Breanna O’Connor

Bristol Community College Fall River Online boconnor13@bristolcc.edu

5/2/016

Dear Portfolio Committee 

Hello, my name is Breanna O’Connor, a 21 years old returning student to Bristol community college,. I went to Bristol community college in 2013 for one semester, and then life took a small turn and I had to drop out, but I am back and happy to be continuing my education. Coming into this class I was nervous, as most people who know me know, I am not the best when it comes to writing. Growing up I was homeschooled, along with all of my other six siblings at the time, so it was hard for my mom to teach me one on one when I needed the help because she would be busy helping my other brothers and sisters, so I had to self teach myself my whole middle school and high school career. My Junior year I finally asked my mom to have me do online classes through Seton, a homeschool program where I would send my essays and have them graded, to my disappointment my self teaching did not do me justice at all, my first graded paper was a D, but I was given pointers by the online English teachers and when I graduated my Senior year I had a B+ in English. I have improved my writing skills, but I still have a ways to go. As you will notice in my essays, my focus was on working out, and fitness.

My first essay I am very proud of, it is my Memoir. “How I started a new lifestyle” This essay is about me, it shows a struggle in my life with asthma, the struggle of how I loved to run, but my asthma would always take over and leave me there trying to regain my breathing, how I had to hide my asthma from others. But also in this essay it brings in a new part of my life which a friend introduced to me, and how this changed my life my life forever. I added list which I still have from years ago into it, showing the workouts I was taught to do and the muscle groups.

My second essay “Gym environment”, this connects into my first essay in a way, this gives you a description of my friend who introduced me to lifting, it gives you an insight on his life and who he is as a person,  also describes his diet a little bit. Gives a slight description of our group of friends who also workout, and gives a visual view of the gym we use.

My third essay for my portfolio is my Argument Essay, this brings you into a lifters life who takes steroids, and believe it or not, a good percentage of lifter use steroids, and to me as a fellow lifter it is saddening, because steroids take a huge toll on a person both mentally and physically, which you will see in my essay. This will tells you of the cons these have on your body and health. This essay brings you into the effects this drug has on both the male and female. The Medical and emotional downfalls it brings to you and your body.

I enjoyed learning and doing the different types of writing in this class, and I feel as though I did well in this class, which for me to say is not easy, because as I said before I am not great at writing, it is not my strong suite. Also thank you Holly for giving me pointers on my work through out this semester, you were helpful and I feel you have helped me improved my writing skills.

Sincerely 

Breanna O’Connor

Why Steroids should not be used

One of the problems you will see in lifting is steroids, a lot of “professional” lifters and even just your everyday lifters use these.  Steroids are used as performance enhancers, it helps to build muscle faster and for the lifter using it to get  higher weight performance.  These outcomes are great to the lifters, but do they really know the cons of taking these, and the effects it can have on their body and health.

What can a steroid pill or injection really do to you? It can be that bad right? WRONG! Using these makes you higher at risk for cramping, which a cramp can’t be that bad right? WRONG again, what happens if you are benching 200lb or more and you get a cramp in your arm or chest ? that weight is coming down on you and can cause a serious injury or even death! Steroids are also known to lead to a higher chances of dehydration, dizziness and even depression, these small things you take or inject yourself with have a numerous amount of effects and downfalls on you through your performance and can lead to negative health problems.

As most people already know, this drug can lead to sexual side effects on both the male and female, causing serious health problems. For our male category, their testicles are know to shrink, their breast enlarge, and they have a risk of not being able to have children, they can become infertile. “The reason this happens is because the steroids over produce testosterone tricking the body into think the testicles do not need to produce testosterone, causing the testicle not to produce it and leading the male into becoming infertile.” For us females, we can obtain an over grown clitoris, breast shrinkage, and menstrual abnormalities and may become infertile “Since steroids replicate testosterone, steroid use may trigger hormonal shifts. As a result, women may experience menstrual abnormalities my occur. Women may experience fewer periods, lighter or heavier menstrual flow, erratic periods or unusual premenstrual symptoms. If a woman stops menstruating , a condition called amenorrhea, it may indicate infertility.”

