RPAC – Recreation & Physical Activity Center

Nice gym with everything you could need (including underground driving range). Its in the middle of campus so its a walk if you don’t have a parking pass but that just forces me to get even more activity in.
However… it can get crowded… really really crowded… Like more crowded than my sister’s gym in New York City.
Its a HUGE university’s HUGE gym so I can’t say the crowds are unexpected, but they can get annoying. I’ve seen people in line for fitness classes half an hour early. I’ve had to weave through people when walking across the free weights area. I’ve seen the 16 person jacuzzi have no space left. And there are never any mats! Which can suck if you want to do work involving mats.
There ARE areas that are less crowded that people don’t realize (ie. the far side of the gym along the glass wall on the second and third floor) and there are some unique things if you explore.
I advise going on non-​peak hours but it ain’t easy for me if I’m working.
This is a 5 star gym during the summer and winter break ;-).

Other reviews really lay it all out the amenities quite nicely so I’m going to contribute my own personal insight: OSU’s RPAC makes working out enjoyable. I’ve never liked going to the gym and always quit after a few days because it’s so damn boring. I really believe a huge part of the success of my workout routine now is because RPAC is a beautiful recreation center and not just a gym. I can go there and have FUN. How cool is that? They have a sauna, pool room, racquetball courts, squash courts, even a play area for kids. They also have day lockers all over near different workout areas so you can just stash your stuff for a quick workout and not even have to to go the locker room. In and out, bam! It’s all about mindset and RPAC puts you in a great, positive one.

This place has everything– weights, cardio machines, basketball and racquetball courts, a pool, and even air hockey just to name a few. My favorite thing they offer is the group fitness classes. They have almost every class you can think of, and they’re free if you’re an OSU student!

The biggest gym on any college campus in the world… need I say much more? Any athletic endeavor you want to undertake can be found in the RPAC. They have a ton of weights (machines, dumbbells, and barbells) to the point where I’m still discovering new areas of the RPAC with machines I haven’t seen before. The cardio canyon is great for runners. They have a ton of different bikes, awesome basketball courts, racquetball, volleyball, private rooms, a sauna, Olympic pools, and probably a ton more I don’t even know about. All of the equipment is state of the art. They also offer a plethora of fitness classes and instruction if desired. My only complaint is that the weight benches often get crowded during busy times so you have to wait a few minutes before starting your next lift at times, but overall the RPAC is awesome and gives everyone at OSU no excuse not to live healthy.

Wooooow. I really don’t know how else to describe the RPAC.
It is simply GORGEOUS! …THIS is what a recreational center is supposed to look like!
My experience with rec/​sports centers have been very mixed. Starting from my alma mater at UCLA, our Wooden Center is fantastic and one of the top in the nation. Sadly I was not very healthy and spent all my time in the dining halls during my undergraduate years, and it wasn’t until I moved over to USC for grad school when I realized how privileged I was back in Westwood. Seriously, Lyon Center at USC needs to get it together.
Now that I am spending a summer here at OSU, I am HOT and SWEATY, both from the Summer heat and at how motivated I am to work out inside the RPAC. There’s a reason that this is the top collegiate rec center in the nation (if not the world), and I cannot see any reason for a Buckeye to NOT work it out here.
Cardio Canyon takes up half the bottom floor and you’ll be sure to find a machine fit for your needs. Move on over to the free weights and strength training equipment, and just stare at the amazing architecture of the building, as well as the new and clean facilities that are available. I’ve never felt so good doing strength training in a brightly lit room, with the ceiling reaching high up to the sky. It’s simply a marvel!
It’s also connected to the Aquatics center which has an Olympic size pool, smaller lounging pool, a large hot tub, and a sauna! Back on the main side, there’s a separate floor dedicated to instructional classes (assuming you register into an actual course) that’s larger than my own gym back at USC.
On top of that, you’ve got FREE fitness classes year round, tons of dance performance spaces with full mirrors, loads of basketball courts, a lounge area with billiards, a MTV sponsored cardio room, and even a daycare center for those with children!
Simply. EPIC. I really can’t imagine giving this place less than 5-​stars unless you just happened to experience an injury or it was too crowded. Believe me, this center comes out on top.
Sign up if you are not a student and haven’t done so already. This may truly be a milestone gym investment that I have just made in my life. Cheers to a healthier lifestyle!

