I was not born athletic. Tall, lanky and uncoordinated, I still wonder how I even managed to play Little League as a child.

However, by going to the Jewish Community Center (or the JCC) with friends, I have learned to enjoy and explore different forms of exercise and physical activity.

While I have some experience in sports from ultimate Frisbee and cross country running and skiing, I am far from well-rounded or experienced in the arena of physical exercise.

During winter break, in the absence of Nordic practices, a close friend proposed going to the JCC to “bulk up” in our spare time.

Weight-lifting was a foreign concept to me, with my only weekly dosage coming from heaving 25 and 40 pound water-softener bags of salt at my job.

The idea of bench pressing or squatting conjured images of Terminator and tank tops in my mind, far from anything I was familiar with. Feeling adventurous, I accepted my friend’s offer and decided to begin my quest for better fitness.

Like most aspects of  life, starting small is key. Almost everyone has a weight size that feels heavy for them, whether it is 45 pounds or 10 pounds.

By beginning at a level you can handle or tolerate, you not only find your comfort zone but also get a better grasp on the achievability of your goals. While I certainly did not set out at the JCC to become featured on Bodybuilder’s Weekly, I did look to improve my overall stamina and strength.

Weight-lifting can be tough. As many experts will say, the key is building up to increase tolerance. Not only does this mean starting at a comfortable level and pushing yourself to more weight, but also maintaining a schedule and regularly lifting. Focusing on one area each session, such as biceps and chest or the dreaded legs, one can devote themselves to a specific area of improvement while making overall gains.

Going to the gym just once will lead to going three or four times per week. Attendance and perseverance are often hard, especially with school and other extracurriculars.

By taking a friend who I knew would motivate me at the gym, I was able to improve my devotion to working out and meeting my goals.

Although I am far from buff at this point, I feel much more confident in myself and my athletic capabilities after my time at the JCC.

Not only am I more healthy and fit than I was a month ago, but my commitment and perseverance is also definitely higher after setting a goal and seeing the effects firsthand. I even took the leap of faith and joined a Jewball league with a team of close friends in the next step toward physical perfection.