Health and emotional effects steroids have on you are also very dangerous, first off those people who use injections have a high percentage of getting HIV and hepatitis “Many abusers who inject anabolic steroids may use non-sterile injection techniques or share contaminated needles with other abusers. In addition, some steroid preparations are manufactured illegally under non-sterile conditions. These factors put abusers at risk for acquiring life-threatening viral infections, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. Abusers also can develop endocarditis, a bacterial infection that causes a potentially fatal inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. Bacterial infections also can cause pain and abscess formation at injection sites”. Either pill or injection may lead to higher chances of liver disease “Based on estrogen studies in 1970s and 1980s, steroids could lead to certain tumors and liver damage.” kidney disease and/or high blood pressure “steroids put the kidneys under stress and can lead to electrolyte imbalances and high blood pressure.” and an increase chance of a stroke or heart attack. Emotionally it throws you off, and these are the most common known effects that those taking steroids receive, such as mood swings, the smallest things will irritate you and cause you anger, which can turn into violent behavior and slashing out at people. Depression is another key factor for those taking this drug, and the main moments depression happens is when you stop taking it, because your body relies on it, and you go through withdrawals, causing risk of suicide or self harm.

Yes steroids are bad for you, who cares if it gives you a better lifting performance, or bigger looking body, tell me, is it worth all these risks? Is it worth risking your life over, do you want to chance hurting your self for the higher weight it allows you to do?  Is not being able to have children okay with you? blood disease’s, like HIV or hepatitis, or high blood pressure and a heart attack? Would you want to be angry and irritable all the time, causing you to lash out at others? Do you want to feel depressed? My guess that all these questions are a no to you. These points right here should make anyone who wants to take steroids to rethink  and say no to them. Steroids should not be used!

Citation: McLaughlin/August  LiveStrong.com Cons of performance drugs. July 22 2015.

Citation: Mayo Clinical Staff  Mayoclinical.org  Performance-enhancing drugs: know the risk

Citation: Anderson/Leigh 2014-05-04 PharmD Drugs.com  Abuse, side effects, and safety

Citation: ABC News, March 17 2005 abcnews.go.com/sports/health/story

My Ethnography will be focused  on the gym environments, and one of my main focuses will be on my friend Rob.

   Rob: Bulky, built, strong figure, with tan skin, brown eyes, sheep like hair, and a scar oh his arm that goes up to his shoulder. He is influenced by weights, goals, and determination. A little bit on the cocky side, but a very nice, generous person, with a fun outgoing attitude.

He is a fulltime student at Assumption college, and is going in for a business degree so he can reach his dreams someday of opening his own gym. His dedication to the gym is very strict, he goes for about three hours a day, and focuses on a certain body group each day, day 1. Chest, triceps  and shoulders day. Day 2 back and biceps day. Day 3 Legs and core day. He repeats this schedule everyday of the week, he does not miss the gym ever, and on the rare occasion that he does, he will do a double session of the gym the next day (meaning he does the workout he missed the day before and the current workout for that day).

His daily intact includes lots of protein shames, his favorite flavor is chocolate banana , all his meals are healthy organic meals, which are usually the same everyday. Breakfast consists of oatmeal and a banana (sometimes he will switch it out for an apple or strawberries, but he usually sticks with his favorite fruit which  is a banana). His pre workout is either Hyde, C4, or assault, all which contain coffee and stimulants. Daily intake for drinks consists of orange juice in the morning, water through out the whole day (drinks over a gallon everyday) and two cups of milk with his dinner. He keeps track of all the calories he eats/drinks, so he can focus on his calorie goals for his daily intact.

Rob keeps his workout circle small, it involves only people who are dedicated to the gym, and are positive people, he does not like negative people getting involved because it will affect his mood and may ruin his routines, so small and simple is his way of keeping himself inline. This small group of “meatheads” as I like to call them, involves Craig: 5ft 8in tall, dirty blonde hair with a front hair spike, green eyed, big smile, and built runners body shape. Craig is known for his vein’s, whenever he lift his arms look like google maps because of how veiny he is. Another member in our group is Joshua, Joshua is Rob’s older brother, he started lifting because Rob got him into it, he is 6ft 9in tall, dark black hair, white skin (completely opposite of Rob) and brown eyes, he is known for having the biggest arms in the group because of his genetics. and then lastly we have Paul, he Is 5ft 6in, short light brown hair, blue eyes, and a short stocky body shape, he has came a long way from when he started with us, he use to be over 200lbs and since joining the group 3 years ago he has dropped 45lbs, and looks amazing, he is known for having the biggest body improvements in the group.

Robs favorite possession would be his first flat bench he was given  when he was 15, his new squat rack, and his gym membership, he is all about the gym, and his fitness that nothing else could replace those items or his love for them.

His favorite places to be would have to be East Coast Fitness, it’s a medium sized gym filled with many experience people who have been working out for years, it has mirrors covering the whole back half of the gym, in front of the back right side mirrors is a whole row dumbbells, the back half  is filled with three flat benches, one decline benches, one incline benches, two squat racks, a whole section of both bicep machines and triceps machines, leg machines, the other half of the gym is where the cardio equipment is located, with more leg machines and coe machines in front of those. Being in this environment gives him hope for his future, helps him push himself to making his dream a reality, opening his own gym/fitness Center, and personally training others to reach goals and help them with their dreams.