I’ll be in the pool area

More than a Gym, a true Recreation Center
When I first moved here Larkin Hall was still up and the central gym facility for OSU. When the RPAC was built there was much hype around it. It was called innovative and state of the art when it was put up.
Those descriptions fall short to explain just how not only large, but versatile the RPAC is. There are a great deal of levels to it (i wanna say 6 but not 100% sure). Rooms for gym classes, courts on 2 different floors, racquetball courts, punching bags, an indoor track, huge weightlifting area, enormous «cardio canyon» with ellipticals, treadmills and bikes (there’s 2 other areas with these as well), and even an area with pool tables. I almost forgot about the golfing area too. The place has ALMOST everything (does not have full soccer fields like the ARC). It also connects to the aquatic center so you can walk over to the pools, jacuzzis, and steam rooms. After your workout is over there are 2 food places available to get a bite to eat. there’s also tables for studying, even a sun deck.
The only drawbacks to the RPAC are that they regularly have things on the courts so you cannot use them for basketball/​volleyball. If i could give a 4 ½ star rating i would because this place is almost perfect.

As an OSU student, I’m ashamed I didn’t come sooner and see how amazing this gym is. I’ve been twice to the RPAC. Compared to gyms I’ve been to in the past, I’d say this would be a $ 200/​month equivalent for all of the amenities it provides students. Proud buckeye.
However, I’d say the only flaw is the food quality they offer. Great variety at the Courtside Café, but pricey, and far from perfection. Nevertheless, the RPAC is my favorite facility at OSU.

Woo! All fitness classes now free to all students (just activate your BuckID at the start of the semester). Bummer I only have a few months left…
Parking still isn’t ideal, but at least there’s the nearby garage for when it rains ($ 2/​hr). Machines are still top notch. Unbeknownst to me, the service desk also has extra hair-​ties (wish I had known this before!) along with the lock and equipment rentals.
I have since gone to more classes and am always pretty pleased. Cross training and cardio sculpt will get you sweating, and zumba is fun. Cardio kickboxing was somewhat disappointing. I kind of expect to at least break a sweat in a class with a name like ‘cardio kickboxing’. And some of the yoga classes are hit or miss… depending on what you want out of yoga. You may be sleeping in some and sweating in others!

The RPAC looks great from the outside, as well when entering through the doors, but due to the staff providing me with the wrong information as to how to obtain a membership, I have been unable to see the rest of what they have to offer. Each time I have returned with the criteria I was told I needed, I was then told (by the same front desk employees who gave me the previous guidelines) that these guidelines weren’t correct and that I didn’t have what I needed to get my membership. I have no problems with the guidelines in place, but when these guidelines are not known by the staff who should be trained to know such information, it has only led to me wasting my time and effort. I was willing to follow the guidelines and pay the membership fee, but after returning the third time and leaving without a membership I have realized I’m just wasting my time here. The staff essentially told me that what I was told before wasn’t correct for the second time, including the membership cost (which the first two times was told it was $ 82, but a week later I’m being told I’ll have to pay $ 144 for the quarter).

If you’ve lived, worked, or accidentally gotten lost on OSU’s campus you’ve inevitably heard about the RPAC. It’s OSU’s behemoth of a gym with everything you could possibly need (and tons of things you don’t need) in it.
Anyone near OSU will prattle on about the basics of the RPAC: it’s big, state-​of-​the-​art, shitloads of glass, blah blah blah.
I’m here to give you some practical information. Call it’s Amanda B.‘s Practical Guide to Surviving the RPAC:
1) The RPAC has a lot of bros. Bros get in the way, they hog squat racks doing things that do not require a squat rack, and none seem to have mastered the art of re-​racking their weights. If you see a bro, do not make eye contact. Do not initiate conversation. Headphones are advised to deflect any attempt by a bro to talk to you.
2) On that note, the best time to go to the RPAC is anytime before 11am. This is when the bros are still asleep. It is also when the place is most empty in general. If you are not able to make it before 11am, I advise you to avoid going between the hours of 5 and 8pm AT ALL COSTS. This is when the place gets so full that your chances of finding a machine (or a spare free weight) are basically nil.
3) Don’t expect much from the gym employees, as most of them seem to be fairly unmotivated students. Periodically they’ll go around telling people to take their bags off the floor, but that’s just about all I ever see them do. I’ve tried a few times to get them to show me where a particular piece of equipment is, but haven’t had much luck. They’ll leave you alone but they aren’t going to give you much customer service.
4) Locks are available at the sport shop by the locker rooms. If you have stuff with you, get a lock and use it. Or don’t complain when your ish gets stolen.
5) Try something out of your norm. There are pools, boxing bags, shitloads of cardio machines, anything you could possibly want. If you go there just to hop on an elliptical machine and nothing else, you’re wasting your time and money.
(On that note, if you are a woman, you should try the weight room. I could use some female company in there.)
6) The fitness classes are cheap (I think $ 5 a class?), so it’s worth trying a few. I’ve done spinning, yoga, pilates, and zumba there. The quality of the instructors vary, but if you don’t like one you can always try a different one, there are a ton of times and options to choose from.
7) Use basic gym manners. Rerack your weights. Don’t grunt unless you’re actually lifting a significant amount of weight. Same goes for throwing your weights down on the floor after a lift. Don’t hog the cardio machines for ridiculous amounts of time, especially if there is a line. If you want to run a marathon, go outside to do it. If you’re swimming, share your lane with someone and pay attention to the lane speeds. If you’re confused about what is/​is not appropriate, just ask someone who looks like they know what they’re doing.
Overall, I think I’d personally prefer a smaller and less crowded gym, even if it didn’t have all the state of the art stuff. The RPAC is pretty to look at but often difficult to use. But since I’m paying for it regardless, I’m making the best of it. And in all fairness, the RPAC has great equipment and a lot to offer if you’re willing to be a bit flexible or wait for some of the more popular areas.

