Known for its inclusive amenities and resources available to users, Carmichael Gym is a staple in the NC State community among students, faculty and alumni. 

Carmichael Gym was established in 2002 and later merged with the Department of Campus Recreation in 2010, resulting in the facility it is today. Known among University students as a place of community and strength, the gym is a pivotal part of campus.

Anna Hodges, a second-year studying biological sciences and an employee at the gym, said Carmichael is all about community. 

“Every time I go there, I feel like I can talk to people, and I would say it’s relatively supportive,” Hodges said. “We’re all peers, and I feel like I could go up to anybody and ask them for a spot, or chat with somebody.”

There are around 80 different fitness classes Carmichael offers each week, ranging from yoga and pilates to boxing and zumba, with many in between. These classes range between levels of difficulty and experience, allowing students the chance to try at a beginner or expert level. Hodges said these classes are part of what she loves about the gym.

“I discovered [the workout classes] halfway through my freshman year, I was like, wait, I can do yoga, I can do Pilates, I can do cardio dance, now we have twerk and work,” Hodges said. “You can do all these things for free. There’s no reason to not go and do it.”

Adale Davey, a second-year studying biological sciences, said her favorite part about Carmichael is the utilities it has available to the students.

“I like how they have a desk where you can rent literally anything you can need,” Davey said. “My home does not. It’s like one little room in my hometown, so it’s a lot better.”

Along with fitness classes, instructors like Hodges are part of what makes the community so special. Hodges said she and other fitness instructors make an effort to know the students on a personal level.

“I make an effort to learn people’s names. Every staff member is like, I’m trying to learn the names of anybody who introduces themselves, and trying to get feedback in my position,” Hodges said. “I go up to my regulars and ask, ‘What do you think about this thing that I tried?’ We’re always looking for feedback from them for the class, and we’re also trying to get to know them.”

While the gym may be a daunting place, the community and inclusivity are what make Carmichael stand out. Hodges said while students may be intimidated by the gym and all its amenities, they should go anyway and make friends in the community. 

“It’s a really great space, and it’s not intimidating,” Hodges said. “Some people definitely think that it is, but people there are gonna look out for you. The staff definitely, and I think most of the people working out there — we’re all doing the same thing.”

Carmichael is one of the most centralized places on campus. Located right next to Talley Student Union and down the street from Fountain Dining Hall, it has the potential to become a staple in students’ lives. Davey said she has made many friends just by going to the gym.

“I met a lot of my friends last year when I first started going to college at the gym,” Davey said. “I got closer with a lot of people, because we’d start going together.”

Davey said to her, Carmichael gym has become an essential part of her everyday schedule.

“It’s just a good stress reliever,” Davey said. “I always do it at the end of my days, and then I’ll go home and go to bed, and I’ll feel so much better if I’m stressed about classes.”

Hodges emphasized how she enjoyed the community and people she met, above all at Carmichael.

“I just love seeing them come back and trying it again, because it’s definitely really new,” Hodges said. “I think probably the same thing goes with any of the instructors in there. If you’re able to help somebody, they’re gonna come back, and that really means a lot to me … and especially to see them come back to my class, because that means that I’ve done something that they found really works for them.”

Davey echoed Hodges’s remarks about the gym being welcoming and housing a sense of community.

“I usually work out in like the lower floor, the weight section, and that feels very welcoming because everyone’s kind of doing the same thing,” Davey said. “Everybody starts somewhere, and everybody knows that.”

Carmichael Gym is available to all students with just the swipe of their One Card.