University of Arizona Campus Recreation Center

I started coming to the Rec a million and a half years ago when I was an undergrad. Now, I’m staff here at the UA and I know how far this place has come.
POSITIVES:
* Clean
* Well-​attended (lots of staff)
* Very modern
* Has every imaginable machine or device (it has two or three of them usually)
* Private staff & faculty gym time from 11a — 2p & 4p — 7p in the Smart Moves Studio (I just found out about this! No more waiting in line for machines during peak hours!!)
* TONS of space (gyms, weight rooms, pool, etc)
* Fuel Eatery (not a bad post-​workout smoothie stop)
* UA Gear store
* Small daily lockers in the weight room so you don’t have to rent a locker
* Lots of energy
* Big Ass Fans keep the air moving comfortably
* Informative website:
* Free towels & gym equipment (those these aren’t in the same place)
* Reasonable prices
* Massages available
* Every class imaginable available
* Closed circuit gym cam so you can see how crowded it is before you go
NEGATIVES:
* I wish the gym opened a little earlier (even an hour). Normally opens at 6am, which is great but 5am would give me more time to work out before leaving for work. Also, then it would alleviate the giant mass of people trying to all cram in the doors at 6am every morning. Seriously, it’s a smallish Black Friday trying to get in the doors every morning (I might be exaggerating slightly but it’s still not fun)
* Sometimes the computerized entrance (finger-​print) gates don’t work. It’s a total question mark whether they’ll work when you walk up
* I will never understand why they made the entrance on the north of the building and all the parking is on the south. Especially when it’s dark and cold — that’s a long walk for a single woman
* The locker room is functional but could definitely use an update
* Lots of bros (nothing to be done about that — they go to school here and we can’t build them their own gym)
* No daycare (just saying it would be nice but probably not logical)
Personally, this is one of my favorite gyms but I’m very selective about my timing because it is so popular (especially at the beginning of the year).

The main recreation center is in line with the reputation of the University of Arizona. State-​of-​the-​arc facility that includes an ample amount of cardio equipment: elliptical, arc trainers, treadmills, recumbent bikes, stationary bikes, stair masters, and row machines. The facility includes two separate basketball gymnasiums with a total of five basketball courts. Four racquetball courts, an Olympic swimming pool, a massage station, outdoor volleyball, pool and ping pong tables, and so much more!
The reason it doesn’t deserve the maximum five stars is because much of the equipment to work out the body are outdated. All the cardio equipment is up-​to-​date and I don’t know why there is inconsistency with some of the other machines. Regardless, this is a center that can match any fitness goal and cater to different needs and interests. Plenty of exercise classes to choose from!
If you are the general public, then you won’t be able to call this your gym. I’m sure if that was the case, thousands of more people would want to work out here. As for the students, alumnus, and employees of the UA, get the most out of your association with the University and commit to fitness at the center!

Criteria for free summer access:
Graduate student? — Yes
Taking summer classes? — Yes
Access denied
Medical student? — Yes
1^st or 2^nd year? — Yes
Access denied
Medical student? — Yes
3^rd or 4^th year? — Yes
Access granted (we have a winner!)

