Upgrades, people, upgrades!
Listen to a reading of the New Year, New Equipment blog
New year, new equipment! URI’s Fitness and Wellness facilities will be getting an upgrade just in time for the start of the spring 2022 semester. Students can look forward to enhancing their workouts and actually going through with those new year’s resolutions to work out more (I know I will be) with some brand new cardio equipment in both Mackal and Anna Fascitelli (AF) Fitness & Wellness Centers, aka “the gyms”. Here are some highlights of what to look forward to going into the spring semester:
First, Anna Fascitelli East will be switching to Matrix equipment, a global leader in commercial fitness products. Matrix is one of the most well-trusted brands in fitness and can be found at most gyms and workout facilities across the country. Our workout facilities do not currently have any Matrix equipment.
Something new and unique that the Matrix brand brings to URI is the possibility for students to follow its “Sprint 8” program, a workout routine that “goes beyond high-intensity interval training to give your members results they can see in the mirror.” The Sprint 8 program includes 8 intervals of 30-second full-speed sprints designed to build muscle and reduce fat. The Sprint 8 program is featured exclusively on Matrix cardio equipment and can enhance the workout routines of URI students who are just starting out and need a specific routine to follow.
A new edition that students can look forward to is the S-Drive Performance Trainer, which, in normal terms, is essentially a treadmill with a harness. The S-Drive Performance Trainer is a tool made specifically for HIIT training and is specifically good for intervals of high-speed sprinting. Using the S-Drive for your Sprint 8 routine sounds like the perfect way to start your 2022 fitness goals.
In addition, all new Matrix equipment will feature the Touch XL console on its treadmills, which gives it the ability to connect to your Apple Watch. In addition, all treadmills will feature the Sprint 8 program, so that students have easy access and keep track of their progress.
While there will be no more equipment near the windows towards the back of Fascitelli, there will be much more functional space for core/stretching. This switch is following current fitness trends, which focus on reducing the number of pieces of equipment that aren’t multipurpose and make more space for an equipment-free workout!
Anna Fascitelli West will be sticking with Life Fitness machines, however, they are still getting upgrades. The new equipment in AF West will have Life Fitness’ SE3HD TV screens on the machines, which feature LifeFitness On-Demand Classes, which are instructor-read classes using that equipment. If you’re like me and you need something to distract you from how much you’re dying while working out, these machines also feature PlutoTV, which has 250+ channels of free TV.
Anna Fascitelli isn’t the only facility getting upgrades this semester. Mackal Field House will have a mix of both new Matrix and LifeFitness machines with all of the same amenities as Anna Fascitelli.
Overall, the upgrades coming to both facilities are definitely something to look forward to going into 2022. There will be more climb mill machines, more spin bikes, and a complete new set of Hammer Strength Dumbbells in the Mackal Weight Room that are customized with the URI logo.
I certainly know that I will be checking out this equipment as soon as my classes begin this semester. What better way to start your new year’s resolutions with brand new equipment at workout facilities that are free for students? And, with the instructor-led training that these machines bring to URI, it’s nearly impossible to come up with excuses. Here’s to a happier, healthier, more active 2022 with new additions to our gyms and our lives.
Hi! I’m Juliana and I’m a sophomore Communications and Journalism student from Brookfield, CT. I can’t wait to continue my passion for writing as a blog writer for InsideRec! Outside of Campus Recreation, I’m also involved in Greek Life, the Good Five Cent Cigar, and URI 101 mentoring. In my free time, you can find me watching the sunset in Narragansett, sitting on the quad with my friends, or in the line at Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m looking forward to writing more blog-style posts and giving advice from my own experiences!