At the University of Michigan (U-M), a healthy lifestyle starts from the top and trickles down to the entire student body. U-M recently launched its health and fitness major, which helps students prepare for a fitness education career. In addition, U-M receives the third-most medical school funding among public colleges from the National Institutes of Health, and its hospital is ranked as one of the best in the nation. The Wolverines’ dedication to health care is backed up by their athletic prowess, especially in men’s gymnastics. Each gymnast trains based on his or her event; for the pommel horse and still rings athletes, upper body strength is priority.

“They’ll do the bench press followed by a circuit of upper and lower body exercises and conclude with torso and grip work,” says Jamie Preiss, a strength and conditioning Olympic sports graduate assistant.

“A sample circuit is goblet squat, dumbbell curl to press, pullups, inverted row, dumbbell flyes, and dumbbell Romanian deadlift.”

Preiss credits each Wolverine’s will to win for the team’s success.

“The strength and conditioning program is designed to improve strength, but without the individual’s commitment, success is hard to come by.”

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