What are the best workout places in Waco? My grandson is a freshman and loves Baylor and the area but is disappointed in what is available for keeping fit. So far he says that Crunch Fitness is the best he has found but says that it is also lacking.

BearsFan said:

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What are the best workout places in Waco? My grandson is a freshman and loves Baylor and the area but is disappointed in what is available for keeping fit. So far he says that Crunch Fitness is the best he has found but says that it is also lacking.

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My son is a senior and is a bit of a workout fanatic. He goes daily to Gold's Gym, which just got purchased by the local Waco fitness company I believe. But he has been really happy with it.

cowboycwr said:

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IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

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Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

Redbrickbear said:

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cowboycwr said:

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IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

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Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

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its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

T-REX said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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cowboycwr said:

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IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

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Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

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its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

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That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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cowboycwr said:

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IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

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wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

T-REX said:

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cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

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Redbrickbear said:

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cowboycwr said:

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IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

---

wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

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Congrats on taking what I said to the extreme opposite.

No where in your rant did you understand what I said.

I never said anything about not moving the weight in a certain way.

But 10 pounds is always 10 pounds. Whether it is a shiny brand new dumbbell or a rusty one. OR on a machine to move a certain way.

But here is what you missed. ANY workout/lift you do on a machine can be replicated with free weights.

I also missed the part where he said that his son was looking for a place to be a body builder......or reaching peak levels..... or anyone of the rest of your rant.

cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

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cowboycwr said:

---

T-REX said:

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Redbrickbear said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

---

wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

---

Congrats on taking what I said to the extreme opposite.

No where in your rant did you understand what I said.

I never said anything about not moving the weight in a certain way.

But 10 pounds is always 10 pounds. Whether it is a shiny brand new dumbbell or a rusty one. OR on a machine to move a certain way.

But here is what you missed. ANY workout/lift you do on a machine can be replicated with free weights.

I also missed the part where he said that his son was looking for a place to be a body builder......or reaching peak levels..... or anyone of the rest of your rant.

---

good luck replicating a hack squat with free weights. Or a leg press with a squat bar while laying on the ground. The list goes on and on. Weight movements are not 1:1 free weights vs machines. You have an extremely outdated mindset that was squashed by decades of scientific research long ago.

You don't have to be a body builder to want to use good equipment and reap the benefits. There is a laundry list of movements that you cant replicate safely with free weights if replicate even unsafely. Machines arent meant to replace. This isnt sky net man. Machines are tools just like free weights. And again, 10lbs isnt always 10lbs. Hell id bet most gyms in america have weights mislabeled. And rusty ones sure as hell arent the weight they used to be. Thats basic science.

The student wants a better gym to use for a reason whatever that may be. Whatever that reason is, it is clear the slc and any gym he has found in waco so far is not meeting what he wants. Now lets go do some triceps pull downs with free weights!!!

T-REX said:

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cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

T-REX said:

---

Redbrickbear said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

---

wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

---

Congrats on taking what I said to the extreme opposite.

No where in your rant did you understand what I said.

I never said anything about not moving the weight in a certain way.

But 10 pounds is always 10 pounds. Whether it is a shiny brand new dumbbell or a rusty one. OR on a machine to move a certain way.

But here is what you missed. ANY workout/lift you do on a machine can be replicated with free weights.

I also missed the part where he said that his son was looking for a place to be a body builder......or reaching peak levels..... or anyone of the rest of your rant.

---

good luck replicating a hack squat with free weights. Or a leg press with a squat bar while laying on the ground. The list goes on and on. Weight movements are not 1:1 free weights vs machines. You have an extremely outdated mindset that was squashed by decades of scientific research long ago.

You don't have to be a body builder to want to use good equipment and reap the benefits. There is a laundry list of movements that you cant replicate safely with free weights if replicate even unsafely. Machines arent meant to replace. This isnt sky net man. Machines are tools just like free weights. And again, 10lbs isnt always 10lbs. Hell id bet most gyms in america have weights mislabeled. And rusty ones sure as hell arent the weight they used to be. Thats basic science.

