After a day of juggling between two jobs and a 15-unit course schedule, eating Chinese takeout and In-N-Out burgers is often the only option available to eat in a hurry on and around campus. It is then no surprise that gaining the infamous freshman 15 is inevitable. The agonizing task of losing weight is often overshadowed by our inability to buck up for a month-to-month gym membership because our low college income.

Now, how do college students get in shape after acquiring a flabby waistline from consuming one too many beers and pizza slices? The solution for most impoverished college students who desire a trim body is a makeshift gym. With various household items, any college student could create a desirable physique.

Check out my abs, aren’t they fantastic?

So, you want rock hard abs similar to those of Antonio Sabato Jr. or Janet Jackson (pre- Jermaine Dupre). Well, achieving similar perfection is simple, if you dedicate time and effort.

To get rid of those pesky love handles, use a broom or mop. While standing in one spot, grab a broom or mop, place it behind the back of your neck with your arms fully extended on the bar, twist your upper body to your left side and hold the position for 10-12 seconds, then twist your body to the right. Repeat the movement 15 times for both sides.

The classic crunch position will always get anyone’s abs to appear flat within a few days. One ab technique, however, that will add an extra strain to a crunch and ensure that one’s abs will be ripped, is to apply pressure to your abs with an object. Before moving into the crunch position, you will need a wooden cutting board from your kitchen. Lay flat on the floor, lift and bend your knees into a 90-degree angle, place the cutting board on your abs, put your hands behind your neck, lift your neck and shoulders off the floor and bend. Hold the position for five seconds. Repeat the exercise 25 times.

Wow, you can lift a car with those arms!

Failing to workout could cause one’s body to lose muscle mass, which often leads to flabby body parts. One’s arms are an essential part of the get-in-shape-and-look-good equation. A lean and strong arm could be achieved by using any canned food item in your kitchen pantry. A bicep curl works out the front lateral muscle of your upper arm. With the can in your hand, slowly bend your arms into a 50-degree angle and hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 15 times to both arms. The tricep curls works out the posterior muscle of your upper arm. Using a can, you extend your arm above your head, and then return your arm behind your head in a 90-degree angle. Repeat 15 times for both arms. For additional weight, tape several cans together with electrical tape.

Watch out Diego Maradona, my legs can out score you.

The most effective workout for a pair of great looking legs is a lunge. This exercise works best with additional weight for balance in which a broom would work. Lunges are performed standing with both legs spread apart like a pair of scissors. With your arms at your sides and holding two one-gallon containers of water, bend the leg that is extended in front of you close to the ground, then alternate each leg in a walk-bend motion. Repeat each leg exercise 15 times.

As college students, who are always on the go and sleep-deprived, even thinking about exercising is exhausting. Now is the time, however, to start taking care of our bodies before we graduate, move into the “real world” and have less time to devote to our health.

Veronica Rocha can be reached at managing@csun.edu.