The college lifestyle

by: DannyStevens - September 8th, 2008

It seems that there has been a large number of college/high school students joining RA. I am pleased to see this as an athlete as well as a college student. I thoroughly enjoy helping me peers reach their goals. It's great to see younger people take an interest in bodybuilding and fitness. With new interest comes new questions and concerns. I want to shed a little light on how my training works in conjunction with my job as a full time student. Some of the typical issues I have come across are as follows.

As a student, nothing is worse than a day full of multiple classes back to back. This semester, I am on a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule which is nice. BUT, two of my days are packed with 4 classes one right after another. Getting in my usual meals is pretty much impossible with this setup. To correct the problem, I simply flip flop things around. In turn, I have a later dinner and a later lunch. While going to class, I have my shaker cups ready, filled with Nitrocore 24 and Pro Complex. No athlete can afford to go 6 hours with no food and I'm no exception. I have to do what I can to work with my time restraints.

I personally live in a house and have access to a kitchen. For the students living in dorms, they don't have this luxury. There are however ways around this. All schools have a dining hall and more often than not, you can get your proper food. Grilled/baked chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, etc. are all usually available. The trick is to keep away from the junk you don't need. Groceries stores will also be your best friend as ready made items like canned tuna are a great choice.

It's no secret that college students like to party. I had to make a choice long ago that if bodybuilding was important to me, late nights and binge drink-athons were a no no. Personally, dropping alcohol from my diet was no problem at all but for many others, it's not so easy. They can eat clean and train hard but when it comes to drinking, they know no end. There is alcohol with no carbs and minimal calories but the fact of the matter is, one can assume alcohol is not a performance enhancing supplement. There is plenty of evidence out there, at least for me, concluding that alcohol does little to help promote muscle gain. You can argue that the occasional drink will do little harm but when you're 22 years old, you seldom take 1 drink when you're out at the bars. It's easier just to cut it out entirely.

One final issue that I've heard from college students is finding a place to train, especially with the lack of funds. I've never quite understood this problem as it seems every major college/university has a rec. center. And it's usually FREE! Your tuition should cover this. If you don't have a student rec. center, there is probably a gym located near campus. You would be surprised to know many gyms all over, especially in college towns offer student discounts. If they don't have any discounts, talk to the manager and tell him/her your situation. They need your membership just as much as you need a place to train! Call around, you'll find a place within your budget.

I hope this article helps some of you students in your training. Just remember, if this stuff was easy, every person in the world would be doing it. If you work with your schedule and make a few sacrifices, training and being a full time student can work out just fine.

The information contained in this article is not intended to be used for, or replace, the advice, medical diagnosis, or treatment of your doctor. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other licensed healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, diet, or exercise routine or when you have questions regarding any medical condition. Use of this article indicates that you expressly acknowledge and agree that Optimum Nutrition, Inc., its suppliers, licensees, and sub-licensees are not responsible for the results of your decision resulting from the use of this information including, but not limited to, your choosing to seek or not seek professional medical care based on the information contained in this article.