Pottruck Health and Fitness Center on Sep. 15, 2019.
Credit: Annie LuoWhen you first get to Penn, nearly every place on campus feels unfamiliar. And whether exercise is a staple of your daily routine or just a hobby you’re interested in exploring, it’s always helpful to understand a new space.
After I first arrived on campus two years ago, I was quickly overwhelmed by all of the new environments I found myself inhabiting. But in the time since then, Penn’s flagship gym has become something of a second home to me — and with this guide, I hope to give you all the information you need to feel at home there, too.
Let’s break down the layout of Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, Penn’s premier place for exercise and recreation.
The entrance
Pottruck is located at 3701 Walnut Street, across from the Graduate School of Education and next to a parking garage and Hello World. The main entrance is up a small set of stairs and is unlocked during operational hours. Below is Pottruck’s current schedule:
- Monday — Friday: 6 a.m. — 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. — 8 p.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. — 8 p.m.
Once inside, guests will be asked to sign in to the facility. Pottruck is free to all PennCard holders, and students can either scan their PennCard at the front desk or sign in via the campus recreation app. I’ve found the front desk staff to be friendly and willing to help out in the event of any trouble.
Non-students and staff who are visiting campus can buy guest day passes at the front desk for $15. Equipment such as basketballs can also be rented at the front desk for free. Guests can access Pottruck’s lost and found by speaking with front desk staff.
The first floor: Rock climbing and lots of cardio equipment
The first floor of the facility has two main sections: the atrium and the Katz Fitness Center.
The main atrium encompasses the front desk. Here, you can find a small collection of tables and chairs, as well as some couches and a television that's usually playing live sports or sports talk shows. The atrium is the former home of Sweet Treat Hut, where you could buy smoothies, protein shakes, and other food and drinks before it closed suddenly in April.
And it's hard to miss the biggest part of the atrium: the 40-foot-tall climbing wall. The wall accommodates climbers of all experience levels, and Pottruck allows guests to rent all necessary equipment at the front desk.
Next to the atrium is the Katz Fitness Center, Pottruck’s largest collection of cardio equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters, and other machines. The area has floor-to-ceiling windows that face the neighboring parking garage.
The first floor also houses offices and meeting rooms used by Penn recreation staff, as well as the newly renovated Rec Lounge, a space behind the climbing wall that contains board games such as checkers, bean bag chairs, and a study area tables and chairs.
In a typical year, guests can use the staircases on the first floor to access Pottruck’s basement, which houses Sheerr Pool, additional locker rooms, and a sauna. But the facility is currently undergoing renovations that will keep it closed for the entirety of the 2024-25 academic year.
Each floor of the facility also has lockers where guests can store their belongings, as well as restrooms in the back left corner.
The second floor: The busy floor
The second floor might be Pottruck’s busiest, housing the gym's main weightlifting area along with the Avnet Basketball Courts. The weightlifting room, which covers over 8,000 square feet, is located to the left of the staircase, and contains equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, bench presses, power racks, deadlift platforms, cables, and a number of additional machines. The weightlifting room also contains windows that look out onto Walnut Street and the surrounding buildings.
To the right of the staircase are the Avnet Basketball Courts, where guests can play whenever the gym is open. Guests can bring their own ball or rent one from the front desk. Open shootaround is available, but guests are allowed to share the courts during peak hours. You'll frequently see pickup games here, which are open to players of all experience levels. The basketball courts also occasionally host vaccine clinics, including the flu vaccine.
The second floor also houses Pottruck’s multi-purpose room, located down the hallway immediately to the left after entering the basketball courts. The multi-purpose room has additional cardio and weightlifting equipment, as well as a turf area for stretching and exercising, medicine balls, kettlebells, and several punching bags and a speed bag. The multi-purpose room is often less crowded than the main weightlifting area and also has additional lockers.
The third floor: The quiet floor
The third floor is regarded as Pottruck’s “quiet floor,” since there's no music playing overhead. It contains additional cardio and weightlifting equipment, including a condensed set of free weights, as well as a number of rooms designed to enhance the facility’s recreational experience.
These include the cycling and pilates studios, which hold group exercise classes throughout the week and can be booked for private sessions for a cost. New to Pottruck is the third floor Recovery Room, a recently renovated space that has reclining chairs, compression boots, and massage guns. Bays can be reserved for 30 minutes at a time for a rate of $20.
The fourth floor: Exercise classes and more equipment
The fourth floor also contains additional cardio and weightlifting equipment, including a CrossFit area. It also houses additional studios — including a HIIT studio — that offer group exercise classes throughout the week. These rooms are usually closed to the public outside of class times but can be rented for private use for a cost.
Recreational clubs
Pottruck is home to many of Penn’s recreational clubs, including club and intramural sports like basketball, as well as other groups like the Climbing Club and Penn Barbell Club. First-year students can learn more about these clubs and explore campus recreation’s offerings during “Night at the Rec,” which will take place at Pottruck during New Student Orientation on Friday, Aug. 23 from 7-9 p.m.
Ten pieces of closing advice
Now that you know where everything is, here are ten tips that I've gleaned during my two years of visits to Pottruck:
- During the week, 5-8 p.m. is generally the busiest time, with 6-8 a.m. being the slowest. During the weekend, traffic is more evenly distributed.
- Guests are forbidden from cursing or fighting during games at the Avnet Basketball Courts.
- Wipe down all equipment upon completion of a workout — each floor contains multiple conveniently located wet-wipe stations for sanitation.
- Only occupy one piece of equipment at a time.
- There is a listed 30-minute limit on cardio equipment, but this is only enforced when all the machines are in use, which generally doesn’t happen.
- There is a listed ban on bags in the weightlifting area, but in my experience, this rule is only enforced during the first few weeks of each semester.
- Guests in the weightlifting areas are generally friendly and willing to “work in” with one another, meaning they share pieces of equipment by switching off sets.
- If you’re going for a big lift, don’t be afraid to ask another patron to “spot” you, meaning to watch over the attempt and assist you in case of failure.
- Certain machines, like the recently installed hack squat, may have heavier rigs or use slightly different ranges of motion than those you’re used to at other gyms. Be sure to dial back the weight as you adjust to the new machine.
- When it comes to finding free weightlifting equipment, the multi-purpose room is your best friend.
And remember to have fun — exercise can be a great way to escape the pressures of Penn, but keep in mind that your physical and mental well-being is always the most important thing.
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