I’m surprised at all the four stars for this facility, despite the glowing reviews.
I’ve never been in a place like this. My exercising consisted of running at a beautiful park in my old city. I’d put on a podcast to keep my mind off running (I have a love/​hate relationship with running) and go.
My husband and I decided to try the RPAC since our student fees cover membership. We went into the «Cardio canyon,» because we were too dazed by the size of the place to really explore yet.
So we descended into the canyon, deciding to give running a break in favor of the recumbent bikes. They were a little daunting to me; I’ve never used any form of exercise equipment, so trying to figure out what program to use was an interesting button-​pressing adventure. The machine asked for my weight, which I guessed at, and even monitored my heart rate as I pedaled. It was definitely something to get used to (the program I selected alternated between extreme resistance and none at all), but I definitely felt the workout. I realized with excitement that I can bring books here and study while I walk or bike.
Although I don’t see myself utilizing all the gym’s features (I’m no weight lifter), I love the variety. This seems like such a state of the art facility and despite the huge population of students and staff, didn’t seem at all crowded.
I think this place will be an awesome option for us to stay active, especially in the winter months when running outdoors is less feasible.

As far as college gyms goes, this one may be one of the best. Let me just highlight some of the best parts:
–Boxing bags
–Ping pong tables
–Badmitton
–Exercise classes
–A LOT of basketball courts
–Cardio canyon (aka a lot of cardio machines)
–Huge weight room area
–MTV cardio area (less busy then cardio canyon)
–Olympic size pool
–Kiddie pool area (yes, where college kids can play too)
–Lap Pool
–Saunas
–Indoor track
–Plenty of space to plop down and people watch
–Café and smoothies
–Plenty of lockers
Welp, I do love this place. It fluctuates depending on time of day and if school is in session about how busy it is, but I have never had a problem not getting on a machine I wanted to use. So whether you are a student, faculty member, staff, or a visitor this is definitely a place to check out for the newest (and cleanliest) gyms!

«Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah» is what I hear when I enter the doors of the RPAC. This majestic, airport gym makes me proud to be an OSU student, even if it is sucking $ 80 out of my wallet every quarter.
The new updated Lounge offers free pizza one day a week sponsored by Donato’s during Fall, Winter, and Spring Qtrs. Can’t beat that while you play a game of pool or Wii! (At a gym? Seriously?! Score!)
Another bonus? The huge locker rooms! I never have a problem getting a day locker, and will hopefully win the locker lottery so I don’t have to lug my stuff around!
Between the pool, hot tub, and sauna– I can mix up my workouts sans running the track or hitting the machines.
I have to admit though, I’m usually terrified or embarrased to enter the huge weight lifting area. Arnold Schwarzenegger men scare the ba-​jeebees outta me!
Post workout grab a smoothie or even if you are searching for a good lunch with friends, can’t go wrong with Courtside! It’s my favorite place to eat on campus!
–1 star for having to pay $ 50/​qtr for the fitness classes. I’m so busy during the day I could never make any of the times! I know this is probably cheap compared to real life gym/​class rates, but, hey… I’m poor and in college.

