UCSC Recreation

Powerlifters and bodybuilders rejoice! It is a small gym but you can really tell that its a gym for college students who love to lift. Everyone here ACTUALLY re-​racks their weights! Not only that, but they put it in chronological order! You really don’t see that at a lot of other gyms.
POWERLIFTERS: total of 6 squat racks, 2 new benches with 4 of those squat racks that can be changed to benches, and 2 deadlift platforms! They even have olympic plates here which many, many gyms do not have like 24 hour fitness and LA fitness.
BODYBUILDERS: The equipment is pretty new and I don’t feel grossed out using them! They’ve got a great selection of machines for accessories. They recently got new ropes, mats and a dozen foam rollers.
ATMOSPHERE: It gets pretty packed at night. I come 6 days out of the week and Mondays (National Chest day) are the worst. Try coming in the morning if you hate working out with so many eyeballs staring. Thank god not many people here are grunters or ego lifters or I’d be thoroughly annoyed during my workouts. People overall are respectful though. Be polite when you ask people how many sets they have left and ask AFTER their set not during. Sometimes you can just work in. People are willing to share!
Can’t say much for the cardio machines since I don’t really do cardio. Either way those contraptions confuse me haha.

Downside about this place is that the gym on campus is pretty small to house the thousands of students we have on campus. At peak hours it can get quite crowded so waiting for a machine to be free can get a bit frustrating. But for the most part the pace is clean and the views of the Monterrey bay is amazing. The gym also overlooks a huge grass field and the track.
For me the best hours to go is between 10am-​12pm and 3−7pm. It’s not too bad.

I dislike how small this gym is, wish there was more equipment and it can get pretty crowded at certain times of the day. But for the most part it’s pretty clean and the views are amazing.

This used to be the best gym in this part of the state. The gym still has a great view as it is set on a wooded hill that affords an excellent view of Monterey Bay and almost all of Santa Cruz, including the Boardwalk. The building is still an interesting structure, modern and utilitarian. However, recently, ALL of the great strength-​training equipment on both floors was removed, and now the gym is some weird New Age yoga place. A man simply cannot get a good workout in this gym now.

Free gym facilities for students? I’m not gonna complain one bit.
Since UCSC is so beautiful, it’s actually really nice to jog outside on the track as you overlook all the beauty that our campus has in store for us. You have your deer, your fast-​running squirrels, your buzzing bees (which scare me and motivate me to run even faster… away from them), etc. You have your fellow classmates exercising near you. You have the fresh outdoors and beautiful view that most colleges lack.
The inside of the gym is pretty nice too. On the first floor, you have mainly weights, weight training machines, and treadmills. On the second floor (which is typically more crowded), you have your multiple weight training machines, treadmills, ellipticals, etc. The second floor is basically a bigger version of the first floor with more machines. Also, there is a patio on the second floor that overlooks the entire West Remote field, and you can stretch or do sit-​ups and push-​ups against the nice refreshing breeze. There is also a stretching or abs stretching/​abs station indoors on both floors.
I’m grateful for our gym and wish I’ve utilized it more. Definitely check it out, and bring a buddy to help motivate each other towards staying fit!

UCSC Opers Gym.
Probably one of the greatest views from a gym I’ve ever seen. Might be one of the best views from a building on campus.
There are a ton of different skill level lifters here, people are all doing completely different programs etc. Sometimes it takes forever to get a squat rack as there are only two. Otherwise, people are friendly and it is very clean.
Sweet gym

For a $ 7 visitor pass this facility is well worth it. Clean showers, great view, and excellent equipment.

One of my favorite gyms. When I was a student here, I would literally live here. It’s two floors, I would recommend going upstairs cuz there is an awesome view of the Monterey Bay as you’re jogging on the treadmills that face the hugeeee windows. Ample equipment, short wait times and good circulation in there! And tvs, too!
Don’t go during 3 – 4 pm, that’s when it gets packed cuz they reserve the ground floor for faculty, which forces all the students upstairs.

After getting an earful from my other buddies that go to different UC’s, our gym is fairly small. Because of this there are times when barely anything is free — especially during «bro» hours when groups dudes that are fairly buff with name brand tanks walk around, compliment each other, and look at themselves in the mirror after every rep. Other than the gym everything else seems to serve its purpose.
+1 for the great view you see while on the field

If I ever needed to do a specific workout that required some strange device that looks like it came from another planet, I could always rely on the wellness center. It pretty much has everything:
–Outdoor stretching and workout area
–Full gym equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, row machines, weights, and other dohickies that I can’t identify all overlooking a fantastic view of Monterey Bay
–raquetball courts
–tennis courts
–martial arts room
–dance studios
–basketball courts
–olympic size swimming pool
–punching bags
–even a rental shop if you ever want to rent out equipment for that weekend camping trip you were planning to do in Pogonip
The programs they offer here are amazing! From full on certification courses in lifeguarding, swedish massage, wilderness first aid, etc, to zip-​lining high among the redwoods! Hell, I almost went skydiving with if it wasn’t for finals week right afterwards! And everything is decently priced. Admission to the gym is free for UCSC students (and with the tuition we’re paying, it better be) and the class fees range from $ 20 a lesson to $ 150 a quarter (that’s the most expensive I’ve seen so far). There are also plenty of clubs that teach for free including the now discontinued krav maga class (although I’m hoping they bring it back) and wushu. Heck, there are even classes down by the harbor that is sponsored by the wellness center such as sailing and stand-​up paddle boarding.
There’s so much offered here! I feel that there are more classes here than there are offered at the university (not true btw…). It’s a pretty cool place! I’ve already been certified as a lifeguard here and I’m planning to get my water safety instructor certification here too. Maybe another certification in some random thing if I feel like it! What’s stopping me?! It’s right there!

Large gym, open views, lots of equipment. Never saw anything creepy here either.

I came here 6 days a week at some point during my UCSC career. I like the variety of work out machines they have, and the view is AMAZING. Definitely makes my cardio time pass by that much faster.
They have cubbies by the front desk where you can leave your stuff, but if you don’t feel your stuff is safe there, you can check out a locker. (I got my AA hoodie stolen in the cubbies before, lesson learned :[)
There are TVs upstairs, and if your mp3 player has a radio funciton on it, you can tune into the channel and hear the channels, if not, there are also captions.
I’d always try to get here in the morning by 8 or 9 to avoid the crowd, because it does get crowded in the middle of the day, especially in the beginning of the quarter.
I’m pretty impatient when it comes waiting for a cardio machine, so if you’re like me, come early in the morning, or come late at night.

This is the best gym. Beautiful views of the Monterey Bay while working out, it is breathtaking. As a slug alumna, I truly miss the experience of being able to go here regularly for my workout. Us UCSC students have it good!

This place has an outdoor stretching space, and more room to stretch inside. Not usually overcrowded, I’ve always been able to get a machine within a few minutes. It’s pretty clean, they even have clean sprays and towel that are designated for wiping down the machines once you’re finished. The people are pretty chill, and it’s pretty funny to watch all the guys check out their muscles in the huge mirrors by the weights. The best part is that it’s free with you student fees!

What other gym on the planet provides you panoramic ocean views from your elliptical, I ask you? ‘Nuff said.