Ripped. Torn. Decimated. My muscle fibers scream for a break as I work them towards failure. Sorry, but you guys won’t know to grow if I don’t break you down first. Bright fluorescent lights beam down as the groans of weight lifting comrades and their dumbbells thundering onto the floor echo across the room. I’m addicted.

An adage that is oft-repeated in self-help books is to surround yourself with motivated people. Well, if you’re at a loss for where to find such people… head over to the gym. You won’t find a higher concentration of motivated people anywhere else.

Everyone comes in with a clear goal: burn fat, build muscle, increase cardiovascular endurance, etc. By coming into the gym, they are no longer just thinking about what it takes to achieve their goal, they are doing what it takes. Although obvious, this is a point people too often fail to recognize, and a mentality that should be getting applied to other areas of life.

Set after set, people exercise their way to greater health. At the gym, everyone recognizes this of one another, so the feeling of camaraderie is very real. In my experience, everyone is more than willing to:

1. Lend a spot and offer words of encouragement when a set nears failure.
2. Allow one to work in with them.
3. Make it clear they aren’t using certain equipment or machine attachments.

Never feel intimidated. Everyone you see also had to start somewhere.

Furthermore, although going to the gym in itself should be applauded, to go consistently is a whole other ordeal worthy of praise. Go often enough, and you’ll recognize the same people. You’ll see their progress. In the same way laughter is infectious, seeing others’ progress will compel you to do the same.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, considering the fast food filled environment we live in and the always tempting option of just being lazy, requires lots of willpower. There’s no doubt about that. But by going against the grain, hauling yourself to the gym, and breaking a fat sweat makes it feel that much better. Remember that feeling, and you’ll eventually be addicted too. Don’t forget: without health, you are nothing.

Personally, I’m at the gym 3 or 4 times a week, rain or shine, midterms or finals. It’s my therapeutic break from the everyday grind. It’s important to have a few constants in life, and the gym is a great one to have.

So, feeling unusually lazy? Get yourself over to the gym, get motivated, and get healthy. Try your best to ignore the B.O. though, which at times can be unbearable.

Sidenote: I will definitely miss going to UCLA’s gym once I graduate. The atmosphere at an ordinary 24 hour fitness unfortunately lacks the fervor that my fellow Bruins have.