My Journey in the Gym

In this blog "Gym Leads to Dreams" I will be sharing my own personal journey in the gym. I will also be offering insights and tips on how I stay motivated, how to develop training programs, how to plan your meals, and how to perform exercises correctly. For this first post however, I want to take you briefly through my journey and how the gym has not only helped me develop physically, but also in my personal life and professional career.

College Begins

My life changed when I came to Drexel as a freshman in the Fall of 2012. I was a 135 pound, 5'8" skinny kid who didn't know the first thing about the gym. I was also beginning classes pursuing a degree in Sport Management. With my dreams of working as an executive in the NFL in my head, I was told by multiple professors and guest speakers throughout my first term that it was almost impossible to have a successful career in the professional sport industry without being a former player or without having close connections. I knew I failed on both of these criterion, so essentially I was being told I would never achieve my dreams. This is where I turned to the gym so I could prove to myself that I can grow and better myself each day. I needed an outlet where I could prove to myself I could accomplish something big. My goal was that if I could achieve a change physically, I would be able to do so professionally and personally as well.

No Limits

I want to offer my first piece of advise here - never put up limitations for yourself. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, you will never reach it if you put up limitations for what you can accomplish. Throughout your whole life, others will put up limits for you by saying you cannot do something. What you have to do is prove that those "limits" are meant to be broken. 

I have to credit my good friend, Mark Panusky, for taking me under his wing and showing me around the gym when I first began. As a beginner, it could've been easy for me to be intimidated at the gym. I was struggling to bench the barbell (45 pounds), while Mark was benching 275 pounds. However he told me that it doesn't matter what other people are doing, rather it is about taking each day and being a little bit better than you were the day before. 

                                                            Today

I sit here today now weighing 175 pounds and benching over 200 pounds. While there is still room to grow (Mark is up to benching 365 pounds!) and still goals I have to reach in the gym, I have a found a way to prove to myself that I can better myself and accomplish my dreams. During the 2 and a half years I have been at Drexel, I've grown professionally by landing internships with the Philadelphia Flyers, Sixers, and most recently the Philadelphia Eagles. This is only the first step in my career, but I developed a starting point for myself because of the belief  instilled in me from the gym. Whether it be getting through a break-up or meeting friends from around the world while studying abroad, I've also developed a confidence both personally and socially which is rooted back to my achievements in the gym. 

A Little Motivation for You

The beautiful thing about life and humanity is that every single person has the ability to better themselves. For me, I found that in the gym and I am here to help you do the same. All I ask is that you have an open mind and try it for a couple weeks. You might be getting out of a relationship and have a lot on your mind, or you may be struggling to find a job in your industry, or you may be dealing with the loss of a loved one. No matter what the situation or what is causing the stress in your life, the gym can help you realize all the amazing things you can accomplish and just how beautiful your life truly is. I leave you here with a video that I go to for motivation for my life.