Weightlifting and bouldering are two of my favorite hobbies. I first developed a passion for weightlifting in high school when I began going to the gym regularly in an effort to improve my health and eczema. With just a barbell, some plates, and dumbbells, I pushed myself every day, striving to transform into my idealized fitter self. While I didn’t see dramatic changes then, I built discipline that I drew upon later. When I got back into consistent lifting in college, I gained over 40 pounds of muscle from my early lifting days, which I’m very proud of. Bouldering was introduced to me more recently by a friend. Though similar to weightlifting, I found none of my lifting strength translated to bouldering ability. Being heavy has been a real challenge in climbing, and while I’m far from skilled at it, bouldering has become addictively fun. Reaching the top after gripping small plastic holds gives me a huge adrenaline and happiness rush. I’d recommend bouldering to anyone, even though it’s not for everyone. Despite the challenges, weightlifting and bouldering have become great passions of mine.|
-Alex
