Access to a 24-hour fitness center is one of the great perks of living at Grayson Cottages in Columbia, Missouri. The fitness center was recently upgraded and is now open to residents! This is a great time to start up a new fitness routine and enjoy all the new equipment. Your body will be happy, and there are other benefits, too. Students that live in an apartment with a gym or fitness center and use it on a regular basis may get better grades than those who don’t because there are many mental benefits of exercise. We talk about those benefits and some workout plans you can follow later in this post, so keep reading!
Fitness Center Equipment
The newly upgraded fitness center includes strength equipment, cardio machines, and free weights. Here are some pieces of equipment and amenities you can find in the fitness center:
- Rowing machine
- Stationary bike
- Ellipticals
- Treadmills
- Cable machines
- Weight benches
- Squat rack
- Stability balls
- Medicine balls
- Bosu balance ball
- Free weights
- Kettlebells
- Punching bag
This equipment is great for strength training, cardio training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Using these key pieces of equipment, there are many workout plans you can come up with. If you have trouble coming up with your own workouts, consider looking on Bodybuilding.com, one of the most trusted resources for fitness and health. They offer plans customized by goals, such as weight loss or building muscle. Many of the plans also come with diet and meal plan advice. The best thing about the Bodybuilding.com plans is that they’re free! Many of them also offer apps and printables that you can take to the gym with you.
Workout Plan
To get you started, here are a few exercises you can do using the equipment provided in the fitness center. This example plan is ideal for building muscle. If you’re more interested in a weight loss plan, view this fat loss program.
Choose one or two areas to target (legs/glutes, chest/back, tris/bis/shoulders, core), and alternate the targeted area each day you workout. Complete three to four sets of 12 for each exercise designated in the section for that area of the body below. It’s also recommended to warm up prior to your exercise with a 5–10 minute jog and some light stretching to avoid injury.
Legs and Glutes:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Deadlifts
- Power cleans
Chest and Back:
- Lat pull downs
- Bench press
- Bent-over or standing rows
- Dumbbell flys
Triceps, Biceps, Shoulders:
- Bicep curls
- Lateral raises
- Tricep extensions
- Cable pulls
Core:
- Stability ball situps
- Wood chop
- Cable core rotation
- Russian twists with medicine ball
Benefits of Exercise
Exercising has many physical, mental, and emotional benefits. The more routine your exercise, the greater the benefits will be. Many people hop on the exercise train only to get off it a few days later. Unfortunately, some of the benefits of exercise can’t be fully experienced unless you practice exercise on a routine basis. Here are a few benefits of exercise you could enjoy:
- Improve your mental health
- Live a longer life
- Control your weight
- Strengthen your bones and muscles
- Reduce risks of diseases like cancer and Type 2 diabetes
- Have more energy
- Reduce stress
- Build self-confidence
We hope our newly upgraded gym will help you get into the exercise routine you’ve always dreamed of having. If you’re looking for an apartment for rent in Columbia, MO with a fitness center, stop by Grayson Cottages today, and check out our new setup!