Gyms at the Pleasance to undergo seven figure refurbishment

Over £1 million will be invested in the Cardio and Eric Liddell Gyms this summer.

The Eric Liddell Gym will open at 4pm on Monday 21 August

Artist impression of Eric Liddell Gym Layout from above

Renewed. Refreshed. Reimagined.

The game-changing refurbishment will include a record investment into the renewal of cardio and fixed weight kit and a refresh and reimagining of the gym environment to create an inspirational, sector-leading space for our students, staff and wider membership community.

Renewal

The refurbishment will include a significant investment in new, state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym. The five-year partnership, procured through the Public Contract Scotland process, will see Technogym cardio and fixed-weight equipment installed at the Pleasance Sport Complex & Gym in August.

Reimagined

The selection and variety of new equipment have been determined by analysing our user demand and usage patterns, along with industry developments and trends. We also took into account the feedback provided by our members regarding the type of equipment they wish to have available. We have paired some of the latest fitness trends; stair masters, and hip trusts with some of the best performance items on the market such as the Skillrun.

We also understand that coming to the gym for the first time can be a daunting and overwhelming experience and it can be hard to know where to begin. To address this, we have designed a space inspired by our student interns that bring together key pieces of equipment in one area, enabling you to achieve an effective full-body workout with just a few exercises.

Cardio Equipment

As well as 30 brand new treadmills, 15 cross-trainers and 9 exercise bikes, for the first time we will be introducing 8 stair climbers into our mix of cardio kit. These have been introduced following feedback from members and industry usage data. The stair climbers work similar muscle groups to the Precor AMT machines that were previously housed in the Cardio Gym. There will also be a new hand crank machine.

Further information about the new cardio equipment

Treadmills

6 x Excite Live Run
4 x Skill Run

Cross-trainers

15 x Excite Live Synchro

Exercise bikes

4 x Excite Bike Live
4 x Technogym Ride

Stair climbers

8 x Excite Climb

Hand crank

1 x Excite Live Top

Pin-select strength equipment

Over recent years we have observed a rise in demand for strength-based equipment. The shift in demand for strength-based kit was reinforced during our analysis of equipment usage. As part of this refurbishment we have significantly increased the number of pin-select strength equipment available to members, including additional leg press, leg extension, lat pull, and low row machines, as well as the introduction of 2 hip thrust machines.

Artist impression of Eric Liddell Gym Layout showing pin select equipment

Further information about the new pin-select strength equipment

Lower body

4 x Selection 700 Leg Press
3 x Selection 700 Leg Extension
1 x Selection 700 Leg Curl
2 x Selection 700 Dual Abductor/Adductor
2 x Hip Thrust

Chest and shoulders

3 x Selection 700 Chest Press
2 x Selection 700 Shoulder Press
2 x Selection 700 Dual Pectoral/Reverse Fly
1 x Kneeling Easy Chin Dip, Chin
1 x selection 700 Delts machine

Back

4 x Section 700 Lat Machine 1 x cable
2 x Selection 700 Long Row
4 x Selection 900 pulley machine

Core

1 x Selection 900 - Rotary Torso
2 x selection 700 Abdominal Crunch

Arms

2 x Selection 900 arm curl
1 x selection 900 arm extension

Refreshed

As well as new equipment there will also be a complete refresh of the gym spaces, with a new design, new flooring and new lighting to support a better connection between the two rooms. This connection will be cemented by combining both spaces under one name, the Eric Liddell Gym. We have created more open space using some of the traditional features of the building.

Celebrating the legacy of Eric Liddell

We are extraordinarily proud of the University’s association with Eric Liddell, who was our inaugural Sport Hall of Fame inductee in 2008.

The refurbishment of the new Eric Liddell Gym will coincide with the beginning of a new awareness drive launched by The Eric Liddell Community, the Eric Liddell 100 campaign, a programme of events and activities to recognise and celebrate the life, sporting and community service achievements of one of Scotland’s iconic figures.

The campaign is a joint venture between The Eric Liddell Community, The University of Edinburgh, Scottish Rugby and many more, all of whom have strong connections to Eric Liddell and wish to secure, develop and celebrate his legacy in the lead up to the centenary of his Olympic success in 2024. As part of the refurbishment new digital signage will allow us to share the Eric Liddell story with current and new members to help preserve and celebrate his legacy.

Schedule of works

The Cardio Gym and Eric Liddell Gym are now both closed for the duration of the refurbishment. We plan to reopen the renewed, refreshed and reimagined space in late August 2023.

Alternative arrangements

During the refurbishment, a selection of equipment will be relocated to other areas of the building to mitigate, as much as possible, disruption to members.

A selection of fixed weights as well as a selection of cardio equipment including Treadmills, Cross Trainers and Bikes have been moved into MyGym.

We will keep members up-to-date with progress, more definitive project timings and updates via our social media channels (@pleasancegym) and member newsletters.