Thanks to a $30,000 grant, Caseyville Park will have its own outdoor gym next summer.

Caseyville Park / Photo by Rogern at

A cardio stepper, chest and back press, squat press and ab crunch are among the machines that would normally be found in a gym, but will be overlooking a lake at Caseyville Park. Brian Rader, Caseyville’s director of public works, said the equipment is much more advanced than the wood and metal items often found along running paths.

“It’s not your typical chin up and setup bar you’ve seen in the old parks,” Rader said.

The machines are weather resistant and many have settings to adjust the tension to make a work out as heavy, or light, as a person wants. The machines will give Caseyville residents the opportunity to get a gym quality workout without the cost of joining a gym, Rader said.

The existing bike path, which ends near the fishing dock, will be extended to connect with the path that goes around lake. The equipment will be placed along the extended path, Rader said.

Following the bid and approval process with the St. Clair County Parks Grant Commission, which awarded the grant to Caseyville, the equipment should be purchased by the fall of 2014. Installation will begin in early spring and be completed in the summer of 2015, Rader said.

If someone is not in the mood for a vigorous workout, the Tai Chi wheel, which will overlook the lake, can be used to fight stress.

The $30,000 grant should cover nearly, if not the entire, cost of the equipment, Rader said. He is hopeful that the only cost to the village will be the labor and concrete to secure the structures.