What was life like before joining Lake Norman Fitness Specialists? What did you struggle with?
I work in an industry that requires a significant amount of travel. It is a constantly shifting schedule of working different days of the week, switching between early mornings, late evenings, and sometimes throughout the night. Over time, my overall health began to decline from accepting a lifestyle of poor sleep, terrible diet, and lack of any exercise. I packed on 205lbs on a 5’ 10” frame, wore a size 38” pant, and size 46 jacket. I felt terrible, had very low energy and motivation, and an overall poor self-image.
This finally all came to a head when I went in for a routine physical, and right after the nurse took my blood pressure, she asked me, “How are you feeling?”, I said “ok”, and she responded by saying, “I’ll be right back.” A few moments later she came in with and EKG machine. At 42 years old, my blood pressure had skyrocketed to 160/101 and they thought I was having a heart attack sitting right there on the exam table. I vowed to myself right then, right there, this ends today.
What were you skeptical about before joining?
Although I enjoy being outdoors, hiking and so on, I was never an athletic person. I didn’t play any sports, never took the opportunity to learn how to exercise properly, lift weights or how to train my body to any degree of fitness. Even the day I was driving down to visit the gym for my fitness evaluation, I was telling myself I couldn’t do this. I decided that as I was going to start this journey, I was going to be honest with myself and my trainers, and I told my first coach exactly that, “I don’t feel like I can do this.” He turned to me and said “Never compare your day 1 to someone else’s day 100.” …and then we got to work.
What specific results have you achieved?
I have been working with my current coach, Ron, for about a year and a half. We have talked a lot about getting proper sleep and the importance of nutrition. With his guidance, I was able to slim down from 205lbs to 162lbs, build some lean muscle, and am currently in a size 32” pant and 40 jacket. My blood pressure runs right around 112/82, and for the first time ever in my life, at 44 years old, I was able to deadlift 260lbs on the trap bar. I’ve moved weight around in the gym that over a year ago, I never dreamt I could.
What would you tell someone on the fence about joining?
The answer is yes…just yes…do it! Stop thinking about it and telling yourself that you can’t. It doesn’t matter where you currently are, it is your journey and no one else’s. Be ready to put in the work and the Coaches at Lake Norman Fitness Specialists will be right there with you every step of the way! Leading, guiding, correcting, and encouraging you to become the best version of yourself!
