When you’re a student at TCC, the fitness center is yours, too

Drop that pricey gym membership if you’re a student at Tidewater Community College.

The activity fee that you’ve already paid for fall classes gives you full access to any of the fitness centers inside the students centers. Here’s what your missing if you’ve never checked out the gym on your campus:

• State-of-the-art equipment waiting for you to use. We’re not talking about a treadmill and a handful of free weights. You’ll find plenty of choices, whether you’re looking to sneak some brief cardio during your lunch hour or committed to a full body workout using your favorite CBX machine or TRX suspension trainers. The fitness centers on the Portsmouth Campus even offers Boxmaster – 12 punching bags of different sizes – to hone your concentration skills as well as your muscles.
• Personal training! If you’re a student at TCC, set up a personalized training session with a fitness instructor and work on your fitness goals together! The fitness centers on the Norfolk and Portsmouth campuses only allow students to make appointments with personal trainers (information below).
• Group exercise classes start along with fall classes on Aug 19. Don’t have a lot of time? No worries. Norfolk’s core training on Tuesdays and Thursdays starts at 1:05 p.m. and concludes at 1:20 p.m. In Virginia Beach, early birds can attend Sculpt, Strength and Resistance training, on Tuesdays at 9 a.m., and Cardio Blast is the place to be to burn fat at 4 p.m. Portsmouth offers small group training in areas including core and abs, kettle bells, circuit training and virtual sports and fitness. Contact Chuck Thomas, fitness and recreation supervisor, at chthomas@tcc.edu.

“We have full locker rooms where students can shower after they finish their workouts and head right back to class,” said Lindsay Bryan, fitness and recreation supervisor at the Virginia Beach Campus.

Nora Kostyk wasn’t much of a fitness buff prior to coming to TCC after graduating from Western Branch High School in 2017. But after battling thyroid issues, she wanted to be in better shape. Starting last January, she committed to a regimen designed by Thomas.

Eight months later, Kostyk will transfer to VCU in the best shape of her life. In fact, Thomas jokes about putting her workout up on the wall and calling it “The Nora.”

“I feel a lot better,” said Kostyk, proficient on every machine in the fitness center and crushing the Tabata workout — high intensity interval training — under the direction of Thomas. “I didn’t know I needed strength training until coming in here,” she said. 

He takes her through an hour workout that includes velocity ropes, boxing drills and tire training.

“You doing OK?” he asks every few minutes, and she nods between gulps of water.

Thomas researched her medical condition and personalized her sessions accordingly, working on strength over cardio.  “I’m so proud of her,” he beamed.

“I’m so glad I worked with him,” said Kostyk ,who earned her Associate of Science in Science at TCC. “He taught me everything I know.”

Fitness center information starting Aug. 19, 2019:

Chesapeake Campus fitness center
Hours:

Monday and Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Norfolk Campus fitness center
Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fridays: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
757-822-1981

Personal training
Make appointments by email
Patty Benson at pbenson@tcc.edu or Laura Burckett-Picker at lburckett-picker@tcc.edu

Portsmouth Campus fitness center
Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fridays: closed
757-822-2337

Personal training

Make appointments by email
Chuck Thomas at chthomas@tcc.edu

Virginia Beach Campus fitness center
Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Fridays: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
757-822-7922

Fitness centers are also available to faculty and staff.