On September 30, the Bulldogs Who Lift club held their first meeting at Riverside Brookfield High School. Kirstin Blumberg, a physical education teacher, and Maricela Vega, a social studies teacher, co-sponsor the club.

The club’s main purpose is to teach the students new skills that will help them develop into being comfortable when they’re lifting weights around their peers, while also creating a comfort zone so students can expand their knowledge on exercising and become physically and mentally stronger.

“I really just want to create a space where people can come learn because I know it will transform both of our lives and teaching, and fitness is my biggest area of interest. So we’re excited to have the opportunity to share that with students,” Blumberg said.

No experience is necessary for joining this weightlifting club, and if a student has any other activities and can’t be as consistent as other students, they can still join.

“Right now, we have had two meetings, and we have had 30 people show up. So, there is a lot of interest, but right now we are trying to figure out what day the majority of people can come in. So it might be in the morning or after school, and you do not need any experience joining this club,” Vega said.

Bulldogs Who Lift will have set exercise plans for each workout session so the entire body is exercised within the month. The whole purpose of having a set workout plan is to focus on different muscle groups and see progress in the future.

“ So, for example, one week we’ll focus on legs, and then another week we’ll have a different group. We might be doing a whole day back and biceps, or chest and shoulders. We’ll group it so that each week has a focus, and then the four weeks of the month combined will have touched on the whole body,” Blumberg said.

At the moment, the Sponsors of the Bulldogs Who Lift club are making an effort to figure out the number of students who will be available either before or after school.

“You do not necessarily have to be consistent on going every week. I think we need to have a certain amount of participation. We need to justify continuing it. But obviously, people’s schedules change based on when they’re in sports, when they’re in class, and different commitments they have outside of school. So, we totally understand that people can come as they want,“ Blumberg said.

The club is attempting to make the best decisions so that a great number of students are able to join, and to make the club as successful as possible.

“You do not need any experience joining this club. That’s why we’re just creating a safe and inviting space for people to come and learn,” Vega said.