Activities and Recreation Center

Campus Recreation, the ARC, and MU Programs are undergoing a merger to provide better and more efficient services. See http://arc.ucdavis.edu/interiminfo.htm for details.

The ARC (Activities and Recreation Center) is one mother of a huge building that expands upon the existing Rec Hall (now formally called "The Pavilion at ARC", but no one actually calls it that, because the word Pavilion is generally accepted as lame). This [almost] full service gym facility is available to students, faculty and staff as well as their family members. Memberships are automatically ascribed to UC Davis students, who pay for this as part of their registration fees; faculty and staff can purchase $40 monthly memberships at the front desk with a photo ID and current staff identification card or opt for pre-tax monthly payroll deduction for around $30 per month. One day guest passes are only available when sponsored by a member. Recently, they have opened up membership eligibility to Alumni, as well.

ARC climbing wall during Cow Crank 2005 In addition to a plethora of exercise equipment (described below), the ARC also features weights, racquetball/squash courts, a climbing wall ($25/year membership fee), an indoor track, an obscenely large basketball court, limited mat/stretching space, meeting rooms (brain exercise), a ballroom, a practice area for the Band-Uh (lung & ear exercise), a small computer lab (finger exercise), a branch of the bookstore (eye exercise), the Fitness & Wellness Center, and a cafe run by Sodexho (stomach exercise). The ARC also provides wireless MOObilenet Internet for those with UC Davis logins. Child care is not available at the ARC.

Some of the equipment that they offer: ellipticals, treadmills, stair climbers, a few rowing machines, some arc walking machines, and stationary bikes. Despite the seemingly endless amount of equipment, it is often busy, sometimes requiring quite a bit of a wait (especially for weights and ellipticals). The ARC also features an indoor irregular-shaped walking/running track, as a plus, the ARC's track is much better lit than the one in the Rec Hall. However, it can be hot, humid, and smelly on the track so if the heat is unbearable, one can still use the Rec Hall's running track at certain times. The Rec Hall's running track also makes life easier when trying to keep track of your mileage. One mile is 7.65 laps at the ARC, and 7.5 at the Rec Hall. If you need equipment (basketballs, racquetball or squash rackets and so forth) visit the equipment desk and simply flash a student ID.

Although there is no pool on site at the ARC, your ARC membership allows you free access to the Hickey Pool located right near the MU.

Seven days a week, multiple times a day, the ARC offers many free and some for-fee group exercise classes and martial arts classes. There is a large diversity of classes, everything from cycling, to Tai Chi (T'ai-Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan)) and Yoga, to "6 pack attack". They are a great way to get in shape and get the most out of your student fees in a fun, social and motivating atmosphere.

There are three group activities rooms on the second floor at the East end of the ARC: Facing East with beautiful large windows overlooking the Campus is the ARC Group Exercise Room, facing South toward the Pavilion, on the West side of the East hallway is the ARC Dance Room, and also on the West side of the East hallway, entirely interior to the building, with large glass "windows" facing onto both the East hallway and the East-West hallway, is the ARC Martial Arts Room. The ARC Martial Arts Room is used by the ARC Martial Arts Program, by various official sports clubs, by some SPAC sponsored student clubs, as well as by some other more informal undergraduate and graduate student groups, and even by the PE Department. It is fun (and spectacular!) to watch through those large "windows" some of the (amazing, grueling) martial arts activities that go on in the ARC Martial Arts Room, and it is even more fun to participate in them!

The ARC is a prime example of a meat market as many students, and even some older men and women go to the ARC just to look good in front of their respective peers. How do you know? Maybe they're there because their doctor told them to go? It's impossible to know what's in another's mind. Better to look into one's own mind and see why one feels as one does.

Over by the ballroom, there are some of the cleanest bathrooms on campus. It could be because they are new, have nice countertops, or the music (BRING HEADPHONES!), but they are definitely nicer than most. The ARC's bathrooms are generally considered "safe." Many people take showers after a workout.

Next to the first floor bathrooms is a very underused Lactation Site.

There are two elevators. The first is in the lobby with access to the second floor office space for Campus Recreation and IM Sports. The elevator near the fitness room has buttons for the first, second, and third (roof/restricted access) floors.

Don't forget to return anything you check out before you leave, or you will be charged steeply even if you bring it back the very next morning. ($17 for a lock!)

See our Gyms & Fitness page to find out about other gyms in the Davis area.

Comments:

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2005-08-17 15:01:35   If you don't like to wait, the machines upstairs aren't that busy. Every time I go to the second floor I don't see a lot of people using them. —SimonFung

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2005-11-10 15:37:49   The ARC is the least student-friendly place on campus, in my experience. They don't allow outside organization to post flyers (presumably because it might mess with their image). They used to charge student organizations to reserve rooms when it first opened. They actually billed ASUCD Senate for holding a meeting there, because they are technically a campus department (though they are obviously a student organization too). Lockers in the Rec Hall used to be free, but now they charge a monthly fee. And you can't go to the ARC during the summer if you aren't taking classes. I don't know who they think they are catering to, but it certainly isn't the students who paid to build the place. —BrentLaabs

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2006-03-18 23:19:38   I think they've closed the old weight room in the Rec Hall. There had been a sign saying it was closing March 11 I think. —BenWebber

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2006-04-03 18:52:10   This week, the Arc has a "try before you buy" promotion, but it only extends to faculty and staff, not alumni. Alumni can BUY the membership, but they can't "try" the place - insane when you think about how it was the alumnis fees that helped pay for this building. —RohiniJasavala

