Drop that six-pack of beer and you can finally get those six-pack abs

Every year, millions of college freshmen learn about the phenomenon of the "freshman 15." Caused by an overindulgence in sweets, unlimited cafeteria food and the consumption of alcohol, the freshman 15 is the 15 or so extra pounds many students gain during their first year at college. In order to combat this fatty trend, there are a number of measures Hopkins students take to win the battle of the bulge.

My fitness method of choice is weight training. Not only does this help to build muscle but it helps in burning fat as well. The more muscle a person has the more calories he/she burns. Every pound of muscle burns roughly 35 calories a day. Gaining a few pounds of muscle might help you lose those 10 pounds of fat you've been wanting to drop. The easiest muscles to build are in your legs. Most people make the mistake of only training their upper body. The largest muscles in one's body are in their legs, especially the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluts and calves. While often times overlooked, muscle gain can be easily achieved by working these out. Because your body tends to grow proportionately, working out your legs may even help stimulate growth in your upper body.

The key to gaining muscle is not actually spending more time lifting; it is more involved in your recovery. A person can lift weights three times a week for an hour each day and expect muscle gain. Lifting for more than an hour can cause muscular atrophy and actually hinder your weight training.

When lifting weights, the key to building muscle is using correct form. It is far easier to cheat, but in doing so, you fail to focus on the muscle group as well as you could. Try not to lift every set until you reach exhaustion. Instead of doing one set of 20 with a weight, try doing three sets of 10. Although your muscles may not tire as much, you are actually working them better by doing 30 repetitions of an exercise instead of 20.

Another key to staying in shape is by engaging in cardiovascular activities. These activities may consist of going for a jog, a long walk, playing a game of basketball or using a treadmill. These activities make your heart work harder so in time, they will lower your resting heart rate. All of these activities raise your metabolism and burn more calories every time you do them. In fact, this time period of increased metabolism can actually last up to a half hour after you have exercised.

The best place on campus to engage in these aerobic activities is in the Recreation Center where numerous treadmills, elliptical machines and an indoor track are located for your benefit.

There is also a small exercise room in the basement of AMR 2 for residents in the freshmen quad. Rooms also exist on the second floor of McCoy and in the basement of Wolman . They are accessible if you feel the need for a late night run after the Recreation Center has closed.

There are also numerous places to jog around campus; the most popular routes are along University Pkwy. and Charles St.

The key to losing fat is to burn more calories than you consume. By eating foods that contain fewer calories or avoiding food loaded with calories, you should manage to keep your calorie consumption below or at the level of calories that you burn in a day. For example, red meat is far fattier and has more calories than fish, turkey or chicken. Other foods loaded with calories are usually on the dessert tray at Terrace. I am not advising you to avoid them, because they're just too damn good.

The other fat culprit often indulged by college students is alcohol. How do you think the term "beer belly" came about? Alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories. When alcohol enters your stomach, the digestive enzymes convert it almost literally straight to fat. So if you feel like a big man for downing 10 shots at a party, well, keep doing it; you will definitely be a very large man.

So try to live a healthy life-style at Hopkins. Fit people generally live longer, have fewer health problems and get laid more often.