A new area for workout warriors

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Washburn
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Haeffner gym is slated to officially open a new workout area for Department of Defense ID card members to use beginning Jan. 28.

The new equipment includes medicine balls, various free weights, rowing machines, pull-up bars, two ropes that hang from the gym's ceiling, kettlebells and even an oversized tire.

All the equipment for the new workout area was paid for with a portion of the 2012 Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award money that D-M was awarded last year.

The new workout area has been dubbed the cross-functional room. Although its debut is Jan. 28, anyone is welcome to use the equipment right now.

"Currently, there is a tentative schedule being worked on that will include open gym for anyone to use, squadron sign out time, group workouts and also intro classes," said Capt. Michelle Mahar, 355th Force Support Squadron. "Intro classes are used to show people who aren't familiar with the equipment or the workout the proper way of doing them, so they can avoid injury."

Unlike running, where the only aspect of someone's physical training test that's improving is the run time, the classes are tailored to help with all areas of the PT test.

"Our functional fitness approach is scalable to all fitness levels and all ages even around ailments," said. Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, 55th Electronic Combat Group superintendent.

Towberman is a certified fitness instructor and working with the gym to get these classes started.

"These classes are the fastest way that I know to train in all aspects of fitness," Towberman said. "This includes strength, power, speed, flexibility, balance and everything else."

The introductory classes are slated to begin Feb. 4, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m. These times and dates are subject to change as no official schedule has been released. The rules for the cross-functional room will also be released shortly. Call the Haeffner gym at 228-3714 to sign up for the introductory classes before they fill up.