject You.

An Introduction to the Non-Verbal Communication Games Which Can or Cannot Happen During Your Time at the Gym:

A place designated for people to use their bodies to interact with things almost guarantees that non-verbal and bodily communication will occur. However, this entire section can be ignored if one has the iron willpower to avoid looking at a single other person, even on accident. And if it is of the slightest effective consolation, simply convince yourself that everyone is as self conscious as you are (which this is mostly true) and stop reading now. Otherwise, one must actively try very hard to avoid seeing others and consequently communicating with them. Because the majority of people are thinking about how they and their body are being perceived, they unavoidably have eyes for people looking their direction. The mind of an individual thinking of their body sets up an intensely sensitive peripheral awareness, which scans for the precise location and arrangement of the eye's whites; and when the eye's whites translate to the brain, "someone could be looking this direction, maybe at me," there is an unavoidable communication between the self-conscious and the onlooker. But, the communication only occurs if one takes on the role of onlooker or the self-conscious. To a greater or lesser degree, this unconscious system of perceived judgment is what guided all social situations in the gym.

Accidental Eye-Contact:

As any lone gym patron knows, accidental eye-contact is common, and in certain circumstances can make one contemplate their entire self-worth. Raising your head from the machine you just finished wiping down, your eyes jump to meet the man looking into yours hesitantly, as if he accidentally clicked on a pop-up and was now trying to exit the website. This happens all too often, and is typically all too unintended. A number of things will happen from this point, depending on the other gym user and your reaction. The following are outcomes which defuse the situation: 1) They will quickly avert their gaze and forget the eye-contact happened 2) Something will suddenly demand your attention on the floor or off in the distance, moving your eyes mechanically from the person to the object of interest, entirely out of your control 3) The other member will smile a friendly greeting and you wont have time to smile with certainty that they caught it 4) You will smile a friendly greeting and wont have caught their reply 5) You will each smile at one another and thats that. Outcome 5 is ideal for soothing the imagination's worries, 1 and 2 are most common (which is why many people do not realize such interactions even take place, one or both of the parties forget in real time), 3 and 4 could spark perceived judgement, which will be outlined below.

Mirrors:

There are many mirrors around the UCF gym. Most of which are located on the bottom floor of the gym with the weightlifting floor. The free weights room has mirrors that wrap around 3 of the 4 walls. In the weight lifting machine room they have mirrors that wrap around 2 walls and occasionally have mirrors in other areas. The mirrors are very large. They stretch from the ceiling to the floor. They have no frame, and are hung on the walls side by side (touching). You will see a lot of people watching their form in the mirrors, as well as watching themselves flex. If you make eye contact in the mirror that's okay. It's very common. If you make eye contact, don't stare too long and go back to working out. The mirrors are also commonly used to look around. This is normal gym etiquette as long as you do not stare at others for any longer than you would stare at someone in other social settings.

Employees:

The employees are respectful but generally are not overly friendly. They will be wearing black collared shirts and khaki pants or capris. The first time you will see employees will be when you either swipe in or use your thumbprint to enter the gym. There are typically two or three employees standing behind a half wall wit counter spaces to the left of where you walk though to enter the gym. If you are scanning in you will have no interaction with employees, but if you are using your UCF ID or membership card you will be interacting with the employees. They will simply reach their hand out waiting for your ID or membership card, and if you don't hand one they will politely ask for your ID. If you forget your UCF ID, they will ask if you have another form of identification, like a drivers license, and for you PID. If you can provide this information they will still allow you to enter the gym. In addition to having several employees behind the desk, they will also have several out on the floor of the gym making sure all of the gym rules are being enforced. Rules such as no overhead lifting, crop tops, or cut shirts that expose your rib cage. If they see you doing a work out that is prohibited or you are working out in an area designated to something other than what you are doing they will inform you and tell you that you must stop politely. If you are wearing something that is not in dress code they are often a little more lenient. You will either be given a warning, where the gym employees will tell you that you aren't allowed to wear a specific type of clothing and will ask if it's a crop-top if you can try tucking it in. There is also a chance they will ask you to leave the gym for your dress code violation. However, they approach you in a respectful and professional manner and speak in a nonjudgmental or insulting way.

Perceived Judgement vs Actual Judgement:

If you think your body looks incredibly human in your mirror at home, just wait until you see that skin shaped around your tissues and bones at the gym! Surely everyone else must be marveling at your dysfunctional and disproportionate body shape too, right? Wrong! Aside from ensuring you that your body is just fine (this reassurance only ever makes things worse later on), it would help to examine the mind of other gym-goers.

Perceived:

In general, you are giving people too much credit to think they stopped thinking about themselves long enough to judge you. But, this is far from the natural mindset of an egocentric creature like the human, so one must thoroughly train oneself at adopting this mindset. This is especially so at the gym, which means you will encounter much perceived judgment (as opposed to actual judgement). The idea of perceiving judgment falsely is explained as your opinion of an admirer or critic's opinion. Some of those aforementioned vain gym-goers live for such perceived judgement. Any accidental eye-contact with a vain person (generally, (but not always!) the more fit individuals) will immediately be taken as a compliment of their body. Part of their enjoyment of the gym comes from deceiving their wit into admiring themselves through their opinion of an onlooker's opinion. It is essentially a law of the gym that the better a person's body, the less judgmental of other's they are. Instead, they are judgmental of judgments. An innocent enough game to play (for both participants are unaware of their participation in it), so dismissing it as such will work wonders for your gym confidence. One can easily mistake this form of judgment as a personal evaluation, and think actual judgment is occurring. However, this is an error.

