Age is no excuse for Jim and Marlene

There are a lot of excuses why people don't work out, but for Jim and Marlene, age is not one of them. At combined age of 151 years, these two people do more in a week than average 21-year-old does in a month, and neither shows any signs of slowing down. They are both examples of why you are only as young as you feel and it’s never too late to live a healthy lifestyle.

Jim Bradley started working out with us to recover from a heart attack with quadruple bypass and improve his quality of life, but it wasn't long before the positive effects of getting in shape had him hooked and wanting more from his time in the gym.

"My goal was to lose 20 pounds, but I lost 25 in three months, and soon I began to compete with myself to get even stronger,” he said.

It was at that time we began to see a passion emerge that was different from the normal client. Jim didn't just come to work out, but instead he approached his program with an enthusiasm that was contagious to everyone around him. The change in his body strength and attitude is unbelievable, and he works as hard as some of our clients who are 30 years younger than he is. When asked what he has gained from all of his hard work, his reply was, “I have benefited from weight loss, stamina and an improved self-confidence that feels good when I know I can do things that many people younger than me can't do." At age 73, Jim is a great example of what can be accomplished with a little hard work and dedication.

Marlene Rutherford, 78, came to us to strengthen her legs from previous injuries. Her daughter Pam had recently completed our 12-week transformation with great success and Marlene decided to do a few sessions to see if she could get similar results. Marlene previously had both her knees replaced, and the muscles around the injuries were weak, so that made it difficult to do simple things like get out of a chair.

"I remember one day I went to get in my car and I must have turned the wrong way because I just fell over," she said. "I found out later I had blown my knee out and had to get it replaced. Wasn’t long before the other knee went too, but now that I'm lifting, my legs are strong and I can do things I could not before. I no longer have trouble doing things and feel like I’m getting stronger all the time."

Marlene trains with us twice a week and has become quite popular. When they see the kinds of things she can do, they just can't believe she is 78 years old. She is now up to 17 minutes of cardio after her weight training workout and the first words out of her mouth are usually, "Do you want me to do more?" She is an amazing person and she radiates positive energy.

I'm totally inspired by Jim and Marlene. Every time they walk through the door and their positive attitudes brighten the room, I'm reminded that you are as young as you feel and there are no excuses to allow yourself to get out of shape. We are looking forward to working with them in the future, and according to Keith Toastie Kirk, Marlene's grandson, 78 is the new 65. In the case of these two amazing people, I couldn't agree more.

Chris Antonio is a personal trainer and former world-class weightlifter. He has been lifting for more than 20 years and has trained a wide variety of clients. To send a question to the Ask the Trainer column, email Chris at Askthetrainer@antoniostraining.com or check out AntoniosTraining.com for training tips, news and inspirational stories.