My son plays on a Basket Ball team thru USA youth sports, this is one of the locations where the games are held and by far our favorite. Why? I dont know where to start! This rec center is awesome, its huge, Modern, CLEAN, we dont really have interactions with the staff, we just walk in past the front desk, there is an area where members have to scan their card, we go in thru the adj walk thru area… You would think we would get questioned, but we never have. These people have common sense, and they know what we are there for and dont feel the need to single out people and be rude to potential members, those of us that are going either to play, coach or watch we are generally not in the work out garb commonly worn by the Rec center members. This gym has a U of A store, they sell the cutest stuff thats not sold at the UofA store at the at the Tucson Mall, Fan gear, adorb work out gear, nike shoes in Colors Galore, the staff is … Informative, i asked if they had more elite socks in stock (they only had 1 color) most people would say «no, only whats on the floor, sorreeee) oh no not here!!! She said in a genuine voice (my fave) something like «o know we only have one style, im sorry but we are getting more stuff, we just put in an order for the Fall season so gives about a month we ordered a variety of Elite socks»
They have juice bar, like a diner but in a healthy version, they sell wraps, waters, smoothies frozen yogurt. There is a full service spa, i dont remember the prices but it is inexpensive, you dont have to be a member, i doubt its run by students in training… Its the U of A not Aveeda lol. For members there is a study area with HUGE Apple monitors. The place is two levels (maybe more in other unseen areas) there is a hugemongous Gym with state of art equipment. Equipment rental, small windows service shop and a store, selling renting, from raquetball balls to Kayaks. There is indoor (in tucson where 115 degree summers is the norm, its a must have) raquetball /​hand ball courts, volleyball courts. Alot of them, empty ones so obviously its not overcrowded. Theres alot of studios in the second floor, with wood floors, the calendars on the doors show many different classes, yoga, pilates, ballet, zumba, spin, some studios had equipment like weight balls, exercise balls, bars, one room, and also by the gym, there is this contraption i had never seen, its like ropes Hanging from a horizontal wood beam (very 50 shades … Of flexibility and fitness…) i asked what its for and its used for stretching, workouts, different things by diff people, i asked a girl, i dont think she really knew or she just doesnt know how to explain things, my 11&12 yr are better at explaining things when they were 6, compared to her. Moving on, they have a very very very tall and big rock climbing thing in the courtyard. There is two gyms, the bigger one has a running track in the upper level … Its like the gym is a courtyard, high cielings, open, the track goes around it in the upper level, parts of the track are visible from the gym, the runners have their privacy.
They have vending machines, a Naked juice vending machine is one of them.
The water fountains are Epic!!! So if your water bottle is empty, you can refill it at the water fountain, theres a section (like the H20 gallon machines where you put the 5gallon and water flows into the opening, like that but mini…, water bottle size) and its purified cold water !!! Not yucky RECLAIMED water. Last but not least, a huge pool, laps, diving board, zero beach entry (something like that) and many, mucho a lot of lounge chairs. Today was suppose to be the last game but USA youth isnt exactly organized, they are nice… they give in to whiny coaches which means more games for us !! Yay!
Next time i go to the rec center i will take a picture of the U of A EPIC Purified H20 refill station for water bottle size containers and Drinking Fountain combo! Congratulations to my 11yr baby, Damian and his team the Wildcats on their win today against a girls team, they were older and bigger, they scores 2 pts maybe 4. And we scores ALOT, so much that they stopped taking score, our boys needed the uplift from losing their first game, we had like 13 pts and the other team had a lot, score taking ceases. Oir boys did well this season, our team moved up to the 11 – 13 bracket this season, we have a 10yr old, my baby turned 11 in March, 3 other boys are 11, and one is 13. The kids they played this season were closer to 13 going on 14. Ill post a picture for size comparison. Until next time ! Bear Down my fellow Unilocalers!!!
Angela Palacios

ThIs place is excellent. I haven’t been to many college rec centers, but its huge. They have an Olympic pool, 2 basketball courts, indoor and outdoor volleyball, an indoor track, plenty of different varieties of cardio equipment, towel service, large free weight section, and a couple types of nautilus machines. Several classroom spaces and a stretch area. Huge locker rooms with plenty of day lockers. It’s $ 8 for a day pass if you are visiting from out of town. Of the ones I’ve seen, its the best rec center.

I come here to swim so this reveiw is for the pool and associated facilities only.
The reception staff is very friendly and efficient, and the pool itself is VERY impressive. Plenty of lanes, but sometimes the water polo team has practice, eliminating 5 or so lanes.
I only have one complaint: when they remodeled this facility a few years ago they didn’t touch the locker rooms. State of the art everything else, but the locker rooms remind me of a jr. high school or (what I envision would look like) a prison.

Love it … dont love it when its crowded. otherwise cant complain my tuition pays for the rec. might as well use it!

Have been working out here (almost) everyday: D. It is a big enough place where if some machine or equipment is occupied, there are many other stations you could do while waiting for people to be done. There are many young men and women here (some of which I believe are VERY good looking; but you know, see see no touch — dang it, right? Unless…) Anyway, I signed up for the group fitness classes here, too, for summer II and those classes are great. From Spinning and Zumba, to Core and Yoga; there is bound to be something for everyone. I really love the Anusara Inspired Yoga — it’s very soothing and it targets muscles which I never knew (well maybe Anatomy class grazed over it) existed and it stretches and wakens it. It is awesome to me. Most of the time, when I come in the afternoon/​evening times, there are a lot of people so choose your time wisely. If you want a particular machine, come earlier when no one is awake yet. :D But overall, this is very convenient for students, faculty and other members! There are so many little kids here for camp and swimming; so adorable.
All in all, if you want a place to work out and you go to school here (if not, you can be an alumni or know someone who goes here to get a great deal [so I’ve heard]) then why not use it? You pay for it in your tuition ANYWAY! :D
See you guys around!

