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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

I hate going to the gym, including the walk there and the actual workout. But what makes me really hate the gym is going at the wrong time!  

There isn’t a perfect time to go to Leach. There are just times that are not as bad and not as crowded. There are only two gyms at FSU, and over 40,000 people go here! You’re bound to run into people you don’t want to see, or even worse, go during peak hours.

Every machine is taken, and all the weights and lockers are in use. To me, that’s worse. It’s crowded and overstimulating being around so many people. Some of whom are pushing the limits of their 48-hour deodorant. There have been times when I’ve just turned around and didn’t work out that day because the gym was so crowded. 

However, people have different schedules, and their lives don’t revolve around hogging up the machines. It’s not always crowded; there are even points of the day when you don’t have to wait in line for the StairMaster.

There are three, dare I say, almost perfect times to go to the Leach. Like I said, people have different schedules. You might have an early lecture or a class during the best times. 

Remember: what works for me might not work for you, and what I think is crowded might not be someone else’s exact definition! 

8 a.m. 

It’s pretty full right at opening, which makes sense. People want to get an early morning before the day starts. A lot of people have that same logic. But the crowds typically thin out at around 8 a.m.

It doesn’t totally empty out, but it is certainly less crowded. People leave to go to breakfast or their lectures. More people leave than come. Usually, I can get a workout at 8 a.m. and still make it to my 9:45 a.m. class in Willams! 

10 a.m. on A Sunday

A very specific day. The Leach isn’t crowded or chaotic given the time, in addition to the fact that it’s the day after Saturday. Most people are still sleeping after a long night out.

Working out on a Sunday morning is almost peaceful. The only reason it isn’t completely peaceful is because you’re still working out and fighting for your life on a StairMaster. It’s pretty empty, especially after a game day! 

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Given the hours, these times are some of the emptiest during the day. People are either in class or getting lunch at the Student Union. I don’t have classes on campus every single day, but when I do, I can still squeeze a mid-day workout between classes in that time frame.  

There isn’t a perfect time to go to the Leach, as it will never be entirely empty. However, in my experience, these are some of the best times that work! 

But whenever you go, remember to wipe down your machines when you’re done!

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Victoria Carpenter is a writer at Her Campus at the Florida State chapter. In her free time, Victoria spends it either online shopping, baking, watching too much ER, or collecting Jellycats. At the start of the Pandemic, she started to journal and has written in her journal every day since.