In the mornings, the sound of clashing weights, groans and the rippling of the treadmill track can be heard by students who frequent IM Sports-West to achieve their fitness goals.

After having a baby boy two years ago, political science prelaw junior Keshava Kirkland finds inspiration from Carmen Gets Fit, a blog with posts related to personal training, weight loss and getting healthy.

Since she wanted to slim down after having a baby, Kirkland found this blog compelling and a way to stay motivated.

Kirkland focuses on heart health with cardio, which she combines with specific focus areas, like back, abs and legs to appear toned.

“I don’t always eat the right things so I need to balance it out,” she said. “I’ve seen lots of improvements — more strength in my legs and arms, more toned, fat turning into muscle, losing weight in my face and abs getting harder.”

Working out in the mornings is something that Kirkland and finance sophomore Patrick Lane do to start their day out right.

“I like to make it a part of every day. I feel better when I work out, especially in the mornings. It brings me more energy during the day,” Lane said. “I used to sleep in, go to class, then go to the gym, but I figure out that I didn’t really have much free time when I did that. I like to come early and leave the rest of my day wide open to get homework done and just relax.”

With summer break only a month away, students like mechanical engineering junior Andrew Boyer create time in their days for workouts to get their “summer bod,” in addition to staying healthy.

“Some days my legs feel like Jell-O (after), but I feel rejuvenated. ... If I start my day with a workout, then I’m really active for the rest of the day,” Kirkland said. “After I work out, I don’t want to eat fattening food — I want some fruit. Working out makes me feel healthy, and I want to be healthy.”