According to the fitness coach Rich Hardin, approximately five high school students regularly used the Fitness Center after school in 2009. Coach Rich stated, “that at first, the gym was like a ghost town.” However, things have changed with more people pursuing a healthy lifestyle and workouts have become a trendy pastime. Now, Coach Rich deals with approximately 30 students daily. With the increase number of gym goers, Coach Rich has expanded the old workout routines by adding intense work out plans, nutrition and meal plans and training logs. All of these are personalised to fit an individual student’s fitness level and the desired outcome. The phenomenal surge in bodybuilding and gym workouts at ISM may also be attributed to the fact that ISM has many “muscled inspirations,’ but none more renowned than senior Patrick L.
Patrick has undergone a massive body transformation; according to Patrick, at the age of 14, he was known as the “chubby kid”. He was embarrassed, teased and made fun of throughout his middle school life. However this all came to an end with his fitness workouts. Fed up with nasty and sardonic comments, Patrick took action. He decided to take on judo and after only 3 weeks of training, he won bronze and silver medals, against men who had been competing for five or more years. These victories led him further into weight training, which yielded the “pretty shredded” physique you see before us today.
Whether you are looking to develop a healthy lifestyle or to bulk up those muscles, gym goers like Patrick should serve as an inspiration to all who seek that transformation.
Article by: AJ O’Regan Brown, 10
Group Photo by: Rich Hardin (taken from Facebook)
Photo of Patrick L. from bodybuilding.com
