The Weight Room at WWU’s Wade King Student Recreational Center

The weight room in the Wade King Student Recreational Center, which is located at the south side of Western Washington University, is beyond the average weight room. As I walk into the weight room, I hear the classic tone of Don’t Stop Believing getting played through the speakers while I am automatically getting welcomed by the friendly staff of the weight room. The Recreational center, which was first opened in 2003, is a large two-story building of such magnificent grandeur and beauty: It was designed to represent a Northwest regional look. The wood structure inside as well as outside of the building creates a sense of home and ownership within the weight room by which I cannot help but smile when I walk back into my daily grind.

The WWU weight room has a vibe that is indescribable. Compared to other weight rooms within the booming town of Bellingham, WA, such as Fitness Evolution, City Gym or Bellingham Fitness, Western’s weight room is filled with warm-hearted people who are always willing to lend a helping hand once in need of a spotter. A current student by the name of Jason describes the weight room as a “great environment that embodies the culture of Bellingham: hard working and fun!” I can testify to that myself and can’t help but brag about the level of support received by the network of people in this gym (when I was working out at Bellingham Fitness, there was this unwritten law of not being able to talk to other people once working out which limited me in workouts). This genial community of students allows myself to step outside of my comfort zone and push my limits (I always know that someone has my back). Western Washington University has a proportion of 44.3 to 55.7 male to female percent. In the weight room, gender does not appear to be a hindrance. The welcoming atmosphere promotes even the most sheepish individual to come and break a sweat.

The physical appearance of the weight room is laid out by the two walls completed with mirrors. Personally, I like to look at myself when I get swollen so this is one of the perks. The other two walls are made of clear-glass which allows people to see the surrounding: On one side, you can see the lobby and on the other side the gym. In the corner of the room, you can catch a glimpse ofoutside activity. This is convenient when you have an itch as to what the weather is like in the PNW;). The natural light coming into the room from outside allows the room to appear bright throughout the day. Inside, the weight room is filled with a number of well taken care of machines to perform your daily workouts. The room is filled with multiple squatting racks as well as a number of benches; however, I would suggest not doing chest day on a Monday for you could hardly perform your routine without any long breaks. There seems to be a trend for all students to do chest day on Mondays! This shouldn’t trip up your routine but you have to expect at least a minutes wait before a bench gets open which gets irritating once you’re in the work grind. This is the usual trend in every gym but I’m just giving you a heads up! The weight room provides as a good area to improve on yourself physically and boasts a great environment that has a vibe that will motivate.

After I do my casual hello’s with the staff of the Recreational Center, I can’t help but sing “Don’t stop believin’ Hold on to that feelin’”. The songs always promote a happy atmosphere. This is the atmosphere that I helped create. According to the Western Washington University Campus Recreation page, the facility was “created and shaped by the vision and support of Western students.” Through a referendum process voted by the students, there is an automatic $100 quarterly fee that every Western student pays on top of their tuition. This is really cheap! In my experience at the Bellingham Fitness gym, I paid close to $30 a month; however, no other gym can boast a rock-climbing wall, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, and track encircling the upper floor. These listed items are only the highlights on top of the common weight room. The Recreational Center is filled with many other exciting features. So my question to you is: If you are going to be paying for a weight room, why not choose this one?