The student wants a better gym to use for a reason whatever that may be. Whatever that reason is, it is clear the slc and any gym he has found in waco so far is not meeting what he wants. Now lets go do some triceps pull downs with free weights!!!

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Again taking what I say and missing the point.

I don't have an outdated view on anything. But you fail to understand my point to realize that. You only came here to argue and "prove" someone wrong.

Halo Athletic Center if he wants better equipment and less crowded. It does cost more, but not much. Not sure places in Waco are going to have a bunch of Keizer machines as those are only at the high end performance centers. No gyms here are going to be like the ones in big cities with sushi and shakes

Train Waco is going to a bigger spot soon so that may be an option if he is wanting to go for a bigger powerlifting type gym.

At college age he could do bossy weight exercises and still build a body that catches the female gaze. I miss those days

If he is trying to catch the male gaze then Train Waco :-). This is just a joke that women prefer lean, athletic bodies and guys that build too big are trying to impress other guys

cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

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cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

T-REX said:

---

Redbrickbear said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

---

wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

---

Congrats on taking what I said to the extreme opposite.

No where in your rant did you understand what I said.

I never said anything about not moving the weight in a certain way.

But 10 pounds is always 10 pounds. Whether it is a shiny brand new dumbbell or a rusty one. OR on a machine to move a certain way.

But here is what you missed. ANY workout/lift you do on a machine can be replicated with free weights.

I also missed the part where he said that his son was looking for a place to be a body builder......or reaching peak levels..... or anyone of the rest of your rant.

---

good luck replicating a hack squat with free weights. Or a leg press with a squat bar while laying on the ground. The list goes on and on. Weight movements are not 1:1 free weights vs machines. You have an extremely outdated mindset that was squashed by decades of scientific research long ago.

You don't have to be a body builder to want to use good equipment and reap the benefits. There is a laundry list of movements that you cant replicate safely with free weights if replicate even unsafely. Machines arent meant to replace. This isnt sky net man. Machines are tools just like free weights. And again, 10lbs isnt always 10lbs. Hell id bet most gyms in america have weights mislabeled. And rusty ones sure as hell arent the weight they used to be. Thats basic science.

The student wants a better gym to use for a reason whatever that may be. Whatever that reason is, it is clear the slc and any gym he has found in waco so far is not meeting what he wants. Now lets go do some triceps pull downs with free weights!!!

---

Again taking what I say and missing the point.

I don't have an outdated view on anything. But you fail to understand my point to realize that. You only came here to argue and "prove" someone wrong.

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u proved yourself wrong. I just participated

Localbear said:

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Halo Athletic Center if he wants better equipment and less crowded. It does cost more, but not much. Not sure places in Waco are going to have a bunch of Keizer machines as those are only at the high end performance centers. No gyms here are going to be like the ones in big cities with sushi and shakes

Train Waco is going to a bigger spot soon so that may be an option if he is wanting to go for a bigger powerlifting type gym.

At college age he could do bossy weight exercises and still build a body that catches the female gaze. I miss those days

If he is trying to catch the male gaze then Train Waco :-). This is just a joke that women prefer lean, athletic bodies and guys that build too big are trying to impress other guys

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of course dudes want to impress dudes!!! Lol

T-REX said:

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cowboycwr said:

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T-REX said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

T-REX said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

T-REX said:

---

Redbrickbear said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

IF a student why pay for a gym when you have a free one on campus at the SLC?

---

Yea, maybe I am old now...but the SLC was pretty great when I was there. It seemed very good with lots of equipment

---

its very outdated and has very basic equipment. Also pretty small compared to a commercial gym.