Sure, this place has a nice facility, but it heavily discriminates against people who truly value exercising to the best of their abilities, pushing themselves to the limits, and optimizing the most results out of their time in the gym. A.) They do not allow chalk. Hands often get very sweaty which do not allow you to carry the weight you need for certain exercises like dead lifts. B.) No gym bags allowed in the weight room. I often carry things I need with my in that gym bag such as water bottles protein, wrist wraps, gymnastic rings, chalk, etc. C.) The red shirted weight room staff often (not always, I’ve met some cool folks part of the staff) have this superiority complex. The first time I used chalk, one of the staff members told me to clean it up as if I worked there. Out of courtesy I did, but that guy is employed for a reason, to work! This is definitely your typical «bro» gym (Biceps curls and bench anyone). It would be a good gym if they didn’t have these absurd rules, but in conclusion it is a terrible gym, and a waste of a good facility and equipment.
While I’m not specifically a cross fit guy, I hope the cross fit boom influences this place to be developed into a more work oriented environment. The bench and bicep guys can continue to look at themselves in the mirror, and the serious trainees can get a good work out in. Everyone is happy.
So if your goal is to fool yourself by pretending you are working out and instead spend hours of doing your hair and make up for a night of chit chatting and staring at yourself in the mirror, this is the gym for you.

Yes, it gets packed in the evenings. However, I’ve never had a problem getting a workout in. There is more than enough room to accommodate the crowds. The building is gorgeous and the equipment is new. There is a constant presence of «bros» and their female counterpart but, again, not a problem.
I really enjoy the wide-​array of classes offered here as well. I have yet to buy the fitness pass, but when I feel so inclined, I get a one time «a la carte» pass for $ 7. I do believe prices are higher for non-​students. Their spinning classes are awesome!
I recently moved closer to campus and dropped my membership at the UMC gym and I have yet to regret it.

Fantastic facility. Two floors of top of the line equipment and classes pretty much every hour of the day.
There’s just one teensy little thing that bothers me – I always feel like I’m the only one panting and sweating. It could be that I’m a bit out of shape, but god I look around and I just see all these teeny tiny little college girls walking around without a single sweat stain. What’s the secret? Am I doing something wrong?
Whatever the reason is, I still think the rec center is a fantastic way to get your recommended exercise in while also getting to do the best people-​watching in town. Do you think anyone would notice if I grabbed a lawn chair and sat down with a bag of popcorn and just observed for a day? In my time at the rec I think i’ve seen 3 break ups, 20+ confessions of feelings and endless amounts of shameless flirting.
Exercise and people-​watching, does it get any better?

alright. i figured i’d put down all my warm and fuzzy feelings about the UA rec center into words because let’s be real people, i sing its praises on the reg. i even thought it was cool when it WASN’T cool, like, circa, 2007 – 2009. boy, was i in for a major upgrade.
the current rec center is, first and foremost, one of the most beautiful and stunning buildings on campus, not to mention an incredible place to work out in. the innumerable cardio machines (which, sadly, during the school year still fill up but what can you do? i’m not going to fight someone for a cardio machine. haven’t you heard of the ongoing obesity epidemic in this country?) outfitted with their equally innumerable personal TVs, are a huge asset to the already burgeoning space. weights, free weights, weight machines, boys lifting those weights in all manner of positions, girls trying to lift those weights or simply pretending to in order to impress said boys… the rec center seriously has it all.
now, don’t get me wrong, most students treat it as a place to see and be seen. it is not a rare occurrence to see a fully made-​up, coiffed and styled sorority lemming, but let me be clear on this point: it is only this kind of place if that is the kind of place you want it to be, and therefore make it. when i go, i plug my ipod in, put my headphones on, and tune the rest of the world out. if there is a zone, you will find me in it. and that zone is a people-​watching rich environment. so, the point is people, if you don’t want to see and be seen at the rec center, than don’t. it’s easy to blend. and that way you can watch all the other shmees and barbies do their thing while you’re probably listening to better music anyways.
p. s. the aforementioned people can also serve as inspiration. or perhaps infuriation. whatever. the end result is more energy to do what you came there to do: become toned, tan, fit and ready. obvi.
caveat: when i say good for kids below i mean during the summer because A Camp is the jam. harkens back to my own younger days as a munchkin even…

