While a chore for some, going to the gym is a passion for others — a way of life.
McLelland-Rae Johnson, personal trainer and student at Auburn, has a passion for weight training. She started dancing from ages 3 to 18 and did cheerleading throughout high school.
But senior year, she realized she wanted a new way to keep in shape.
In Daphne, Alabama, where she grew up, her mother took her to the gym and introduced her to a friend who did weight training. She began by working out with her mother’s friend, and during that time, she found a love for it and decided that weight training would be her new sport.
One thing that appealed to Johnson about weight training is how it tests and explores the power of the human body, she said. She enjoys the opportunity to push her limits and see how far she can go.
In an average week, she works out Monday through Saturday. She starts by waking up at 5 a.m., getting to the gym at 6 a.m. and working out for about an hour and a half.
Each week may vary on what she does on a day-to day basis, but overall, Johnson tries to do at least two days of leg workouts and some upper body and ab workouts every day. She takes Sundays off to relax and rest her body.
With all this exercise, Johnson tries to maintain well-rounded eating habits to keep her energy up and to feel healthy.
“I think it’s just a good balance of fueling your body with healthy nutrition-dense foods, pushing your body to the limit, using what’s given to you with muscles and the ability to push them to work out,” Johnson said on how she upholds a healthy lifestyle,
In her last competition, Johnson competed as a National Physique Committee bikini competitor. To prepare, she went through four months of preparation, which required intense cardio, lifting and a specific diet plan. Her workout time doubled and went to about three hours a day.
“It taught me a lot about myself and what I can handle mentally,” Johnson said.
Although it was a lot to handle, she enjoyed the experience overall and plans to do another competition in the near future. For now, she is sticking with her usual regimen.
For Johnson, working out is a part of her daily routine. She does not see it as an obligation; it’s just something she genuinely enjoys. She even has it written into her calendar. She said it’s like her “me-time.” She uses weight training to better her mind and body.
“I just think it’s very important for people to understand that we are given one body, and we might as well take care of it while we have the chance,” Johnson said. “It’s not just about looking the part and getting that bikini body, but just making sure that from the inside out, you are healthy — training your heart, training your lungs. You know your muscles need training too, and that comes with working out.”
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Abigail Murphy, senior in journalism with minors in history and women and gender studies, is the operations managing editor at The Auburn Plainsman.
