The renovation of two Rec Center racquetball courts into cardio rooms is under way and the finished project will bring 18 new pieces of exercise equipment to the Rec Center sometime this month.,”In response to multiple calls for more exercise space, the Rec Center has decided to create more room for cardio equipment to handle student overflow at peak workout times.

The renovation of two Rec Center racquetball courts into cardio rooms is under way and the finished project will bring 18 new pieces of exercise equipment to the Rec Center sometime this month.

Each of the two new cardio rooms will have four treadmills and five elliptical machines, along with a small stretching area and two televisions.

According to Rec Center Building Supervisor and College of Nursing junior John Guzzardo, the new cardio rooms are scheduled to open before the end of the month.

The 18 new pieces of equipment will supplement the cardio equipment in the weight room, which, according to Assistant Director of Recreational Sports Anne Pufahl, will still be the main cardio area. The new rooms will be an "overflow area," she said.

Changes accompanying the addition of the cardio rooms include expansion of the block of time allowed on a machine in the weight room, changes in the cardio workstation reservation policy and new providers of cardio equipment.

With the new equipment, users may now spend 30 minutes, instead of the previous 20 minutes, on a machine. The change will "answer the cry from students for a longer workout," Pufahl said.

The policy for cardio workstation reservations also will change. There will be no sign-ups for the new cardio rooms; instead, the new rooms will function on a first come, first served basis.

"We're also bringing in different equipment companies so the student body has a variety in equipment. We want to bring in more selection for different body types," Pufahl said.

The new equipment comes from companies including Woodway, Life Fitness and Matrix.

The movement for additional cardio equipment and space started with the university administration.

"The university saw the need for more cardio and made it a top priority," Pufahl said.

It was "easy to identify" a location for the cardio rooms because the racquetball courts' usage was low, according to Pufahl.

Despite the courts' conversion, there will still be adequate opportunities for racquetball because of the four courts at the Rec Plex and because the "interest has gone down tremendously," Pufahl said.

Another contributor to the cardio cause was Marquette Student Government, according to Pufahl.

"MUSG has been a major supporter in trying to increase workout opportunities. They even helped to create a student survey on the Web," Pufahl said.

MUSG President and College of Business Administration senior Dan Calandriello along with MUSG Executive Vice President Kristen Kamm, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, expressed concern about the need for more cardio equipment and space to the university's board of trustees in April and are pleased with the results.

"These new cardio rooms will provide a place for students to enjoy time with their friends while working out," Calandriello said.

MUSG is currently organizing a student competition to name the new cardio rooms, which will occur around the time the cardio rooms are completed, he said.

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