When Anytime Fitness opened in early September 2020 in place of the former True Value, no one could have imagined that it would become so popular – especially among students here at Liberty High School.

What was once a sleepy hardware store has now transformed into a hotspot for student activity.

It seems as though when walking through the doors of Anytime Fitness, it is inevitable to see one of the many students from Liberty that regularly visit the gym. A lot of students feel that not only is Anytime Fitness one of the few recreational activities offered to young people here in Bealeton, it is also a positive and life-changing hobby to partake in. This is especially beneficial to the community as it keeps students away from participating in distasteful behavior that often arises with a lack of activities to keep students occupied.

     A number of students cite aspirations of weight loss and the desire to stay in shape as their reasons for considering going to the gym.

“I just wanted to get stronger and look better,” said junior Frank Campos-Reyes.

For other students, the reasons were more specific.

“I wanted to go because I had boxing coming up and I wanted to be more active,” said junior Diego Santana.

The personal goals for every student look different, whether it is about losing weight or building muscle, everyone is focused on an end result. When asked about what motivates them to achieve these goals, students had a lot to say.

“Going to the gym and losing weight helps me focus more in school. I want to get better and eventually use it to give back to the community,” said sophomore Steaven Reyes-Campos.

“My family motivates me to lose weight. They support me and my goals,” said junior Zach Demers.

“The gym makes me feel better about my body and allows me to do things I never thought I would have done,” said junior Diego Santana. 

  The dedication from students to improve themselves at Anytime Fitness goes beyond reaching their goals. Although he prefers training at home, senior Ethan Hurley admits that he plans on continuing to work on himself even after he reaches his ideal weight.

“I still plan on going to the gym even after I reach my goals. I will never be satisfied,” said Hurley, who also happens to work at Anytime Fitness

     As an employee at Anytime Fitness, Hurley regularly cleans, gives people gym memberships, and answers any fitness questions that students may have. The perk of a free gym membership is what inspired Hurley to apply for a position behind the scenes; however, this has not prevented him from still using the gym himself.

“It gives me a place to go if I don’t want to be at home or anywhere else. Going to the gym makes me healthier – physically and mentally,” said Hurley.

     As for the activities that students participate in at the gym, it varies, but each student has some sort of routine that they are committed to.

“I have push days, pull days, leg days, and sometimes shoulder days,” said junior Hayden Hardcastle.

For other students the activities they participate in are more correlated to a specific goal they have in mind.

“I mostly do bodybuilding. Sometimes I do powerlifting, which is compound lifts, bench squats, and deadlifts. I prefer bodybuilding because it affects how you look and it reflects the body type I am trying to go for,” said junior Frank Campos-Reyes.

  While students who go to Anytime Fitness have overwhelmingly positive things to say about the gym, there are still some things they feel could be improved.

“Right after school is the busiest time. A lot of people go so it gets crowded fast and it is a small gym,” said junior Zach Demers.

“There’s so much cockiness at the gym. People that lift more than you are all talk and brag about it and get all in your face,” said junior Diego Santana.

While the gym cannot account for the ego of its patrons, they still offer a variety of great fitness services for students, staff and Bealeton community members.