I wake up at 6 in the morning, walk by my kitchen refusing to eat breakfast at 6:10, and pack my duffle bag by 6:35. After brushing my teeth at 6:50, I leave for school at 7 with my brother and my father. Classes begin at 7:35am and end at 2:12pm. Standing in the locker room changing my clothes and lacing up my shoes by 2:25, I remind myself why I put myself through this ritual every single day. The gym doors open at 2:30, when dozens of student athletes crowd the athletic directors office waiting for him to appear with the key. To many of us, this key did not just open the doors to a crowded room full of metal and rubber and the smell of sweat, he held the key to our success. I throw my bag and my gallon of water on the floor near the yoga
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First set of 10 reps is 135 pounds on the bar, followed by 25 push ups. Because I am stronger than Bobby, I finish my sets first then he does his, instead of moving the weights back and forth. After 4 sets of 10, increasing the weight each time, I am unable to do even 5 push ups. Now it is Bobby's turn to transform his muscles into quivering pieces of failing machinery. We move onto our arms, performing alternating sets of tricep and bicep movements called 'Super Sets'. We spend 30 minutes on arms, and then we spend another 45 minutes on back. From rows to flies, we know everything. Our lifting schedule is so specific, it controls how long a single rep should take after this many sets or this much weight. Bobby and I have become almost scientists at this point, every week getting stronger and stronger. After 2 hours of beating each other up with our negative reps and concentration holds, we part.
"Have a good night Bobby, make sure you eat something before you do your …show more content…
In class until 2:12, in the gym by 2:30. Bobby and I meet on the track today, because its our leg day and we have to run a mile, followed by five 100 meter sprints. 26 steps up, and we make our way to a squat rack. We stretch, roll, and set the bar to a height we can both reach. I let him go first, because I started off the day before.
"Ladies first."
"Just watch your hands this time, okay?" He goes for 10 reps of 95 pounds to get going, while I spot him from top to bottom. The mirror behind the rack allows us to see every mistake we make, I critique his form and he reluctantly accepts my advice. My turn, I start with a set of 10 with 135 on the bar, and after 4 sets neither of us can walk. Bobby and I continued our lifting almost religiously, counting our reps just as closely as our calories. Preparing ourselves for sports, victory was our initial motivation. As we realized how significantly we progressed, our classmates also noticed. They saw experience in us, and allowed us to guide them through their own experience in the gym. We became inspired to help others overcome their own physical barriers and to improve our lives by improving the lives of
First set of 10 reps is 135 pounds on the bar, followed by 25 push ups. Because I am stronger than Bobby, I finish my sets first then he does his, instead of moving the weights back and forth. After 4 sets of 10, increasing the weight each time, I am unable to do even 5 push ups. Now it is Bobby's turn to transform his muscles into quivering pieces of failing machinery. We move onto our arms, performing alternating sets of tricep and bicep movements called 'Super Sets'. We spend 30 minutes on arms, and then we spend another 45 minutes on back. From rows to flies, we know everything. Our lifting schedule is so specific, it controls how long a single rep should take after this many sets or this much weight. Bobby and I have become almost scientists at this point, every week getting stronger and stronger. After 2 hours of beating each other up with our negative reps and concentration holds, we part.
"Have a good night Bobby, make sure you eat something before you do your …show more content…
In class until 2:12, in the gym by 2:30. Bobby and I meet on the track today, because its our leg day and we have to run a mile, followed by five 100 meter sprints. 26 steps up, and we make our way to a squat rack. We stretch, roll, and set the bar to a height we can both reach. I let him go first, because I started off the day before.
"Ladies first."
"Just watch your hands this time, okay?" He goes for 10 reps of 95 pounds to get going, while I spot him from top to bottom. The mirror behind the rack allows us to see every mistake we make, I critique his form and he reluctantly accepts my advice. My turn, I start with a set of 10 with 135 on the bar, and after 4 sets neither of us can walk. Bobby and I continued our lifting almost religiously, counting our reps just as closely as our calories. Preparing ourselves for sports, victory was our initial motivation. As we realized how significantly we progressed, our classmates also noticed. They saw experience in us, and allowed us to guide them through their own experience in the gym. We became inspired to help others overcome their own physical barriers and to improve our lives by improving the lives of