To some, going to the gym is more than just a chore, it is a form of release.
Those who are passionate about working out find a sense of solace and freedom in their workout.
“It’s a place for me to escape. I don’t have to think about anything. All I have to do is lift weights,” said Juliane Cruz (12).
Cruz goes to the gym five to six times a week and spends around two to three hours there each session. As a former highschool athlete, Cruz turned to the gym as a way of replacing her sport.
“Now that I’m an ex-high school athlete, it’s a great place for me to keep improving my health and strength. It [the gym] motivated me to continue working out on my own,” said Cruz.
Cruz’s passion for the gym has also helped her create an online community, where she primarily shares “relatable” fitness content.
“I started this account with the intention of one day being sponsored by either, like, one of the bigger brands, like Young LA or like GymShark. That would just be so sweet. I mean, who wouldn’t want that? Yeah. So I started a gym account with some of my buddies just for fun. Hopefully I will be sponsored one day. That’s my goal,” said Cruz.
Other SJHHS students have created similar online communities.
“I film for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and I try to promote my stuff on there. Through that, have you found a community online of people. I’ve actually, I’ve been reached out to, by some companies and just other people who are interested in the same stuff that I am,” said Cruz Juarez (12).
Juarez keeps a rigorous training schedule and goes to the gym seven days a week. He recently competed in a bodybuilding competition.
“I would say it’s the toughest thing I’ve done in my entire life. Just competing against like a bunch of men and cutting down to like extreme [low] levels of body fat. It was just very hard for just dieting and resisting food. I was just like, cold, I was hairless. It was really bad, but it was a very interesting experience,” said Juarez.
Despite the intensity of the competition preparation, Juarez hopes to continue participating in similar events now that he knows what to expect.
“It introduced me to this whole new, like, side of it [weight lifting]. But I definitely will do it again, eventually in the future. Probably, in a year or two, when I’m almost more experienced with how I’m gonna plan it out,” said Juarez.
People who frequent the gym often have specific goals they aim to achieve through their routines.
“I definitely have a routine, Mondays I do legs, Tuesday I do some sort of upper body, Wednesday I do legs again, and Thursday upper body. I have a pretty good split going with active rest days in between,” said Ava Laudorn (12).
To achieve these goals some “gym rats” use supplements to support muscle growth such as creatine. According to the Mayo Clinic, creatine is an organic compound primarily found in vertebrates that helps facilitate muscle and brain tissue growth through water retention.
“I have been taking creatine since January. [I saw improvement], not instantly, but, by week three, I was lifting heavier,” said Laudorn.
For all the gym obsessed it is all about progress, and seeing how their hard work manifest through their lifting and physique. However, beyond physical transformation the gym can be a space where mental clarity and community thrive.
