Back in the Weight Room (Kinda)

In high school, I was in the weight room all the time. Two sports will do that to you. I had teammates, a coach telling me what to do, and workouts already written on the whiteboard. Lifting didn’t feel intimidating, it just felt like part of the routine.

But then college happened, and suddenly I was solo at the gym. No team, no plan, no idea what I was doing. So I stuck to what I knew: the treadmill. It felt safe, predictable, easy to disappear into. I missed lifting, but I didn’t think I could do it on my own.

Fast forward to now. . . I’m prehabbing for knee surgery, and somehow I’ve found my way back to strength training. Slowly. Carefully. And kind of… happily?

It’s different this time. No pressure to perform, no team workouts, no coach yelling “one more rep.” Just me, a pair of dumbbells, and a playlist I like. I’m doing it to feel strong, protect my knee, and rebuild some trust in my body. And honestly? It feels good.

I’m not maxing out or posting PRs, but I’m showing up. And that’s enough for me right now.

uc davis gym