Every student has their way of making college life exciting outside of getting papers and projects done. Activities involving physical challenges seem like a popular choice, at least for social work student Nathan Javier.

Expecting to graduate this semester, Javier uses the time he has engaging in powerlifting as a part of his schedule.

Powerlifting is an exercise that involves lifting heavy weights, usually with a barbell, in order to improve muscular strength and endurance. He spoke about the benefits of incorporating the gym into his routine.

“I feel a lot more energetic and a lot more disciplined in my school work. It’s like conditioning; go to gym, go to class, then do homework.” 

Javier has been powerlifting since August 2022 and aims to improve the amount of weight he can lift. 

“I’ve been wanting to work up to a two-plate bench, three-plate squat, and a four-plate deadlift. I would like to hit it before I graduate.” Javier mentioned. 

Although balancing school and fitness sounds difficult, Javier still manages to get quality training in between classes and a busy semester.  

“I know everyone’s time management is different and I know there are a lot of people that don’t like working out when they have more free time, but for me I like jam-packing it,” said Javier. “I like working out when I’m at my busiest, so when it’s the weekend, I have more time to myself.” 

However, it is not often that students can find the perfect opportunity to exercise. Nathan faces the challenges of juggling the demands of school work with the physical demands of the gym.

“Last semester was pretty hard. I could only work out for like three days on average for like an hour each,” he said.

With the pressures of midterms and presentations approaching, Javier values consistency over perfection.

“Consistency really is key, so if you work out once a week, as long as you keep going, you’ll get up there,” Javier mentioned. “Don’t let it discourage you when you don’t have that much time, just be as consistent as you can with everything going on in your life.”