Even before the semester began, Warren sophomore Mya Duhart wanted to start an exercise club. Duhart said she wanted to find people with the same goals of going to the gym and learning how to use the equipment. So she thought to herself: “Why don’t I start my own club?”
Now, on Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m., her idea has become a reality.
Muscle Up With Mya is an exercise class open to anyone on campus. Duhart, the program’s instructor and creator, has experience with a variety of sports and a minor in kinesiology.
Each class begins with a discussion led by Duhart in the Dow multi-purpose room, consisting of which muscle group the session will focus on, nutrition and safety. She then leads stretching exercises before the class then moves to the Serra Fitness Center for lifting.
Duhart said the class is beginner-oriented, but that it can also be for people with experience who simply want a partner – “it’s for anyone, really.”
“A lot of (the attendees) said they were afraid or felt intimidated to step into a gym,” Duhart said. “I want them to feel comfortable and navigate that with them.”
After a meeting with Assistant Dean for Campus Life Sharese Shannon Mathis, Duhart said she decided to approach the Office of Integrated Wellness, which had sponsored similar programs in the past. Duhart was hired by the Office of Integrated Wellness, and held her first class on Sept. 19.
“The first week was only like six people, and at the end they said they enjoyed it,” Duhart said. “I talked about my own goals, and wanting to be consistent at the gym, especially because I know how difficult it is to do it during the school year.”
One of those first attendees, Battle Creek first-year Alexis Downs, said she decided to try the class after leaving her high school softball career.
“I really wanted to start going back to the gym, because I’m not playing a sport anymore and I felt like I was getting out of shape,” Downs said.
Downs has attended every meeting since.
“I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym, so doing this and actually learning how to do everything is super helpful,” Downs said. “I get to learn how to use all the machines, and I’m actually really enjoying it.”
Duhart said her goal is for attendees to have “an idea of what equipment works on what muscle group” and know “how to set up their own workout.”
Each session focuses on a different muscle group, like the lower body, core, back or biceps. Duhart said this breakdown is intentional, as a full-body workout, though effective, can lead to injury.
“A lot of people said that they’d like to tone, lose weight or just (know) how to use the equipment because they just have no idea where to start,” Duhart said.
Another attendee of the class and Duhart’s boyfriend, Dallas sophomore Nicholas Sheffler, said he was a beginner at the gym before going to the class.
Scheffler said he’d struggled with feeling confident enough to go to the gym.
“I didn’t want to make myself look silly by not knowing what I’m doing on these machines,” Sheffler added.
But, after attending his second session, Scheffler started to feel more comfortable.
“It’s fun learning all these things with other people,” Sheffler said. “She does good with making it a comfortable environment to learn.”
As for the future of Muscle Up With Mya, Duhart said she hopes to continue the program through the semester, and if possible, until her graduation in 2027.
For anyone considering attending Muscle Up With Mya, Sheffler said “just go for a meeting or two. If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you, and if it’s for you, that’s great.”
Leave a Reply