Students have recently been visiting their local gyms to prioritize staying fit and improving themselves.

Senior Dylan Stamper has recently made the gym a priority in his life.

“The gym has been a big part of my life for around 9 months,” Dylan said.

Dylan is currently trying to lose weight and is going through a “cutting phase.” A cut is eating fewer calories per day to lose body fat while retaining muscle, which can be difficult at times. 

“Eating less than normal has been a challenge for me because my mom is such a great cook,” Dylan said. 

Senior Phillip Johnson has been working out for the majority of high school but he recently suffered a knee injury that has kept him out of the gym. 

“It’s been hard not being able to workout, I’ve been doing it for so long it’s become a daily habit,” Phillip said.

Phillip’s day-to-day routine has changed a lot since suffering the injury.

“Since I had the surgery I have been stuck at home not able to stay active and accomplish my personal goals in the gym,” Phillip said. “I’m looking forward to my knee healing so I can get back to working out at least 4-5 times a week.”

Bulking is another useful technique people use to achieve their fitness goals. Bulking is when you intentionally eat more calories than your body actually needs. Although, some people think that bulking is more difficult than cutting because you have to force yourself to overload calories, whereas cutting allows you to be more flexible with your diet.

Senior Andrew Shelley is currently in a bulking phase. 

“In the past two months I have gone from 158 lbs to 169 lbs,” Andrew said. “I have been eating 5-6 meals a day so I can get to 4000 calories a day.”

Andrew plans to combine bulking and cutting methods to achieve his goal.

“I want to reach 175 and then from there start a cutting phase,” Andrew said

Sticking to your routine is a great way to achieve real progress.

“More people should try and eat healthy and stay consistent in the gym,” Dylan said.