Gallery • 5 Photos

Victoria Andreev

Me in the locker room after going to the gym for the first time on May 11, 2021.

The pandemic managed to turn me into the female equivalent of a tik tok gym bro. Well, kinda.

When the world was first slammed by the pandemic, I was a completely different person who had a lot on my plate. The stress from school, sports, family and friends was reaching a tipping point, and I was yet to find an outlet to let off some steam. Towards the closing of my junior year, I was hit with multiple blows from the universe that essentially turned my life upside down.

I wish I had an inspirational story or a memorable moment that caused me to start working out, but to be honest, I was sitting on the end of my bed on some random afternoon last May and suddenly decided that this was the solution to all my problems. Everyone who goes to the gym has their own reason for spending hours tearing their muscles apart everyday; for me, working out became the outlet I was looking for.

I’ve been at this for almost a year. That’s not a long time, I know, but it’s probably the biggest positive lifestyle change I’ve made over the pandemic. 

One of my favorite side effects of lifting has been watching my body change. I choose not to weigh myself for a multitude of reasons, but I’ve spent the last year watching my muscles grow and body transform as I slowly become more comfortable existing in my own brain and skin. I’ve acquired a pretty cool outlook on life, having significantly more confidence in my ability to enter social situations as well as smaller things, like deciding to go blonde or wearing pajama pants to school everyday. 

Getting started was hard, and I’m not going to lie, some days I really just don’t want to get up. Having friends that lift has been a huge help. It’s pretty hard to say no when they’re spam-calling you from your driveway. My friend Tatiana and my boyfriend John have been my support system throughout all of this—something I think has been critical to keeping me on track and in a good mental place. Spending more time with them in a productive environment has definitely brought us a lot closer.

Now that I’ve done everything I can to show how much working your body can quietly transform your life, grab some friends or pent up frustration and go push something heavy.