Wow. This rec center is amazing and definitely the best gym/​rec center I have ever been to. It features a new multi-​million dollar gym area, A huge swimming pool (heated) and lots of chairs for sun bathers. Approximately 8 – 10 racquetball courts, huge locker rooms for both genders, many dance rooms located upstairs and downstairs, and indoor track, sand volleyball, a pro shop, and 6 basketball courts (one of those can be converted into indoor soccer)! For some reason the tutoring center and a restaurant is here as well but I’ve never been to either of those places.
The new gym is definitely the highlight of this rec-​center. It is 2 stories with hundreds of machines. The atmosphere is very nice, it is extremely clean, there is music playing, and there are a lot of TVs around to keep your eyes busy. So many TVs that in fact each treadmill, elliptical, and bicycle has its own LCD TV that you control yourself. The free weights area is pretty large and is clearly defined and upstairs has a lot of mats for floor exercises. You can check out medicine balls and exercise balls from the staff. With water fountains located conveniently throughout the entire rec center to keep you hydrated this place has everything! I highly doubt you can find a workout that is missing from this gym.
Parking is rarely an easy thing to do because the parking lots can get extremely full sometimes but the worst case scenario is that you park in the back of the lot.
At the beginning of each semester when everyone is in «workout» mode there tends to be waits for various machines in the gym. Most notably the treadmills, elliptical machines, and sometimes the free weights area gets ridiculously packed. Also on extremely busy nights the basketball wait can take an extremely long time, I remember waiting almost an hour once to play 1 game. The reason for this is because various clubs and groups (karate, badminton, volleyball, etc) will rent out 1 or 2 of these courts which narrows down the 5 basketball courts that are used down to 3 and some nights I’ve seen it come down to 2.
Another downside is that the rec center is only available to students, alumni, faculty or guests of any of those people. So if you don’t know a single University of Arizona person, it might be hard for you to get a membership here but if you do its definitely the best deal in town.
In my opinion the best thing about the UA rec is the basketball scene there. It is definitely has the best pick up basketball in the State of Arizona. 5 courts are usually running full 5 on 5 games on weeknights and on weekends that number usually falls to about 3 or 4. Even then that is still a lot of chances for you to get a good game of basketball in. You don’t have to bring your own basketballs either because you can check one out at the rec center.
Overall, the UA rec is just plain amazing its hard to describe how large it actually is when you are inside of it and with so much to do you’ll never get bored here. It has an awesome atmosphere with a great staff that is very helpful. I would highly recommend anyone get a membership here if possible, I promise you will never regret it!
p. s. This place closes at midnight now, which compared to last year’s 10pm close makes the rec center that much better.

Love running at the rec, I’m in there almost every day running the track. I’d much rather run inside and this is the perfect place. The remodel is beautiful! The place is so clean and everybody has general respect for everyone. People leave their belongings around the track and I’ve never heard of anything being stolen. I don’t usually make my way in to the machine based rooms but I’ve toured the place and it’s great! If you’re a student or connected to the UA in some way this is the best place in Tucson to get your sweat on.

It’s not just for students! Alumni can join as well, my parents went through the hassle and found it well worth it.
The new ‘Rec’ is awesome, plenty more equipment as well as a restaurant (fuel, it’s called). It’s LEED certified platinum (yay for sustainability). The new rec is not meant to just be a gym but a place to study and hang out, promoting that healthy active lifestyle I never seem to achieve.
Crowds, ok yes being the UA gym it can get packed but opening to about 9am is pretty tolerable as well as 9−10pm. Be prepared to ask some of the meatheads if you can work into a machine, cus some can bench press all day long… Also there will be bad form almost everywhere you look, but hey at least they are trying.

So you have to be a student to get a membership here, or family of staff, or a student or staff can sponsor you. Once you jump through those hurdles, you are getting the best deal in town, hands down. They just remodeled and the facility is gorgeous. They have the newest and best equipment, no cost was spared here. Each cardio machine has it’s own television and there are two levels so it doesn’t get too crowded. Parking can be a drag. There is a lot next door that is free early mornings and after 5. There is also metered parking out back. I can usually find a metered spot most times of the day. The other hassle is the students (I know it sucks, but it is their gym). No offense of course. Most are fine, but come around 7 an evening and you will have to watch every meat head troll the bottom level while every scantily clad co-​ed pretends to work out. I am fine with their mating rituals, but I would prefer it was done in a place where I do not work out.