Cain Center YMCA adds new weight room equipment

(Post sponsored by Tinsley Title, Holt Wrecker, R&R lawn specialists, Gibson Pharmacy.)

By Michael V. Hannigan

The Cain Center YMCA has expanded its weight room by 900 square feet and added $30,000 in new strength and cardio equipment, all paid for by membership revenue.

“Our members have been giving us feedback since we opened up about a few missing pieces in our weight room,” YMCA Executive Director Jeremy Bumgardner said. “We were blessed to be able to order those this fall.”

The YMCA added seven new pieces of equipment and expanded the weight room by reclaiming a former racquetball court that had already been converted into a carpeted exercise room with mirrors. The change allows for better flow and more space for members of all ages and abilities.

New equipment includes a hack squat machine, a belt squat machine, a standing glute machine, an upper body ergometer, an inner and outer thigh machine, a TRX training station, and a mobile decline bench.

“It puts no pressure on your spine,” Bumgardner said of the belt squat machine. “You can train legs and not have that pressure come down your spine.”

He said the standing glute machine has practical benefits beyond the gym.

“A lot of folks as they age can struggle to be able to get up and down from a seated position,” Bumgardner said. “So it’s a very practical machine to ensure that you can do those daily activities.”

The upper body ergometer adds a new cardio option and improves accessibility.

“You can move the seat out of the way with one hand and pull a wheelchair onto it,” Bumgardner said. “You can do it standing or sitting.”

Bumgardner said the equipment was installed and used the same day.

The expansion did not reduce group exercise offerings. Those classes were moved upstairs into second-floor meeting rooms totaling about 1,600 square feet, allowing the former class space to be used for strength training.

Members also have access to more than 2,500 on-demand classes through the YMCA 360 app.

(Photos: Starr Marin on the Belt Squat; Ray Wynn on the Arm Cycle; Teri Kirksey on the TRX attached to the Connexus Edge Rack; Jennifer Harville on the Hack Squat; and Meredith Jowers on the Decline Bench.)

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Michael Hannigan is a Cain Center YMCA board member.