---

That is part of the workout "myth" though. You don't need fancy equipment, brand new, etc. A person can get fit, strong, etc. with basic stuff. The difference between a commercial gym and the SLC is basically newer equipment, more of it, etc. But at the end of the day a weight is a weight. Doesn't matter if it is shiny or rusted.

---

wrong. The amount of specialized equipment that targets very specific movements and thus specific muscle groups in specific ways is scientifically backed. Body builders amd powerlifters dont just bench squat and deadlift. Weight is not weight. Movements matter. How the weight moves and how it is moved matters. Thats why there are numerous different types of squat bars for example.

Weight is Weight is like saying an incline bench a decline bench and a flat bench are the same thing and u can use them interchangeably. Will you get stronger if u just move Weight? To a certain extent yes. Will you ever reach peak levels without maximizing the tools available? No. Just like you wont ever maximize your fitness levels just by lifting alone. If you don't take the kitchen seriously, you will never reach potential.

A Ford fusion gets me to the store just like a Porsche does. But they arent the same. And rusted does matter. That is reduced weight over time. Just like proper bumper plates matter vs using steel/iron for Olympic lifts other than calibrated lifts/comp. Be my guest and drop iron over and over

---

Congrats on taking what I said to the extreme opposite.

No where in your rant did you understand what I said.

I never said anything about not moving the weight in a certain way.

But 10 pounds is always 10 pounds. Whether it is a shiny brand new dumbbell or a rusty one. OR on a machine to move a certain way.

But here is what you missed. ANY workout/lift you do on a machine can be replicated with free weights.

I also missed the part where he said that his son was looking for a place to be a body builder......or reaching peak levels..... or anyone of the rest of your rant.

---

good luck replicating a hack squat with free weights. Or a leg press with a squat bar while laying on the ground. The list goes on and on. Weight movements are not 1:1 free weights vs machines. You have an extremely outdated mindset that was squashed by decades of scientific research long ago.

You don't have to be a body builder to want to use good equipment and reap the benefits. There is a laundry list of movements that you cant replicate safely with free weights if replicate even unsafely. Machines arent meant to replace. This isnt sky net man. Machines are tools just like free weights. And again, 10lbs isnt always 10lbs. Hell id bet most gyms in america have weights mislabeled. And rusty ones sure as hell arent the weight they used to be. Thats basic science.

The student wants a better gym to use for a reason whatever that may be. Whatever that reason is, it is clear the slc and any gym he has found in waco so far is not meeting what he wants. Now lets go do some triceps pull downs with free weights!!!

---

Again taking what I say and missing the point.

I don't have an outdated view on anything. But you fail to understand my point to realize that. You only came here to argue and "prove" someone wrong.

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u proved yourself wrong. I just participated

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I didn't prove myself wrong but neither did you.

You took what I said and took it a totally different direction going off on tangents.

For example, your rusted weights weigh less tangent. A rusted weight will weigh less by fractions of an ounce unless they are rusted all the way through. But a small layer or a few rust spots is not going to change the weight/mass of that item in any noticeable way.

Or your tangent about specific machines. Sure with free weights you may not be able to do the exact lift with free weights but you can still simulate it by working the same muscle group that machine specifically targets.

For someone looking to get in shape, stay fit, or lose weight that is sufficient. For a body builder, worlds strongest man competitor, or the guy at the local gym trying to get the biggest biceps in the gym it may not be enough.

That was my initial point which you completely missed and went off on side tangent rants about just to argue.

My freshman daughter says Train Waco is big with her friends.

Back in the day Russell gym was all I needed, it was more than adequate; these kids today are so soft.



: )

The best place in Waco for serious weight training and/or strongman type training is Underground Performance. It is no frills but the people there know what they're doing.

Crunch has an abundance and a fair variety of equipment, but due to the price, it's oft too crowded. My oldest son worked there for a while after graduation. He still kept working out there after he left, but due to the crowds and the ghetto feel, because the price is cheap, he finally left there.