Right off the bat I want to note that the above hours for the RPAC are their hours while students are in classes. The weeks between quarters and during holidays are not usually as accomodating.
But wow, this gym is awesome. I was a student during the days of Larkins, the old fitness building, then I remember when the first phase of the RPAC opened up. It was beautiful, especially when you compared it to Larkins — it was decrepit, smelly, cold and it was like a maze in there sometimes. I always felt like I could get lost somewhere down there and no one would ever find me because my cell phone got no reception in there at all. *shudders* Working out at Larkins was like punishing yourself for wanting to get off your butt and work out.
Then along comes the RPAC, all bright, shiny and new, and it made you actually want to work out. People who never worked out a day in their lives were suddenly coming up with excuses to go to the gym. And there were other reasons to go there besides exercise. There was the Courtside Café: right inside the door you could have a seat at this little café and eat snacks and sandwiches, like their peanut butter and banana with granola sandwich. That thing was huge, yummy, and so filling that I got 3 meals out of it.
There was also the Juice Bar, where you could get smoothies, coffee, teas, etc. There was also a little shop downstairs where you could buy Powerbars and things like that.
If you felt like getting semi-​active, you could change into your bathing suit and hit the recreational pool. Seriously, free awesome swimming pool on campus. Greatest thing ever. There was a little part of the pool that looked like a hot tub but wasn’t, unfortunately. And half the pool was roped off for those who wanted to swim laps. But it was big enough to go and play around.
The locker rooms were also nice, had plenty of space, but you had to pay to use the lockers. I really liked the private bathrooms. They have like two or three of them, close to where the pool is, and if you’re lucky enough to snag one, you have a whole bathroom (that you lock) to yourself. This includes a toilet, sink, shower and sitting area.
There was also a daycare center in there so people could leave their kids in there to play and watch cartoons while they did their thing. I should also mention that there were 2 gyms where you could play basketball and volleyball and stuff like that. I remember that while I was there, and not too long after the RPAC opened, the gym on the lower floor flooded and was shut down for a while because they had to redo it. But I’m sure it’s back to normal by now.
I loved the second floor cardio area and used to live on the EFX machines and the treadmills. There was a whole canyon of them downstairs, but that was too crowded for my taste. Plus I liked the upstairs because you could see out the glass walls to the outside and it was so bright and cheery up there from all the sunshine coming through. They had TVs mounted from the ceiling in front of the exercise equipment so you had something to look at, but the sound wasn’t very loud and you couldn’t hear the TV. They usually had the TVs playing mtvU — the college MTV channel. I always just brought my iPod and listened to that.
There was usually plenty of machines to go around, but sometimes you had to wait. I can’t really say when the busy hours were, but I remember them being something around noon and 5 – 6 pm during the weekdays. I tried to go at odd times and hardly ever had a problem getting right on a machine.
There was a huge weight room downstairs, but I never went there to work out, although I would have liked to. It was usually full of guys who looked like they were taking lifting weights too seriously, and I didn’t really want to go in there and show off that lifting 50 pounds with my weak lady arms is a struggle for me. Just a bit intimidating.
There were all kinds of classrooms in the RPAC, and I had a few classes in there, like Women’s Self Defense. I know that they also hosted martial arts and yoga classes.
I almost forgot to mention the running track upstairs. That was awesome. It was at the highest point in the buidling, and when you were up there looking over the railing you could see down through the RPAC. It is such a pretty building.
Too bad I only got to use it for part of my college career. Back then my loans were paying for my reduced membership. But now that I’m out of school? I don’t think I’m even eligible to join, but even if I was, I can’t afford it. It’s so expensive, but I think you have to be a staff member or grad student or something to purchase a membership outside of undergrad school. That sucks, because I would love to work out here again. If you are able to get a membership, try it out. It’s the best gym I’ve ever worked out in and I miss it!

When I lived in Columbus and was a staff member/​grad student at OSU, I belonged to RPAC. Amazing is the best way to describe it. Pools, cardio, weights, raquetball and more abound at RPAC. My membership was $ 32/​month (staff rate) and I had automatic withdrawal from my checking account each month which was very convenient.
I actually prefer the second level cardio zone as opposed to Cardio Canyon… less noisy and without as many annoying people. Cardio Canyon is fine though and is lined with wall to wall TVs which show everything from the news to ESPN to MTV. The one thing about the TVs I didn’t like was that there were no boxes on the machines to plug headphones into so you could hear sound (my current gym has them and they rock!).
Of course since it is on the Ohio State campus, at times RPAC oozes with freshmen girls who travel in packs determined to not gain the freshmen 15 and who want 12 machines all in a row; meatheads; and the occasional creepy older faculty member. A great gym and recreational center nevertheless and much much better than its Larkins Hall predecessor!

I rejoiced for 12 straight months when the old, grimy Larkins Hall was torn down and the new, state-​of-​the-​art RPAC was built.
Cardio Canyon was my home away from home. I studied while on the ARC trainer, ate while on the EFX, and napped while on the recumbent bike.
Then my inner social side got the best/​worst of me and my workouts consisted of 2-​hour chatfests with friends, employees, faculty, strangers, weirdos. I saw the numbers on the scales creeping up and bawled like a baby. After three days of binge eating, I signed my fat 5’4.5″ 120lb frame for a new membership at the gym right down the street from my place.
So long, RPAC! Thanks for the memories… and the fancy-​schmancy swimming pools I never used.
(Please, no sending eating disorder surveys to my mailbox.)