April Allen | Arts & Life Co-Editor

“I work out!” is repeated many times in LMFAO’s song “I’m Sexy and I Know It”, and senior Exercise Science major Jesse Garcia lives this song six days week, every morning at five a.m. He doesn’t miss a day. Consistently, Garcia works out six days a week, four weeks a month, and 12 months a year.

He completes his strenuous activities at Storm Lake’s Anytime Fitness. Buena Vista Univeristy has its own fitness center, but it isn’t a 24 hour facility. Lamberti’s Fitness center opens at six a.m., and Garcia starts his routine five a.m. This is the only time it fits into his schedule. He chooses Anytime Fitness because of the convenience it allows him.

Garcia is committed to his workout schedule because it’s different than a sport. It is something he can do on his own without a team, and it lets him have sole control of his success. While working out is different from a typical sport, it is still a part of his life goals and interests.

This past summer Garcia participated in a deadlifting competition at the Iowa State Fair and won in the Natural Super Heavy Weight division.

“It felt like an accomplishment. I didn’t win money or anything, but it was still something I did for the very first time,” Garcia said.

Garcia says he won nothing, but he was proud of the trophy standing two feet tall beside his television.

In his Exercise Science major, Garcia is focusing on Human Performance. He hopes to someday be a personal trainer and get a coaching degree similar to Buena Vista University’s previous Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Ron Thompson’s certifications. All these goals give him the motivation to get up every day at five a.m.

This is his senior year, which means he is busy, but he doesn’t let this stop him. His biggest challenge this year is the social atmosphere of college, which includes the temptation to party or stay up late with friends which can affect his body building abilities.

“You can’t be a rock star and be a bodybuilder,” is the advice given to Garcia by a fellow body builder he once knew.

“The feeling and the results,” Garcia said. “When I notice improvements in my performance is when I get that feeling.”

Photos by David Ekstrom

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