Tulsa Gyms | From weakness to strength

I have had the pleasure of seeing dozens of individuals achieve the dreams and aspirations they never thought were possible. A man by the name of David came into the gym seeking a place to just get his heart rate up because he knew it was good for him. He was unable to afford a trainer, but that did not stop him from coming in every day and working very hard to achieve his goals. One day David proceeded to ask me “Is being in my 90% zone a good heart rate for my age to be in for 20 minutes?” A man, who was in his 70s, and was training in his 90% heart rate zone, took me by surprise! My first reaction was to ask him to slow down so he didn’t kill himself and his response was “Oh, I’m fine, I have been through much worse!” I then attempted to show him a few exercises he asked about regarding his posture and strength, and then he got connected with Lexi, our Yoga instructor at this amazing Tulsa Gyms!

Two elements seemed to have changed his life for the better: signing up for The Hub Gym and going to his first YO[U]R Yoga class. After 3 months of taking Yoga, doing corrective exercises our team showed him, and his own determination, David was not only standing up straight, but he was doing far more in Yoga than he ever thought possible! This then inspired him to do something he had not done since his prime in the Marine Core, do pull ups. On his first day he got started. One. Three days later he tried again. One, two. A few days later he tried again. One, two, three. This process continued for a few weeks until he reached eleven pull ups. Then not two days ago I received a text from David, “Twelve pull ups. Since mid March I’ve lost 9% body fat.” It’s August now. David did what many say is impossible, to build muscle and lost fat as a man over fifty! He is an example to all of us of what is possible when we really and truly put our minds to it. David’s journey did not come without hardships either.

First he cut through his arm with a saw and severed several of the muscles in it. The muscle was reattached surgically, but his function had to be rehabbed. This took time, so while his arm was recovering, he focused on cardio and some yoga. During his time of healing, David improved his mobility and flexibility and made changes to his diet to better fuel his growth and recovery process. This worked greatly in his favor, as when his arm had recovered enough to begin his training again, he was further along than he originally thought. The second major hurtle David faced was his age. I always joked with him that when he was young, George Washington was his neighbor, but in reality David came to the gym at the age of 72 with the intent of truly making some changes in his health. He not only lost fat, but he gained muscle. This is said to be very difficult at an older age, which is true, but not impossible. The last hurtle he faced was his own mind. After years of war and difficult military endeavors, his mental state requires much more mental focus and diligence to block out all the garbage in his mind. Some days are better than others, but there is never a day where he ended the day worse than he did before without recognizing something that could have been better. Had he not made a schedule for himself to follow, David might not have been able to fully allow his mind to rest. David is a testament to what hard work and determination can really do in our lives.

Once he put his mind to his goal, there was no stopping him, and that should be the case for all of us. When faced with adversity we should press forward and strive to be stronger than we were before. David is still in the middle of his journey, and there have been several times where his words were “I feel like I take two steps forward and one step back. What the heck am I doing wrong?” The process has never been simple, but this entire time it has been worth it! David would give you three major pieces of advice; first, quit being a willie ninnie in the gym. Work your butt off every time you step foot in the gym. The second is to not neglect flexibility and mobility training, and finally, do not wait until later, or next Monday, or some other time to begin your journey. Start now, make it a part of your life, and get healthier in one small way every day. David went from being hunched over and trying to work hard to standing up straight, more flexible than ever, and being able to do 12 pull ups in a row. Mind you, he did 2 sets of 12 at one of the best Tulsa Gyms.

The most valuable lesson from David, in my opinion, is that you are never too old to start. At 70 years of age David has lost 9% body fat, increased his mind muscle connection, improved his strength, gained flexibility and mobility, improved his diet, his heart function, and best of all, his mentality. So the next time you are in The Hub Gym working out, remember first to push yourself, then to set a goal which is currently out of reach but will soon be achieved, then work your butt off, and do not neglect the recovery, the flexibility, and your nutrition. Learn to find joy in the process of becoming a healthier person than you were before, one step at a time at this incredible Tulsa Gyms! Be sure to call them at 918-994-4299 or go to www.thehubgym.com for more info today!