Hamad Waheed

UWRT 1101
Connie Douglas
10/30/14

Ethnography
For this ethnography the discourse community includes any student at UNC Charlotte
who goes to the campus gym to exercise. The ratio of males to females in the gym is about three
to one. The gym has two major sections. It consists of a male dominated weight lifting area,
which is mostly free weights, and a cardio section, which includes treadmills and elliptical
machines. The majority of the individuals on treadmills and elliptical machines are females. In
addition to these two areas, there are multiple weight lifting machines and some space set aside
for stretching/bodyweight exercises. I consider myself a part of this discourse community
because I try to stay healthy.
The researcher is assuming that all of the members in the discourse community have one
common goal in mind, which is to better themselves both physically and mentally. In the
researchers observation the objective differs between males and females. Girls usually want to
tone their bodies, decrease bodyweight, or just be healthy in general. The majority of males, on

the other hand, usually lift weights to achieve different goals. Weight training consists of three
common goals; these goals vary depending on the individual, they are composed of either
getting stronger, leaner, or bulkier. This puts in perspective the mindset of the individuals in
correlation to their gender.
There are multiple ways for individuals to reach their goals. They could do all diet and no
exercise, all exercise and no diet, or a balance between diet and exercise. The most effective by
far is the balance between diet and exercise (1). This method allows you to divide the effort in
between both aspects of health instead of focusing on just one.
The researcher can see the effectiveness of the diet/exercise goal when applied to female
objectives. The main thing to keep in mind while dieting and exercising is the calorie deficit (1).
The calorie deficit allows the body to convert body fat into energy, rather than the calories it
would normally use if there was no calorie deficit (1). The trick is to obtain a calorie deficit
while putting in the least amount of effort. Some important variables to consider while obtaining
a calorie deficit is the calorie intake vs. the amount of calories burned. For example, lets say a
person eats 1500 calories per day and they have a calorie intake of 1500 to maintain their current
bodyweight. If we want a calorie deficit of 400 then the goal at the end of the day is 1100
calories. If the individual only consumes 1100 calories during that day it would leave them
hungry. If they ate as much as they normally would then they would have to put forth more

effort to maintain the 400 calorie deficit. If we divide the deficit between diet and exercise then
it would leave a 200 calories intake deficit putting it at 1300 as opposed to 1100, leaving the last
200 to be burned while at the gym. If the individual keeps this balance every day, then over time
they would reach one of the three most common goals.
The researcher can apply the same principle to male objectives unless the goal is to
become bulkier. If that is the case then an individual needs to obtain a calorie surplus, which is
converted into body fat (1). For example, lets say an individual normally eats 1500 calories per
day, and 1500 is his calorie intake to maintain his weight. If we put the calorie surplus as 300
then the daily calorie intake needs to be 1700. In this scenario weightlifting is a must because
you wont gain muscle without breaking it down first. So all the calories burned throughout the
workout will only add the daily calorie intake. If the individual burned 300 calories throughout
the workout then the daily caloric intake will come up to be 2000 as opposed the 1500 that it
originally was.

I interviewed Shehryar Amer to get a better understanding of the mindset of a gym goer.
Shehryar Amer is a freshman at UNC Charlotte and he has been working out for about three and
a half years.
H- when did you start exercising regularly?
S- I started consistently going to the gym during my sophomore year of high school.

H- what made you want to start exercising?

S- I was spending my days going to school and then playing video games. I was getting nothing
done. I had nothing to show for. I started exercising to lose body fat and add definition to my
muscles.
H- what is your exercise/diet plan?
S- my exercise plan consists of compound movements in repetitions of 8 or less. I workout one
muscle a day so it takes me one week to workout my full body. I aim for at least 5 exercises per
body part. I prefer free weights and presses to machines because they incorporate the stabilizer
muscles associated with the primary muscles that I am targeting. My diet plan is set up to burn
body fat and preserve muscle. I eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight, which puts
me at two hundred and ten grams of protein every day. I also eat two hundred grams of carbs
everyday. Each gram of protein/carb contains four calories, so at the end of the day I eat about
1600 calories. My daily calorie intake is calculated at 2000 to maintain my body weight. I have a
four hundred calorie deficit everyday. This combination of diet and exercise preserves muscle
strength and size while lowering my body fat.
H- how effective is this diet/exercise combination?
S- I have gained thirty pounds of muscle and l have lost ten pounds of fat in the last three years.

H- have you experienced any mental benefits from regular exercise?

S- Yes. I have higher self-esteem, my time management has improved, and my stress level has
gone down. I have learned to be dedicated and consistent, not just with weight lifting, but with
everything I do.

Living a healthy lifestyle has a variety of benefits. The most common include better
sleep, increased energy levels, and healthier skin. Daily exercise also has a positive effect on the
mind. Exercise relieves stress, which in turn increases productivity. So all the time and effort
that UNC Charlotte students put in to staying healthy contributes to their productivity, which
improves their academic success.

Work cited
Diet and Health
James M. Hundley
Public Health Reports (1896-1970)
Vol. 77, No. 4 (Apr., 1962) , pp. 277-280
Published by: Association of Schools of Public Health
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4591467