Whether it’s pumping iron, bending the steel or racking up
the plates at the Wooden Center or their local gym, many UCLA
students are striving to bench press their way to the
“perfect” body.
Weightlifting is not just a sport ““ it’s a way of
life.
Though some lift for a variety of reasons, it is apparent that
many find themselves religiously pumping weights for one sole
purpose.
“I do it more so to get the girls,” fourth-year
electrical engineering student Fred Fernandez said. “Girls
are into guys that are in shape, and because we’re in L.A.,
so much is about image.”
Maybe it’s because we’re so close to Hollywood, or
maybe it’s because teens are now inoculated with the
mentality that they have to look a certain way, but nowadays both
sexes feel hitting the weight room is integral in shaping and
maintaining their appearance.
“I lift to feel more confident about myself and be
healthier on a day-to-day basis,” second-year pre-psychology
student Maria Tejeda said. “It’s especially more
important for girls because women are portrayed a certain way in
magazines and on TV.
“If you’re not a certain size, many feel you
won’t be as attractive to the opposite sex.”
With summer just around the corner and the beach just over the
horizon, many seek refuge in the weight room to either tone or
build their bodies.
On any given day, 700 to 800 students cycle through the Wooden
Center weight room.
But the common misconception arises that only men lift weights.
On the contrary, the popularity of the sport is growing among women
as well.
“At first I didn’t like to come in alone,”
Tejeda said. “I always had to have a girl friend with me,
because sometimes you feel nervous because you don’t know how
to use the machines, and you’re the only girl there.
“But now I’m not intimidated because I come here so
often.”
Men think women putting in the effort at the male-dominated
weight room is nothing short of admirable.
“I’m all for it,” second-year psychology
student David Wiedeman said. “I know that a bunch of girls
feel self-conscious because it’s almost all guys in there,
but the girls that go in there, more power to them.”
But the aura of the weight room can be just as daunting for a
man as it is for a woman.
On occasion, a guy might be bench pressing over 235 pounds,
something that might unnerve others at first. But several people
use it as motivation.
“When I first started coming in, I was nervous,”
Fernandez said. “But I got used to it because I realized
there is always going to be someone bigger than you.
“It makes me want to work harder to be like them
more.”
Like many other sports, weightlifting can be an addictive
activity.
On average, regular gym goers find themselves in the weight room
nearly five days a week.
“Once you start, you can’t stop,” Fernandez
said. “You just want to keep doing it to get
bigger.”
“When you first start working out, it’s hard because
you get lazy, and it’s hard to keep going,” Tejeda
said. “But once you start coming on a consistent basis, then
you have your routine, and it’s not as difficult.”
Like many other women, Tejeda realized weight training should be
integrated in her regular workout in order for her to stay toned,
dispelling a popular misconception.
“A lot of girls think that if they hit the weight room,
they are going to get buff right away and look all masculine, but
that isn’t true,” she said.
Students like Fernandez find that pounding weights after a
grueling day’s worth of classes, midterms or finals is a
terrific means of mitigating anxiety.
“It gives me a way to release,” Fernandez said.
“It helps me get out my frustration, and if I don’t do
it, I get a little cranky.”
Hitting the weight room is not just essential for every
student’s desire to maintain or pursue the paragon body type,
but many also do it to stay in game shape.
Wiedeman, who played high school sports but no longer plays at a
competitive level, believes lifting weights allows him to stay
sharp for the recreational sports he participates in at UCLA.
“It keeps me strong and helps me keep my stamina,”
Wiedeman said. “A lot of people played sports in high school,
so they’re able to stay in shape that way, but now coming
into college, they have to stay in shape somehow.
“I stopped for awhile and I got a lot softer, so (lifting
weights) definitely does help.”
Weight training is even more imperative for athletes at the
collegiate level.
Athletes like football defensive end Kyle Morgan have strict
regimens, spending four days a week and nearly three hours each day
bulking up. With how competitive college sports have become, weight
lifting is a must.
“I’m outweighed by many guys by 50 or more pounds,
so you have to be really strong in order to get your opponents off
you,” Morgan said.
“If you put the time in instead of going down there to
play around, you’re going to see the results.”
So whether it’s for the girls, the guys or just to stay in
game shape, the results are in: Pound for pound, weightlifting is
the way to go.