Jail Gym Reopens with New Equipment, Open Layout

After undergoing extensive renovations the jail gym reopened in May to rave reviews. “There has been a really positive response,” said Fitness Specialist Justin Walsh. He’s been seeing a lot more people there lately, including new faces. “Before, some people opted to go to their own gym to have access to certain machines. Now they feel they can come here. It’s new, it’s clean, it feels good.” cable machines. Our old cable machine took up half the room.”

When designing the gym, Walsh took everyone’s training styles into consideration. “I tried to fit all different types of training modalities: cardio, heavy weights like bodybuilding style, CrossFit style.” Some people complain if their favorite machine was lost in the upgrades, but Walsh has them covered. “I show them the different modifications they can do to hit that same muscle. The machines may have changed, but nothing has really been lost.”

Before the renovations, all the cardio and weight equipment were in the same room. “It was kind of a safety concern with all of the treadmills and ellipticals right next to each other, with weights and machines right behind them. It was overcrowded.” Fortunately there was an adjoining conference room that could be converted into an additional gym annex to house all of the cardio machines. “That opened up a lot of space, and we added two more machines.”

Eventually, he got approval to update both the SAB and the jail gyms with all new equipment. “Some might say, a weight is a weight,” Walsh said, “but the main issue was repairs. Things kept breaking, and that company isn’t in business anymore. Trying to find parts was getting harder. So we got rid of all the outdated stuff.”

In addition to getting new machines, he changed the layout of the jail gym so that the area is now very open. “There’s room to do not just weights, but body weight stuff, sled work, stretching. We took the ceiling out to make it feel bigger too.”

Having a wide variety of machines is what keeps members coming back for daily workouts. “We have something for everyone. If you’re a cardio person we have all types of cardio machines from bikes to rowers, ellipticals, treadmills, a ski machine, and the VersaClimber, which is probably the hardest one. And we now have two different

So many PCSO members have jobs that require them to be in good shape, so it is essential to have a gym that caters to their needs. Each sworn member must take the PAT test every year, which involves running, scaling a low wall and hurdles, and the notorious 150 pound dummy drag. To help members with this, both the SAB and the jail gym now have a sled pull. “The sled has been popular too. People can’t really train for the 150 pound pull without this. Now you can run on the treadmill and then immediately do the sled to simulate the PAT test. That’s what hurts people in the PAT, their legs give out. I think with this training opportunity we’ll start seeing the times get better.” Walsh stresses that you don’t have to prepare alone – he’s available with tips and tricks for improving PAT performance. In fact, he’s there for every member for whatever they need, whether its fitness coaching, nutrition advice, or a tour of the new equipment. If you want to make a positive change in your health, reach out to him today.

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