A student’s guide of the Stevenson building, in hopes to answer the queries that you may have regarding a new gym routine.
A new gym can be nerve-wracking to anyone. As a new student, it can be very intimidating scanning your student card at the Stevenson building entrance for the first time. Whether it’s hitting a new PR or a yoga class with your friends, everyone has their own story in the gym. This article aims to give you a short insight into the gym and how it runs, providing you with top tips to calm those pre-gym jitters.
It is understandable that at the beginning of the year, many students can feel isolated or have heightened nerves when starting a new chapter. However, just as everyone says, it is important to remember that many students are in the same boat. So, the first tip is, after you have bought that gym membership, find someone feeling the same as you; whether it is an old friend, a new flatmate, or a returning course mate, invite them to the gym and find your way together. Having just one person to relate to can support you massively, allowing you to solely focus on your workout.
It is understandable that as the year goes on, friends’ and flatmates’ timetables or schedules may not align, and a gym routine with your friend may not be possible. To solve this, the University offers free inductions at the Garscube Sports Complex as well in the Stevenson building. These short introductions allow you to get a feel for the Technogym technology used throughout the two floors of the gym, as well as safelifting and equipment-use downstairs at PowerPlay.
The UofG sports website provides an easy sign-up process for those interested. Alongside these inductions, the ‘Stevie’ also has its own choice of personal trainers recruited across Glasgow, skilled in specific training aspects. These PT sessions are available to all gym members throughout the entire year, perfect for fitting a quick session into the busy uni life. Simply visit ‘Personal Training’ on the University of Glasgow’s Sport website to book your session. In addition to these private sessions, it may also be useful to book your slot during the times throughout the day when the gym tends to be a little quieter. From experience, these times tend to be before 9am each morning and between 2pm to 3pm, when most students tend to be in their classes. The busiest times are usually between the hours of 5pm and 9pm, so if you prefer a quieter session with less added pressure, it is recommended to avoid this time each day, especially on weekdays.
With the gym being split into two levels, finding the equipment you need or the space for specific exercise can be difficult. However, the gym is divided to hopefully make it easier to find the workout equipment you may need, For example, ‘Pulse’, the cardiovascular and conditioning suite, and ‘PowerPlay’, the popular strength and conditioning suite, are located downstairs from the changing rooms. With your first few visits to the gym building, it is definitely a promising idea to split the two floors into different sessions to ensure you do not get overwhelmed — it’s easy to feel as though you are the ‘newbie’ at the beginning. This definitely shouldn’t be the case, and you would be surprised to realise that most people will feel just as nervous as you are. Throughout the university gym, it is also important to remember that it is not only the gym employees that will be happy to help you, but also the ‘stranger’ at the next squat rack, treadmill, or bike. The gym community is one that is meant to be comfortable. Never be afraid to ask the ‘silly questions’ that you have — there will always be someone with the answer.