Actual:

Actual judgment is incredibly rare at the gym, and occurs in a number of subtle and quite undetectable ways. Actual judgment is when a person elevates their self to the status of a judge/tastemaker/objective source/evaluator to assess the appearance, character, or behavior of another gym user. All interactions of the sort involve two parts, the judge and the judged. Again, because actual judgment is rare, its easier to talk about the few scenarios when it does occur, than to explain how it is rare. The following are the most common cases of actual judgment.

• The judge leaves a machine for a drink, to talk to a friend, or whatever the case may be. While the judge's back is turned from the machine, the judged, thinking the machine is vacant, begins to use the machine. The judgment occurs when the judge finds the judged on the machine. Reacting with anger or annoyance means the judge determined the judged's physique, character, or will to be more dominant than their own, and they label the cause for their annoyance as the most immediate cause (the judged being on their machine) rather than the underlying cause (their own perceived inferiority). The judgment here was of the inferiority of the judge, and the superiority of the judged. The opposite can also occur, where the judge determines their self to be superior to the judged, in which case they become annoyed that the judged took their machine, thus failing to recognize this perceived fact. This process happens mostly unconsciously, so again, can we really blame the judge for their primitiveness and tribal-leftovers?

• The judge and the judged in this scenario will be relabeled (respectively) to attracted and the attractive. In the gym, it often happens that one person (attracted) finds another person to be physically or emotionally appealing (attractive). The art of finding another attractive is itself a form of actual judgment, wherein the attracted judges the object of attraction to be more worthy of attention than other things/people in the area. This reveals itself primarily in the attracted's actions such as, impromptu changing workout routine to be physically nearer to the attractive (deliberate or unconscious), significant eye-contact with the attractive (deliberate or unconscious), staring near or at the attractive (mostly deliberate, but occasionally unconscious), talking to the attractive beyond "how many reps do you have left on this machine?" (deliberate), avoiding talking to the attractive (deliberate or unconscious), or the attracted timing their sets to be in rest during the attractive's reps and vice versa (sometimes deliberate, but mostly unconscious). There are of course many ways this reveals itself, but these are the most common and reveal that a judgment has undoubtably occurred.

• The judged (a large, athletic, serious-looking person) and the judge (someone who less embodies the traits of the aforementioned) can experience judgment when walking through a tight space or waiting for a machine. A large muscular person can often be judged to be a monster of sorts, leading the judge to respond with aversion or submission. Passing one another in a narrow passageway, the judge makes out the figure of the judged and deems it intimidating; the judge moves sideways to make way for the judged. Seeing that the machine the judge wanted is occupied by a large figure with a serious-no-nonsense face, the judge avoids inquiring that about the machine's nearest vacancy, for fear that the judged's workout is of more importance.

• The judge in this case casts a slight, but wide spread judgment over all of the other gym members. Because the judgment is diluted from being unspecific and impersonal, there is no clear object of the judgment. The judged is the entire gym, excluding the judge. The judge has a narrative imbedded in their every movement and action, that their workout is more important than all other gym members'. The actual judgment is found in the judge's head, where they assert their superiority over the other gym members, who they perceive as fitness amateurs. The result is annoyance or diligence.

Someone Using the Machine You Want:

Although the UCF gym is loaded with machines, every so often you decide to do the same work out everyone else seems to want to do and you'll have a shortage of available machines. Now there are a few things you need to know about the gym educate when someone is using the machine you want. First wait until they are in between their sets (the brief cool down period when no more reps are being preformed) to ask how much longer then have on the machine. Sometimes people have headphones in so make sure to approach them in a way that is visible and make eye contact to signal that you have something to ask. Once you ask "How many sets do you have left?" a few different responses can happen. The first being they have 0-2 set left, so they're about to be done and the machine will be free. Lucky for you when you ask someone how many sets they have left it's an unspoken gym rule that you are next on the machine. The only time you will not be next on the machine is if someone has already asked. You will know this by either someone standing nearby and saying they are on it next, or the person you asked how many sets they had left will let you know. If they say they are just starting, or have 3 or more reps you have 3 options. Your first is to look for another machine and come back to that exercise machine when it is free. The second is to ask if you can work in with them, and alternate sets working out on the same machine together. Sometimes people will say no, and that's okay you always have option one still available, or option three. Option three is waiting until who ever is working out is done working out. You stand near the machine but not too close and without making too much eye contact, to keep the person as well as yourself from being uncomfortable. On a side note, not everyone wipes down machines to sanitize them so it can be helpful to grab a sanitation whip and bring it with you when you ask so you don't have to walk away from the machine you were waiting for and loose it to someone else!

Tips to Avoiding All Social Interaction:

The wellness center is focused around physical exercise. If your intent is to focus on your work-out routine there are some tips to avoid getting into social interactions.

1. Listen to music: Specifically, with headphones as it will deter anyone from approaching you.
2. Avoid eye contact: Look down or off into the distance during your sets, as this will give off a vibe as unapproachable.
3. Wear sunglasses: Wearing sunglasses indoors is considered rude and suspicious. This tactic will keep all strangers at a distance.
4. If all else fails: Ignore them.