All humans are given special abilities at birth. To improve those abilities, they have to exercise, get strong, get joocy, and stay healthy.

The word joocy is a made up word, created to mean the same thing as succulent and strong. The reason some may use it is because it sounds better than muscular and big. If someone wants to amplify their strengths and decrease their weaknesses, they workout; with force.  If they stop working they become weaker and lose everything they worked for. Senior Sterling Leathers states, “Before you give up, remember why you started.”

Working out can have many meanings, but if you’re not giving it your all, you’re not working out.  Every rep has to count to make your time in the weight room worthwhile. To see real improvement, you must give everything you have, every ounce of fuel.  It will hurt, that’s a guarantee, but if it doesn’t hurt, that rep won’t be rewarding. “Just do it,” said Junior Benicio Titra.

Exercise doesn’t take place only in the weight room. It can take place anywhere at anytime. It can happen at parks, schools, and homes. The weight room really helps build muscle, though any place with weights can do that, such as someone’s own basement.  

New Berlin West has a sizable weight room with cardio equipment, free weights, and power racks.  Not only does West have a weight room but also an enormous fieldhouse. “The physical education classes at New Berlin West are lucky enough to have access to great spaces like the fitness center and fieldhouse,” said physical education teacher Christopher Garland.

West offers two fitness-based education classes; Better Faster Stronger and Personal Lifetime Fitness.  “These classes are great for those that enjoy more of a fitness center environment,” said Garland. There are additionally sports classes offered at West; team sports and individual sports.  “These classes are a great way to be active while being involved in some kind of game,” said Garland.

There is an after school strength and conditioning program that is centered on “weight lifting, speed and agility training, plyometrics, and flexibility/mobility,” said Garland.  

Lots of people workout at West: both teachers and students alike. Chemistry teacher Marcus Greben works out at West because it’s free.  Greben takes whey protein and creatine to get the body he walks around with today. Garland started his healthy lifestyle 12 years ago and has been committed ever since.

Business teacher Shawn Upton has been working out for 9 years, two times a week.  He has a daughter now so he works out less, but she motivates him to be the best he can be.

Senior Dillon Sherwin has been working out for two whole days since being interviewed, “I’m off to a great start,” he said.  To get joocy he eats McDonalds and takes mass gainer and he even quit his job so he could workout more. Hopefully he can keep up his drive.

Senior Alex Gill works out for 5 minutes everyday, “but the 5 minutes are intense,” he said.  It’s not hard for him to excel in school and workout because Gill reads in the gym. He works out solo, “no one ever got your back, you gotta learn that quick,” he said.

Senior Jack Ohberg started working out because he liked the feeling of being fit, active, and swole.

Motivations affect how people workout.  For example Senior Tyler Torosian said, “I wanted to impress the girls,” so he started working out.  Sophomore Dalton Torosian said, “I wanted to impress the girls and be like my bro, Tyler Torosian.” Two brothers with the same motivations, will definitely increase the time they spend together in the gym.

Other people workout to look better.  Senior Dylan Duke said, “I wanted to have a better looking body.”  

Some even want a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger, aspiring to resemble him.  “Basically I wanted a godlike physique, like Arnold,” said Sterling Leathers.  

Senior Evan Sadowski simply said, “I want to get bigger than Sterling.”

Sports can also motivate workouts.  Senior Josh Pike said, “I want to qualify for state during track,” and to do that he will have to train everyday.  Junior Molly Thomas works out because she wants the chance to run in college and will have to work hard to reach her dream.

There are also many places to workout other than Wests’ facilities like the fitness center and field house.  There are gyms close by such as, The Animal House, Anytime Fitness, Princeton Club, Wisconsin Athletics Club, Planet Fitness, Xperience Fitness, and other assorted gyms.

Freshman Connor Mckenzie alternatively works his thumbs out real good, 8 hours a day on his Playstation 4.  McKenzie says, “You don’t want to injure yourself so after the 8 hours of games I have a cooldown of 2 hours of Netflix and then 8 more hours of video games.”

Sophomore Rose Riedmaier started to workout in elementary school for sports and now she works out “to get that summer bod.”

Freshman Kayla Garny exercises for basketball and volleyball at New Berlin West, where her team works out at the fitness center.  

Starting out, weight lifting or exercise can seem difficult to perform.  With the right training and tips, a beginner can become experienced quickly.  “Consistency is the biggest hurdle for most people to overcome,” said Garland.  

Staying in a weight room for up to 2 hours everyday can be difficult for students to maintain especially when they have homework and studying to accomplish. That’s why students need to do different things to exercise, “try a variety of activities to find something you like and can sustain overtime,” said Garland.  Not only does finding an activity you like help you workout consistently, but finding a friend to workout with will make the workout more enjoyable.

Nutrition is also a very important part of exercise.  You should eat from all the food groups; dairy, proteins, grains, fruits, and vegetables to maintain a balanced diet.  Fruits and vegetables should be emphasized the most because “most people are not eating enough of them,” said Garland. Garland said when you’re shopping you should stay on the outside of the store where the fresh meats, vegetables, cheeses, and fruits are.  Aisles contain processed and refined foods that are made up of lots sugar and sodium. The aisles are known as the “Standardized American Diet Zone,” said Garland.

New Berlin West is working very hard to make sure students have a plan for their future.  “Whatever the plan is, we want to make sure that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a part of that plan in some way,” said Garland.  Keep lifting, eating healthy, and sustaining a lifestyle right for you. Exercise is different for everyone but if you don’t stay consistent you won’t keep your muscle you have built up. Stay joocy.