He now uses Train Waco. He likes it there. As mentioned in another post, Train Waco just bought the Gold's Gym near Academy. It will give me much more space.

The SLC is terrible, at least weight-room wise. It is unchanged since 1999, and most of the newer middle schools in the area have better fitness facilities. There are 3 benches for 23,000 people. THREE.

It boggles the mind how many things have been updated outside of the fitness facilities. Typically colleges love to show off their fitness centers to incoming students, but the SLC is beyond paltry compared to our Big 12 competition. Heck, compared to River Valley Middle. In fact, they've even removed some of the better aspects to the SLC rather than added on to. It. #RIPWaterSlide

Brutal parking and smaller than a Sonic drive through. But an excellent opportunity to see what Baylor was like during the Clinton administration. Avoid.

are the old concrete open air racquetball courts still there?

SteamedHams said:

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The SLC is terrible, at least weight-room wise. It is unchanged since 1999, and most of the newer middle schools in the area have better fitness facilities. There are 3 benches for 23,000 people. THREE.

It boggles the mind how many things have been updated outside of the fitness facilities. Typically colleges love to show off their fitness centers to incoming students, but the SLC is beyond paltry compared to our Big 12 competition. Heck, compared to River Valley Middle. In fact, they've even removed some of the better aspects to the SLC rather than added on to. It. #RIPWaterSlide

Brutal parking and smaller than a Sonic drive through. But an excellent opportunity to see what Baylor was like during the Clinton administration. Avoid.

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That's a shame.

At our tuition level, we should be offering kids a bad ass fitness facility that does not have them looking around town for other solutions.

On my kids' college visits, most campuses make that a highlight of the tour.

BUbearinARK said:

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are the old concrete open air racquetball courts still there?

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I used those!

Robert Wilson said:

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SteamedHams said:

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The SLC is terrible, at least weight-room wise. It is unchanged since 1999, and most of the newer middle schools in the area have better fitness facilities. There are 3 benches for 23,000 people. THREE.

It boggles the mind how many things have been updated outside of the fitness facilities. Typically colleges love to show off their fitness centers to incoming students, but the SLC is beyond paltry compared to our Big 12 competition. Heck, compared to River Valley Middle. In fact, they've even removed some of the better aspects to the SLC rather than added on to. It. #RIPWaterSlide

Brutal parking and smaller than a Sonic drive through. But an excellent opportunity to see what Baylor was like during the Clinton administration. Avoid.

---

That's a shame.

At our tuition level, we should be offering kids a bad ass fitness facility that does not have them looking around town for other solutions.

On my kids' college visits, most campuses make that a highlight of the tour.

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agree, embarrassing it isn't kept up better.

Robert Wilson said:

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SteamedHams said:

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The SLC is terrible, at least weight-room wise. It is unchanged since 1999, and most of the newer middle schools in the area have better fitness facilities. There are 3 benches for 23,000 people. THREE.

It boggles the mind how many things have been updated outside of the fitness facilities. Typically colleges love to show off their fitness centers to incoming students, but the SLC is beyond paltry compared to our Big 12 competition. Heck, compared to River Valley Middle. In fact, they've even removed some of the better aspects to the SLC rather than added on to. It. #RIPWaterSlide

Brutal parking and smaller than a Sonic drive through. But an excellent opportunity to see what Baylor was like during the Clinton administration. Avoid.

---

That's a shame.

At our tuition level, we should be offering kids a bad ass fitness facility that does not have them looking around town for other solutions.

On my kids' college visits, most campuses make that a highlight of the tour.

---

Russell Gym sits largely vacant next-door, it gets used for a handful of HP classes but outside of that, nothing.

They have done so many extraneous projects with a much smaller return than what having a first class fitness facility would have accomplished, I don't know if student life is just at the bottom of the totem pole or what, but it is a uniquely embarrassing situation for something that should be so highly prioritized.

I second underground performance. Incredible local owner, and a juice head place if you really want to get strong