Some people are passionate about art, others about reading, but junior Simon Assouline is avid about weight lifting. He’s been lifting every day since the summer of 2014.

Assouline began lifting because he recognized that appearance impacts first impressions. He then realized how enjoyable lifting is.

He intends to start a weight training club at school to teach others how to weight lift and help others to become more physically active. His weight lifting club will be the first athletics club in school. He believes the club will motivate students with similar interests to train together.

“Many people know about weight lifting but don’t practice it and I would like to introduce them to the sport,” Assouline said.

Assouline believes that there is more to weight training than just building muscle. He would like to instill principles that he has learned while weight lifting to all who join the club. Principles which have helped him with his studies and everyday problems.

“It has helped me with my patience, discipline, and strength,” Assouline said.

Assouline, a former football player claims that weight training with the team was unpleasant compared to weight training as a hobby.

“For football we would train for strength, which makes weight training less enjoyable,” Assouline said. “When I do it on my own, it feels more rewarding than just building muscle, it gives me a sense of accomplishment.”

Assouline has taken weight training to a whole new level. He has read “the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding”, a book on body building written by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He credits Schwarzenegger with teaching him how to body build. He takes pleasure in knowing that very few people have a talent like his.

Once Assouline has the club operating, he plans to instruct members not only on bench pressing, but on how to use other tools such as dumbbells and barbells to build muscle. Bench pressing is a form of body building in which a person lays down and raises a forty five pound bar with extra weight on each side. Assouline has bench pressed a maximum of 315 pounds, with a maximum goal of 450 pounds

Assouline’s goal is that the club will create new opportunities for him in pursuing a career with body building. The club will also provide him with more training to possibly enter competitions.

“I would like to compete in weight lifting, with the ultimate goal being the Olympia, the Super bowl of weight lifting competitions.”

Assouline attends LA Fitness gym every day after school and works out for one or two hours a day. He originally attended the gym with friends but believed he was getting too distracted and wanted to focus more so he began to go by himself.

“The feeling I get when I accomplish the challenges I set for my self is like none other,” Assouline said.