Students looking for a workout at the University Recreation Center this semester are likely to find new equipment.

Over the summer, officials replaced broken equipment and hired new instructors for group exercise classes in response to a user survey done in the spring.

The new equipment includes dumbbells, stretching bands, medicine balls, kettlebells and a new multi-gym unit in the weight room.

It is also adding interactive informational screens displaying ads and schedules for upcoming exercise classes.  

“As part of our assessment process, every year we’ll do our general campus recreation survey to reach out to the TCU student body; as well as faculty, staff, and also community and alumni members,” said Jay Iorizzo, director of Campus Recreation.

He said the information from the surveys allow the rec center to “take away things we’re doing well” and “things we can certainly approve on.”

The survey informed the rec center of problems with available equipment.

“A common thing was that we wish there was more availability of machines,” Iorizzo said.

Available equipment can be hard to find during the facility’s busiest hours, 3-7 p.m.

“There’s sometimes, like in the afternoons, when it’s really crowded,” said Jake Siegert, a senior entrepreneurial management major. “But I think that’s just when a lot of people are free.”

Sophomore Grace Lamb said she usually has trouble finding open StairMasters, one of the most popular machines.

“There’s only four of them,” said Lamb, who’s a pre-business major. “I typically come at pretty popular times, right after class in the afternoons, so usually a lot of the machines are taken.”

Some students said they schedule their workouts at other times in the day in order to avoid the high traffic.

Andrea Baumann, a sophomore strategic communication major, said she usually works out late at night when the facility is not busy.

The shortage of available machines is also a result of broken equipment.

“Due to a high demand and high traffic, [StairMasters] take a lot of use. So, therefore, we do see minor repairs that are more frequently needed on those pieces than some other pieces,” Iorizzo said.

The rec center has a maintenance company that repairs broken machines on a regular basis.

When the rec center first opened in 2003, there was only one StairMaster. Student Government Association purchased two additional StairMasters due to the popularity of the machines.

The facility is looking into purchasing more StairMaster machines, and even some from other brands, Iorizzo said.