Charles J. Ping Recreation Center serves as the main gym for students across campus, providing free entry with enrollment. Many use it to stay healthy and physically fit, but it’s also impossible not to notice the very niche groups of people that can be found there.
With this known fact among students, here are the types of people one usually sees at Ping.
The rock climbers
They’re the first thing you see when you walk into Ping. They’re covered in chalk dust, all wearing something from REI, and they’re more than likely responsible for the Subaru covered in national parks bumper stickers parked in the lot. They are a breed all their own and act like they have never had a fear of heights. Most of them do not even go near the weights section, but they can crank out pullups like it’s nothing.
The guy “fighting demons”
This guy has no headphones on, his bench press has more plates than a buffet table and he is about to rep more than anyone else in the gym. This is the guy who has just gone through the absolute wringer and is entering either his “self-improvement arc” or his self-proclaimed “villain arc,” depending on what he’s going through. Either way, he is going to be there for a while.
The cardio junkies
You get to the gym, they are on the treadmill. You leave an hour later after a fulfilling workout, and they are still on that same treadmill. Whether they are walking, jogging, doing the stairmaster or riding stationary bikes, these people have the endurance of a racehorse and are probably among the few people that can make it up Jeff Hill without getting severely winded.
The exercise class girls
These girls are usually at Ping early in the morning. You can hear the EDM from their spin class down the hall or the soothing music from their yoga classes from just outside. They travel in packs and are all carrying either Stanley Cups, yoga mats or both.
The grunter
This guy can be heard from across the weight room. He grunts every time he lifts, slams the weights and is generally just every gym-goer’s nightmare. More than likely, he also has terrible form, has taken enough pre-workout supplements to keep an average person awake for two days and flexes in the mirror every time he finishes a set.
THAT girl
If you see her approaching the leg press, it’s best to avoid hopping on straight after her, at least before changing the weight. If you try to lift the weights she is lifting, you will probably get crushed. She shows up in her impeccable workout set, outdoes everybody on the leg press and squats and then leaves like it’s nothing, all without breaking a sweat.
The dynamic duo
They might be a couple. They might be friends. They might just be gym partners. Either way, they are always seen together at the gym, taking turns on the same machine, either hyping up their counterpart or getting just a little too competitive with one another. Nevertheless, you will never see them by themselves, and you will never see them miss a day in their workout schedule.