How I Started A New Lifestyle

Gasping for air, which seems impossible at this point, my lungs can not do it, and the next thing I know I am on the ground, breathless, motionless, blue faced, and confused, asthma has taking over once again. I had been doing extremely well in this triathlon, and I believed this time I could make it to the finish line, but once again my asthma had proven me wrong, I was collapsed and helpless on the ground. A competitor running by me picked me up and ran us both to the finish line, where I was rushed to an ambulance by onsite volunteers. Iv’s put into my hands, an oxygen mask hooked to my face, and family by my side worried sick by the sight of what they were seeing for the fourteenth time this year… I  knew what this meant and what to expect once I recovered from this asthma attack. “You are finished racing, there will be no more running for you, this is the last time we see this happen” my parent banned me from running and doing triathlons, right then and there I felt my world darken, the thing I loved doing but never agreed with me was taken away.

Years after the asthma attack I asked my parents to give me another chance with running, and with their approval I was allowed to join the Lakers cross-country team.  I went into an asthma attacks almost every practice, but would never tell my parents of these, for if I were to go into another one they would have me cut from the team. The asthma attacks would leave me on the group breathless and dying for air, I’d lay there and take huge breaths, hoping to gain back my normal breathing, but most of the time I would not be able to. When I got home from practice I would go into my room and sit in my closet where I had my oxygen machine, and sit there for half hour regaining my breath and then come out of my room and act like nothing happened. In this community of runners, I met a person that would change my life for the better, his name was Rob. Rob and I clicked fast, and became best friends, in this new formed friendship he saw my struggles with asthma, and took it upon himself to take me under his wing and introduce me to the lifestyle of lifting. In this new turn point in my life I decided to drop running,  and focus on lifting, in as a new hobby ,I found I was not having asthma attacks, and no longer had to worry about that (Instead my new worry was the fear of dropping weights on myself).

The lifting life style was no an easy process, I struggled with it for months, had no clue how to do the workout properly and what workouts were suppose to help me best for my muscle groups, but with everyday commitment Rob coached me. He taught me which workouts were for each muscle group, and even wrote me  a list of each workout for each muscle group. “Chest workouts: Flat, decline, and incline bench (dumbbell or bar with 5lbs on each side) flat, incline, and decline dumbbell flies, Push ups,  peck machine, and cable cross overs. Back workouts: Pull ups. Chin ups. Bent over rows (with barbell or dumbbells) lat pull down (close and wide grip) seated cable cross overs, rows,  and one arm row. Shoulder workouts: Seated/standing barbell or dumbbell overhead press,  over head machine press, rear rows. Triceps workouts: Laying extensions, over head extensions (use dumbbell) dips, and close grip push ups.  Bicep workouts: Standing curls, seated curl, incline curl, hammer curl (barbell or dumbbell) bicep machine (barbell or dumbbell). Quad workouts: Squats, front squats, split squats, lunges, step ups, (use barbell or dumbbells with these exercise) leg extensions,. Hamstring workouts: Hypers, good mornings, leg curls, deadlifts (Roman, straight, sumo, or one leg. Never do all in one time or higher chance of injury). Core workout: Plants, Russians, sit ups, mountain climbers, knee lifts, leg lifts, flutter kicks, block jumps “.

Rob split my workout into six days routine: Day1 consist of chest, triceps and shoulders, day2 back and biceps, and day3 Legs and core, and then I would repeat the same days over again, and for day number 7, we called it our “rest day” we would run, bike or go on a long walk, that way our muscle would heal from our workouts. The reason he made the schedule this way, way to give our muscle groups a break, to reduce the chances of injury, because during working out your body needs a break, otherwise the muscles will tear and cause injury, leaving your body out of commission. As you can see the grouped together muscle workouts are chest, triceps and shoulders, and then day two is back and bicep which has nothing to do with chest triceps and shoulders giving those muscle group a break, and day three is leg and core still giving day once a break while giving day two a break and it keeps going that way giving the muscles a two day break.

As of today I have not gone into an asthma attack in well over three years, I have found that lifting has strengthened me physically on both the inside and outside. I am beyond thankful for this lifestyle I was introduced to, also I am happy to say that Rob and I are still best friends. I still workout almost everyday (today was my back and bicep day), I follow the same schedule that was given to me years ago, and I have even introduced this schedule to both friends and family who are currently using it and making in apart of their lifestyles as well.