Chapman University

Chapman University

Orange, CA

MISSION

Chapman University Fitness and Recreation enhances the student experience by promoting healthy lifestyles and creating opportunities for social interaction and community. Fitness and Recreation manages three facilities on campus and coordinates programs, events, and services on campus and throughout Southern California.

DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY

In 2018, the Chapman Student Government Association and university administrators began an effort to expand and enhance campus fitness and recreation facilities. Students reported the existing Argyros Fitness Center was too crowded and proposed adding a facility space dedicated to functional fitness, group exercise and interval training.

Chapman University collaborated with Advanced Exercise and Aday Architects to design a comprehensive facility that could function as the campus hub of fitness, recreation and holistic wellness. The result is a facility that maximizes space with a variety of equipment that appeals to the student base of novice to advanced exercisers — creating functional space, multi-purposed space and flexible equipment options.

On September 18, 2019, Fitness and Recreation opened the new 6,000-square-foot Henley Hall Fitness Center, with a variety of features including:

• 800-square-foot multipurpose group fitness room
• 475-square-foot Spin studio
• 100-square-foot guest consultation office
• 4,000-square-foot main floor with four training zones:
  • Cardio
  • Heavy lifting
  • Strength
  • Open interval training

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

• Group X: There are 35 free Group X sessions per-week led by student employees: Spin, yoga, Zumba, HIIT, kickboxing, Pilates and barre.
• Fitness and Recreation Programs: There are an average of five programs per-month on and off campus, including outdoor yoga, hiking, sports tournaments and kayaking. Events are free or discounted for students.
• Chapman Fitness Challenge: A monthly fitness and wellness incentive program. Students visit facilities and participate in programs to earn prizes such as sports gear and fitness trackers.

FUN FACTS

• Multipurpose group fitness room includes the BALAZS Ultra Trak Heavy Bag System, TRX mounts and a variety of group exercise equipment.
• The Spin studio has 17 Life Fitness IC6 Indoor Cycle Bikes with Coach by Color, allowing users to work out based on their personal functional threshold of power.
• Fitness On Demand is available in the Spin studio and group fitness room, providing instant streaming of hundreds of premium fitness classes using a touch screen kiosk.
• The BALAZS Ultra Trak in the group fitness room is a customized, retractable heavy bag system for small group training bag classes which moves the boxing bags in and out of the space safely using a pneumatic system.
• The Color Wheel LED lighting controls in the group fitness room and Spin studio allow Group X leaders to customize the lighting for a dynamic atmosphere.
• Chapman was one of the first locations to install the Life Fitness SYNRGY180 system — a compact piece of equipment that also doubles as a storage unit for a variety of equipment.
• The “showcase piece” near the facility entrance is the SYNRGY360, which creates fitness experiences for a diverse audience of exercisers.
• The rubber flooring throughout the main floor can accommodate all the machines, bodyweight movements and Olympic lifting safely with force reduction, energy restitution and acoustics.
• The guest services desk offers free recreation and sports equipment.
• Fall 2019 Usage:
  • 19,771 student facility visits
  • 974 Group X check-ins — Spin studio: 167; group fitness room: 807
  • 722 Fitness On Demand workouts — Spin: 426; group fitness: 296
  • 670 submitted fitness challenge cards
  • 110 sports equipment checkouts
• Student Employment Opportunities
  • Fitness and Recreation employs 80 students including graduate assistants, Group X leaders, rock wall assistants, guest relations staff and programming assistants.