With Spring Break right around the corner, everyone needs to start getting in shape. Inevitably, this makes the campus gyms crowded. Here at Penn State, we all know that White Building is one of the most consistently crowded gyms, due to its proximity to both a ton of campus dorms and downtown. When you go to White Building to get your workout in, you can expect to see a few stereotypical people each time. Next time you’re working out, be sure to look for the following.
1. The Frat Bro
We love our fraternity men, but they are just too easy to pick out of the crowd at the gym. While working out at White, the frat bro will be found sporting a tank or cut-off that clearly displays his letters. He’ll also most likely be carrying his blender bottle. The Frat Bro can almost always be found down in the free weights section, being spotted by one of his brothers.
2. The Srat Star
Just like her frat bro counterpart, the srat star is super easy to pick out in the crowd. She will surely be wearing her letters (shout out to the American Apparel Panhel tanks!) and will probably have on some sort of Lululemon bottoms to match her Nike frees. You can usually find the srat star tearing it up on a treadmill or elliptical in the cardio room, or on the mats with a 10 lb. plate working on her abs and glutes.
3. The Professor
Contrary to what one may think, the White Building isn’t just for students. Penn State faculty and staff also have access to the workout haven that is the White Building. When you’re exercising at the White Building you’ll be sure to see someone much older, who looks like they could be the parent of all the other patrons. This person is usually exercising extremely hard and is running circles around all of us out of shape college kids.
4. The Bodybuilder
This person takes their White Building workout very seriously. Almost too seriously. The body builder can be seen walking all around the gym with a puffed chest and a tank top that is much too small. The body builder (usually male, but we won’t discriminate) seems to take several laps around the gym so everyone can see him, visits the water fountain frequently even though he is carrying around a plastic gallon container of water, and usually grunts very loudly during all exercises. Bonus points if the body builder has on gloves and is wearing spandex compression shorts in lieu of real pants. Keep getting your gains, man.
5. The Newbie
Props to everyone who is working out and bettering their health, but sometimes it’s almost too obvious who doesn’t go to the gym that often and is there for the first few times. There is nothing particular that stands out about the newbie. He or she is usually wearing normal workout clothes and blends in pretty well, until the exercise begins. The newbie can be spotted as the person using basically every machine the wrong way; nervously looking around at everyone else and copying what they are doing, and just having no rhyme or reason to what they are doing. It’s okay newbie; you’ll catch on soon!