Now is the time of year when those pesky New Year’s fitness resolutions start nagging at the back of your mind. You can no longer use the excuse that you’re hungover or ate too much holiday food, because you’re already a week into 2015. It’s time to get off the couch. Lucky for you, we've compiled some information to get you started:
The Bird Coop
The most popular student gym on campus is also the most crowded. Located in the Student Rec Centre near the bus loop, the Coop costs just $30/term and contains pretty much every machine and free weight you can ask for from a student gym, at the cost of extreme crowdedness at peak hours. Good luck getting a squat rack with Johnny Six-Plate and five others in front of you.
Rez gyms
They’re not great. At all. They usually consist of a treadmill or two, a few stationary bikes, and a couple basic strength or bodyweight machines, and not much more. Marine Drive’s is better than Totem Park's or Place Vanier’s, but still probably lacking if you need to do a full routine. If you need an hour of cardio, residence gyms might be your best bet, but anything more and you’ll want to find somewhere with a bit more variety.
The Aquatic Centre
Completely free with your student card, it has a basic weight room with free weights and machines and a cardio section consisting of a treadmill, a rowing machine and a few stationary bikes. It’s surrounded by UBC’s pool, steam room and sauna, making it a nice spot if you like a post-workout dip, soak or steam.
Gold’s Gym
Situated in the University Village and under completely new management than during its slightly shady past, Gold’s boasts the finest equipment around and is definitely the most elite gym near UBC. If you demand an all-around great workout space, you can get it -- just expect to pay the price.