ARC – Adventure Recreation Center

I love working out at the ARC– it’s definitely my preferred gym on campus. It has everything I need: free weights, machines, cardio equipment (treadmills, rowing machines, spinning bikes, ellipticals… etc…), basketball courts, soccer fields, and even a rock-​climbing wall (though I have yet to try it). It’s the perfect size (not too small, not too big) and is manageable to maneuver even when it gets busy. The staff is also very friendly and attentive.

I’m somewhat conflicted about writing a review on the ARC. On one hand it is off-​campus and totally inconvenient for walking/​taking the bus, but if you can drive and find a spot it’s not too bad. They have a ton of basketball courts, soccer fields, cardio equipment, and even a batting cage, but these are often occupied by intramurals or other gym goers. The have a large variety of weight lifting equipment as well so that you can find nearly anything you want, but they have a small number (usually only one) of most machines, only have one squat rack and one military press, decline bench and more that often get overcrowded especially at busy times.
Overall, the facilities are in great shape and they have a plethora of different things to do at the ARC. but I can’t give any more than 3 stars because it seems every time I go to lift I’m forced to wait for at least one piece of equipment I want to use even when its not peak hours, and it seems if I go to play basketball or want to use the multi-​purpose fields, they are overtaken by intramurals or other activities.

The unpretentious campus gym
I frequent the ARC 4 – 5 times each week and here is what I’ll say:
The ARC is much smaller than the RPAC, the major campus gym. However, it is typically not too crowded in the early AM. Overall, there tend to be less «meatheads» than most gyms. I appreciate this.
The ARC has all of the necessary equipment — weights, cardio, practice fields/​courts. I don’t feel deprived of anything. The gym may not be as flashy as the newer, nicer RPAC, but I don’t really care. I come for the equipment.
The ARC has a parking lot behind it. The location is far enough off central campus, which is great for commuters or off-​campus residents.
Hence, the ARC is great for the average person looking to get their fitness on in a welcoming environment.

Yet another smaller, less crowded alternative to the RPAC. Although, it can be quite noisy at times. Intramural games and volleyball camps can really ruin the quiet vibe. But go on a Saturday/​Sunday around 3pm and it is perfect.
This year, I believe they added around 10 to 15 cardio machines on the first floor so there are a lot more options than there were a couple of years ago. There are also a decent amount of weight machines available. There is usually plenty of parking unless you go right after 5pm. Additionally, the ARC shares a parking lot with the Martha Morehouse center so it may be difficult to find a spot during some parts of the day.
The bathroom includes lockers, two showers and around 5 potties :).
Overall, a very nice gym to frequent.

Number of visits: 10+
This is one of the recreation facilities run by Ohio State. If you’re going to compare it to the RPAC, there really is no comparison. It’s orders of magnitude smaller. I’m more of a get my exercise outside person, but regardless I’ve been here a number of times. As a soccer person, I like that it has 2 indoor soccer fields, and they’re very nice. However that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to play soccer here whenever you want. One or more of the fields is often reserved as a practice location for a club sport such as soccer or lacrosse, meaning the field isn’t available to everyone else. Also, when there is open soccer on the fields, there will sometimes be so many people wanting to use them that by virtue of having to share with everyone, you don’t wind up playing most of the time you’re there.
The gym itself here is smallish, but adequate. There are a fair number of treadmills, scattered other cardio options, with a larger selection of weightlifting machines. There’s a few TVs upstairs if you like that when you’re getting your cardio on, but the TVs aren’t widespread throughout.
I’ve never used it, but this place has an excellent rock climbing wall. If you’re into rock climbing this would definitely be a reason to go here.

Where I workout, has it’s good and bad sides
Since I live about 3 minutes away and work at OSU’s medical center (i refuse to call it Wexner) I have a gym membership with the recreation center. The membership extends to all of OSU’s rec centers/​gyms so that is pretty nifty. But I will stick to the ARC for this review.
The ARC is on west campus so it is not right in the thick of campus which is nice. There are basketball courts and fields inside. The weights area is rather small, but there are a good amount of treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals. Rarely are all of these taken up when I go in the morning. The benches for Bench press on the other hand…
I am able to direct deposit pay my membership since I work at OSU so i forget how much it costs. It is not cheap at all, and if the ARC were the only place I could go with my membership I would not have a membership there. But it is convenient and not very crowded except for when campus events are held inside or intramural sports.

So the ARC is an OSU gym. Can non-​OSU peeps use this gym? No idea. Well, there go my «useful» ratings. BUT WAIT, I do have some useful info:
1. This place is best if you’re mostly interested in lifting weights. That being said, there are a number of cardio machines (treadmills, elliptical, bikes, etc) that are available. I’ve never run into a situation where I haven’t been able to snag one of these machines, but there is a limited number compared to the RPAC, so be aware.
2. The ARC has recently become my gym of choice due to its parking situation. It’s free! That is, if you know the tricks of the trade — give me a message if you’re interested in knowing «the way.» This makes it much more convenient for me since I can go at any time rather than just when I’m on campus going to the main RPAC gym. Otherwise, you have to have an OSU pass or pay by the hour. Decidedly less than convenient.
And thus the fat lady sang.

The good:
–Convenient parking adjacent to the building. Lazy bums rejoice!
–Climbing wall = my adrenaline fix
–Immaculate locker room. Can’t vouch for the male locker room though.
The bad:
–Time limit on cardio machines. 30 minutes?! Gah!
–Cramped weights area in case you ever forget what male sweat smells like
The ugly:
–Taking comfort in knowing that a basketball or volleyball could smash into my face any given second. Seriously, are the cardio machines strategically placed or what?