Wilson, sounds pretty cool. If you are going to be here with your track team, then you will probably be training on campus. But if you want a gym, it depends on what you’re looking for. Josh suggested Gainesville Health and Fitness. I avoid that place like the plague. It’s one of those overpriced “health clubs.” Yes, it has everything you can imagine, but why pay for all the extras if you’re only interested in the basics. Anyway, I go to the most hardcore of gyms, The Gainesville Gym. It’s dirty, smelly, and only has free weights and a few machines. It’s big, you don’t wait in line, and it’s cheap! So tell me what you’re looking for. If you’re going to be competing at UF, you will most likely have access to their stuff.
Thanks alot to both of you for taking the time to help out. We were there for a week last year and because the UF Football team was having spring ball we had extremely limited access to the athletic center. We did go to one of the rec centers (sand volleyball courts out front) and they let us in after a little hassle but when we tried to get into the actual weightroom we couldn’t because we didn’t have a towel! The didn’t sell or loan them so we had to leave.
We did two lifting sessions at a gym in Gainsville that was pretty basic. Two floors with squat racks upstairs and bikes and a olympic lifting area in the corner downstairs. We’re not very picky about the gym as long as it has squat racks and they will let us do snatches and cleans. I liked Gainsville alot when we went last year. It seems like a fun college town.
Wilson, so you experienced the SW rec center. I went there once when I was a student. But after dealing with all their rules (no tank tops, must bring a towel, and must use clips on weights), I never went back!! They are a bunch of dicks about that stuff.
If you want to do cleans, snatches, jerks, squats, etc, you can go to The Gainesville Gym. I think that is the ONLY place that will let you do that. That is where a few of my friends train. They have one, old, platform in the back. It’s not in great shape, but it serves its purpose. But you will need to bring your own bumper plates. There are some back there, but they belong to my friends and are always locked up.
And there are plenty of places to do squats, so don’t worry about that. Besides, most people are afraid to do real squats. Most college guys just work chest and arms and skip legs! And yes, Gainesville is a fun town! The college really keeps this place alive.
Nate and Josh,
We’ll just look it up in the phone book if necessary, but could you give me the intersections or addresses for the Gainsville Gym and Gainsville Health and Fitness? Thanks alot.
Wilson, GHF is located on Newberry Road. It’s pretty big, so it’s not hard to find. If you are at UF and going to the gym from there, you would head west on University Avenue. It becomes Newberry Road after a certain point. It’s going to be toward the Oaks mall. I don’t have the address off hand. As for the Gainesville Gym, it’s located closer to downtown off of University Avenue and NW 6th Street. The address is 201 NW 6th Street. If you are headed East on University Avenue, you can see it from the road. It’s on the left near the railroad tracks. Hook it up!
Thanks Nate, your help is much appreciated.
Nate Dogg I agree that all the rules and the crowds at the SW Rec Center suck, but it’s free for college students, fairly close to where I live, and most importantly hot chicks are everywhere. I’ve been to Gainesville Gym before but it just seems a little depressing.
Greg, yes, it can be depressing. There are so few women that work out at the Gainesville Gym. But the few that do are pretty hot. And sometimes it’s so dark, dirty and smelly that it does depress me. But I’ve been going there for years. So I’m used to it.
I must admit. Free is a good thing, but Gainesville Gym is so cheap, that it’s not a problem. And the Rec Center doesn’t run out of it’s supply of beautiful girls. No doubt about it. In fact, I enjoy running stadiums a couple times a week and checking out the scenary. And the scenary is unbelievable! 
Wilson-Nate is right, GHFC is pricy, but more than likely they will let you work out for free if you call ahead. I used to work at the SW rec on UF campus and they have a 120 person limit at peak time and you have to have a towel. I also worked at GHFC for 8 years, and GHFC can handle over 1000 without the same density as the SW rec. Regardless, gainesville gym is cool. If you want to do nothing but harcore free weight lifting, hit gainesville gym or GHFC at non peak hours and you can lift as much as you want without interuption. Hell, youre in town for a week, try them both, they are the best two in town.
Have Fun,
JoshM