Claire Van Buren, a sophomore body builder, works out for three hours each day, six days per week. “Most girls want to be skinnier … Now people will say, ‘you’re getting kind of big, are you going to lay off any time soon?’ And my answer is always ‘no,’” Van Buren said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Working out has built Van Buren’s faith, as well as her muscles. “I trust in him when I’m in the gym, in overcoming weights that I can’t put up or unhealthy mindsets about body image. Knowing that my strength really is in Christ and not myself.” (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
She started lifting in high school as a multisport athlete and began training to compete over a year ago as motivation to keep working hard in college. “I’m in love with the sport itself and being in the gym, so that helps a lot too, because if you’re in there for the image you’re not going to want to be in there for long,” Van Buren said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Van Buren is currently in the off season, which will end this month when she begins eight months of reducing her intake to compete. During the off season, Van Buren puts on weight, called “getting fluffier,” by eating a scientific ratio of carbs, fat and protein because “to grow muscle, you have to put on weight,” Van Buren said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Van Buren reflects her faith and glorifies God in the gym. She uses the opportunity “to say ‘thanks’ to the Lord for what He’s given me,” Van Buren said, because “there are so many people who are incapable of doing the things that I do in the gym.” (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Van Buren started body building during the second semester of her first year as a way to stay motivated with school work because she had more time to procrastinate upon starting college. “People will ask me what do you watch on Netflix? And I’m like ‘nothing,’” Van Buren said. “Because those 3 hours people spend doing nothing a day are the 3 hours I spend in the gym, so I really don’t have down time.” (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
New body builders begin to see results in three to four weeks because the muscles are confused by the extreme effort being exerted, however after that body builders must constantly find new ways to confuse their muscles. “I’ve realized how much the sport defines me as a person, whether it be like perseverance or determination or trust in the Lord … And the body image that I’ve built reflects that and I’m proud of that,” Van Buren said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Claire Van Buren, a sophomore body builder, works out for three hours each day, six days per week. Photojournalist Natalie Hall captured her in the gym.