Whether it’s grunting heavy-lifters, active runners, or health-conscious dieters, today’s gym-goers all go to the gym with the intention of improving some aspect of their overall lifestyle. Many students at MHS have found newfound passions through working out regularly, whether it be lifting weights, benching, or simply exercising and toning their bodies.
Senior Aarush Arora has been working out regularly for over a year and goes to the gym approximately four days a week. According to Arora, he has a workout schedule that he follows depending on the type of muscle group he wants to focus on.
“I go push, pull, and legs, usually in that order. On push days, I focus on my chest, shoulders, and triceps, and on pull days I focus on back and bicep workouts,” Arora said.
He decided to change his eating habits after he began going to the gym regularly in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle and see progress from his workouts, Arora said.
“If I’m trying to become more lean, this involves losing weight, so I’ll decrease the calories I intake, which involves a calorie deficit. On the other hand, if I’m trying to (gain) weight, I increase my intake,” Arora said.
He noticed a significant decrease in his overall weight after he began consistently working out, Arora said.
“Back when I started, I used to weigh a lot more … and it’s always going up and down depending on what I have to do for wrestling, but aside from that I’ve seen a lot of muscle growth,” Arora said.
Senior Armaan Bhardwaj has been working out using similar techniques since his freshman year of high school, and he has also seen a drastic change in his physical appearance, he said.
“I would definitely say I’ve seen progress. I was looking at a picture that my sister found, and it was me from (my) freshman year. I feel like my arms have definitely grown a lot bigger, and overall I just look better,” Bhardwaj said.
Senior Madilyn Singharath-Kim uses a rotation for her day-to-day workouts, attending the gym around five days a week.
“I do a lot of compound lifting workouts. Usually, I base my workouts on benching, squatting, and deadlifting,” Kim said.
Kim also stated that she had to change her food intake as a result of working out and lifting weights.
“I started eating more and my appetite grew from there,” Kim said. “Now, I focus on how much protein I eat in a day, as well as the amount of carbs I take in so I can eventually lift heavier weights,” she said.
Kim mentioned that she has experienced a large amount of growth since she began working out.
“I can lift a lot more, and also you can see a lot more muscle development compared to before,” Kim said.
Although working on physique is important and a beneficial aspect of going to the gym regularly, the gym can also be used as a space for releasing tension, Bhardwaj said.
“It’s been a mental release because after a long day, after a lot of work and a lot of stuff that needed to get done, you can just go to the gym [and] sweat it all out,” Bhardwaj said.
He also encourages those that are interested in getting a membership or working out in general to pursue a new routine that involves regularly attending the gym.
“It’s definitely benefited me because it makes me feel like I have a very good source to release my stress. So emotionally, it has benefited me a lot,” Bhardwaj said.