For Gabriel Valdez, fitness started the way it does for many people: spending time in the gym, following advice from others, and trying to figure out what worked.
But after experiencing a shoulder injury and meeting a mentor who approached training differently, Gabriel began to see fitness through an entirely new lens.
Instead of simply following workouts or doing what everyone else in the gym was doing, he started thinking about exercise scientifically.
That shift eventually led him to Lionel University, where he is now pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.
Student Spotlight
Gabriel Valdez is pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science while balancing active-duty military service, work, an EMT program, and life outside the classroom.
His goal goes beyond earning another credential. Gabriel wants to understand the science behind training, continue expanding his knowledge, and ultimately contribute something new to the fitness and human performance industry.
Gabriel’s interest in exercise science developed after an experience that changed how he viewed training.
Earlier in his fitness journey, he describes himself as someone who would go into the gym, lift as much weight as possible, and follow advice he heard from other people.
Concepts such as periodization, biomechanics, exercise programming, and evidence-based training were not yet part of how he approached fitness.
Then he injured his shoulder.
A personal trainer who worked with Gabriel’s mother took him under his wing and began showing him a different approach.
“He got me to see that this is a science.”
Instead of relying on trends or what Gabriel calls “bro science,” his mentor taught him to think about exercise through testing, observation, research, formulas, programming, and scientific principles.
For Gabriel, something clicked.
He realized this was more than something he enjoyed doing. It was something he wanted to understand.
Before enrolling at Lionel University, Gabriel had already accumulated multiple fitness-related certifications.
But eventually, he started thinking about what came next.
After learning about Lionel University, Gabriel asked himself a straightforward question: instead of continuing to collect credentials, why not pursue the degree?
For him, however, earning a degree does not replace experience, curiosity, or continuing education.
He believes becoming great at what you do requires years of learning, hands-on experience, commitment, and the willingness to continually improve.
Build a deeper understanding of exercise science and human performance.
Continue developing through real-world practice and application.
Keep researching, questioning, experimenting, and learning throughout your career.
Gabriel did not originally set out specifically looking for Lionel University.
He discovered the university while researching education options and exploring how previous training and credentials might fit into a longer educational pathway.
Once he learned more about Lionel, one part of the university’s history immediately stood out to him: its roots in the personal training and fitness profession.
For Gabriel, Lionel’s connection to fitness professionals mattered because it reflected the same industry that originally sparked his own interest in exercise science.
He appreciated finding an institution focused specifically on exercise science and education for people who want to build careers around fitness, performance, coaching, and human movement.
Gabriel is not approaching college with an empty calendar.
He is serving in the military, working, attending an EMT program, and completing his Lionel University coursework at the same time.
That makes flexibility particularly important.
For Gabriel, the ability to fit coursework around his other responsibilities has helped make continuing his education possible.
He believes flexibility is especially valuable for adult students who are balancing education alongside careers and other responsibilities.
Students may be pursuing the same education, but their lives outside the classroom can look very different.
Ask Gabriel exactly where his career will lead and he will tell you that he does not have every step mapped out.
What he does know is that he wants to keep learning.
He has considered multiple areas within health, fitness, performance, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and related fields.
But the bigger goal is not simply finding another job title.
He talks about wanting to think differently, create new ideas, develop better approaches, and contribute something meaningful to the fitness industry.
“I don’t wanna offer similar. I wanna offer different.”
That mindset is one reason continuing his education matters to him.
The more he understands about exercise science, the better prepared he believes he will be to question existing approaches, develop new ideas, and continue growing as a professional.
When asked whether he would recommend Lionel University to someone interested in exercise science, Gabriel pointed to two things in particular.
Gabriel appreciates Lionel University’s roots in the fitness and personal training profession and its focus on exercise science.
The online structure gives him the ability to continue his education while managing a demanding professional and academic schedule.
“You guys are a good school. I like going to Lionel University.”
For students like Gabriel, pursuing an exercise science degree is about more than earning another credential.
It is an opportunity to better understand human movement, exercise physiology, programming, performance, and the science behind the work fitness professionals do every day.
Lionel University offers online exercise science programs designed for students who want to continue developing their knowledge while balancing education with the rest of their lives.
Build your understanding of exercise science and prepare to take the next step in your education and professional development.
Explore the Bachelor’s DegreeGabriel Valdez’s path into exercise science did not begin with a perfectly defined career plan.
It started with curiosity.
A mentor helped him realize there was far more behind effective training than simply lifting weights, following trends, or collecting certifications.
That realization eventually led him to pursue his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science at Lionel University.
Today, he continues to balance education with a demanding schedule while working toward something bigger: developing his knowledge, challenging existing ideas, and finding his own way to contribute to the future of fitness and human performance.
Explore Lionel University exercise science pathways