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2006-04-05 00:02:08   Um, wrong Rphini, I am an alum and they let me in today. Get your facts straight. —DavisLurker

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2006-04-09 05:40:50   The Arc is a great place to go work out and have fun. I really want to point out something to the current students and those who are going to go to school here in the summer and fall 06: The weigh room is full of posers, just like The city of Davis. Guys: some don't know "Richard" about working out but coming in with a f-face like "i'm cool, look at me". Girls: please don't put make up on? please don't show off your Laffy Taffy. Guys won't get a boner because your workout pants. One more thing, if you are coming in with a bitchy attitude, please go see a DR. People don't give a crap if you are big or a lot of meat, people would think that you are an oily meat-head. Please don't show off your muscles in front of the ladies, they probably won't think about it after they got off that machine. Oh, more to add. Please don't enjoy yourself in front of the mirror more than 3 seconds, we know you love yourself so much. —DingLiu

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2006-05-03 11:22:09   Although I'm not as bitter as Ding about the "ARCers", I do think it's really funny to see the dudes trying to do themselves in the mirror after each set. And you forgot to mention those girls who take a machine for 1 hour because they're reading a Nicholas Sparks novel and moving at the pace of an arthritic 90 year old woman. Plus the weight room always smells like feet and bad cologne. Nevertheless, I love the ARC! —JonathanVillavert

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2006-06-02 01:24:57   Well, if you are that bitter about the general ARC-using population, I'd suggest coming to the rock wall there. We've our own niche of people separate from that of the "bros" and the girls there... —PaulArden

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2006-07-12 23:40:54   I would like the mysteries of the towel shortages explained. They also could use a neck machine. If you don't go during the busy times, it's pretty easy to get in a good workout. The pick-up basketball can be hit-or-miss. Usually there's either too many or not enough people. Playing basketball with undergrads brings out the worst in me anyway, so I'm probably better off. —MisterProfessor

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2006-07-22 20:15:14   The summer hours fucking suck =[ —MikeAhmadi

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2006-08-09 03:34:58   is there really a starbucks in the arc? —JoeRunnels

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2006-10-18 23:20:20   There is a coffee shop in the ARC, to the left as you walk in I think. The ARC is a nice place, often-times packed. It is best you go in with a plan if your going to use the weight room. No what you want to do so you don't kind of walk aimlessley around while waiting for 2-3 different spots to open up. Staff is friendly and helpful and overall people are courteous and easy to talk to. A great place if your serious about being healthy, staying in shape, or getting that killer body you always wanted. —FrankYoung

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2006-10-18 23:20:59   "know what you want to do" -> Correction concerning earlier post. —FrankYoung

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2006-12-08 19:02:46   The pickup basketball games are good but people are big time babies. I come from a city where there is no such thing as "foul" and people at the Arc call it very often. The irony is that the people that call foul are typically taller and bigger...other than that I love the arc. —GregWebb

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2007-03-15 17:23:00   I must agree that the weight room has quite a lot of posers yet all gyms have them. There are different types of people in a gym: Those who are posers, those who go for the social gathering, etc. You should not let it get to you and just do your thing. Many are entering the weight room for the first time and do not understand how to exercise. The ARC overall is a decent gym (wished there was a pool) if you just want to get in shape. —BrandonToo

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2007-04-27 17:59:33   It is the best gym in Davis for sure. —ZoeyJW

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2007-06-03 21:11:36   The classes are so fun! I love Zumba! —MarjaMorgan

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2007-07-01 22:57:20   The weight room has to be one of the craziest weight rooms i have ever been in. For a room drenched in the smell of sweat and feet, it sure is jam packed with gangs of 90 lb asian kids trying to bench the bar and giggling. This is the only thing that annoys me, that since their memberships are paid for in tuition, any skinny nerd can come in and spend an hour misusing a machine so that i have to wait for them to finish. I felt so much better when i was back in my hometown gym. —fredchen

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2007-07-07 14:03:39   HaHa. disregard that. i suck dicks —HowardLuong

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2007-08-07 18:31:50   Apparently people at the ARC aren't too friendly with "skinny nerds," but what about ladies in the weight room? Are there many girls who use the weight room, and do they get treated well? —NicoleWoodyard

There aren't a whole lot of women in the weight area, but I've never had or seen a problem. Mild surprise is about the extent of it... —LizPhillips

the nerds come and go. but when they're here, they're usually sitting and talking on benches and machines instead of using them.

and ladies, lift heavy. dont be a pink dumbbell cardio bunny —FredChen

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2007-08-21 23:21:31   anyone know where they have rowing machines open for public use? —xander

There are two or three in the back right corner of the main fitness room, between the wall and the elliptical trainers. — JaneGreene

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2007-09-06 15:37:52   I'm a grad student transferring to Davis from Univ. of Washington. Just wondering if the ARC has ergometers (real Concept 2 rowing machines). I just need to know if I'm going to need to buy one before I get down there this Fall. —Patrick

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2007-11-18 01:17:03   Nothing is more irritating than going into the gym, and having all the machines taken up by people who have so little weight on the bar/machine that they gain essentially no health benefits from the exercise. Pretty bad. —sososharp

Everyone has to start somewhere. Better to use the gym than not, right? —LizPhillips

• i just wish the new years resolutions groups would get out already. it's infuriating when you need to a do a few sets on the bench and they're sittin on BOTH the bench and the machine next to it in a tight circle, talking. TALKING. you cant even get through. gotta walk around the other machines —FredChen