Barnard Baddies never have to endure the horror of Dodge again.

The renovated gym opened Wednesday, October 30 in the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being and Barnard students have been granted the glorious gift of having a gym all to ourselves.

The stink of the middle level, the constant crowds, the switching out on a single machine with four other people, the men who don’t wipe after they’re done? These traumatic experiences I’ve had at Dodge are something I never have to go through again. 

All semester, Barnard students have been saying they’re too scared or uncomfortable to go work out at Dodge, and I’m so glad we now have this exclusively-Barnard environment to call our own.

Hours:

Unfortunately, the Barnard gym’s hours are one of its limitations. Its current hours are Monday to Thursday 8 am to 8 pm, Friday 8 am to 7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm.

On Mondays from 8 am to 9 am, the gym is open to staff and faculty only. 

This leaves very little time in the evening to get a workout in, and most students I know are choosing either to wake up early or head straight to the Barnard gym after class. As a girl who usually goes to Dodge at 11 pm, I’m going to have to adjust my workout schedule. 

Machines and Amenities:

  • Half of the gym contains treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, two stairmasters (very Planet Fitness-esque) and two rowing machines
  • Leg press, leg curl, and leg extension machine grouped together
  • One chest press, shoulder press, and lateral pull-down machine
  • Three squat racks
  • Three benches with lots of dumbbells ranging from five to 60 pounds

Pros:

  • It’s beautiful! And I really believe the all-Barnard environment is uplifting and empowering, I’ve never felt so happy while I’m working out
  • Lots and lots of natural lighting, with vibrant colors and blue/green walls
  • Many many mirrors, which Dodge lacks
  • The floor-mat is very soft and nice to walk on
  • Weights and machines are brand new and feel amazing
  • Everything is clean and I have yet to see anyone forget to wipe after they’re done using a machine  

Cons:

  • No bench press??!! (I was actually sad). It’s missing a lot of upper body machines, such as the fly machine and incline chest press
  • Hours are a bit limited 
  • Lacking a lot of other popular machines: Girls love to hit legs, yet there’s no hip abductor machine, Smith machine, or hip thrust machine… Hmm… 
  • Only one of each machine, unfortunately 

My review:

Overall, the Barnard gym is amazing– the vibes are great, there’s enough floor and mat space, and unlike Dodge, I never feel cramped. Plus, having only Barnard students there was genuinely such a positive experience for me. I didn’t feel uncomfortable doing my ab workouts on the mat when usually in a co-ed gym I’d feel at least a little bit out of my element (no matter how much I’d reassure myself that I was being stupid for feeling so). I know other students feel the same, and the lighting and bright interior design make the gym feel vibrant even when it’s pitch black outside. 

Plus, during the daytime, there’s so much natural lighting with an abundance of mirrors, which I mentioned in my “pros”, but the vibes inside the Barnard gym truly could not be more different from Dodge, with its dark, damp interior. 

My only complaint is the lack of machines and the limited hours—sadly, I’ll still have to go to Dodge on certain days of my split. But when I’m able to, I’m definitely choosing the Barnard gym first. If you haven’t been yet and you’re a Barnard student, I highly recommend you check it out! 

Barnard gym via Bwog Archives