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A Lifestyle Reset that’s Built to Last
Anthony Reatini hadn’t lifted a weight in about 15 years.
Work, marriage, and family had filled the time the gym used to occupy, and by his late 30s he knew something had to change.
A little over a year after walking into PowerStrength, he’s dropped weight, free of the aches that used to slow him down, and up at 5 a.m. three days a week by choice.
THE MOMENT
For Anthony, the turning point wasn’t dramatic. It was a quiet moment of clarity.
“I had one of those come-to-Jesus moments – and I was like, I’ve got to change something,” he said.
He didn’t just resolve to do better. He built a plan.
“I spoke with my doctor, met with a nutritionist. I was at my heaviest at 235, and I got down from there.”
Once the nutrition was moving, the next step was obvious, and so was the obstacle.
“I was thinking, do I go to the gym? But I know if I go on my own, I’m going to struggle, because I overthink things.”
THE PUSH FROM HOME
The answer came from his own household.
“My son had come here, and I saw what a change it made for him,” Anthony said.
His son had picked up a flier as a sixth grader and asked to give it a try.
“Between those four months that summer and then watching him in seventh-grade football, the change he made in confidence, everything else, I thought, you know what? I’m going to check it out. One thing led to another, and here I am, a little over a year later.”
THE RESULTS
Anthony’s progress shows up on the scale and well beyond it.
“I started here at 217 and got down to about 206,” he said. “I feel better. People can see I’m more active, that I’m moving around.”
The everyday changes may matter more.
“I don’t have the aches and pains anymore like I used to. I’m not breathing as hard when I’m walking upstairs. I’m getting stronger.”
THE BACK
One result stands out for Anthony above the rest.
“Once a year, I’d pull a muscle in my lower back, and it would stick with me for about a month,” he said. “I have not had that. I’m doing the exact same things I always did, but with proper technique, I haven’t had that issue.”
The benefits extend to his joints, too.
“My knees don’t ache, my shoulders don’t bother me as much.”
TECHNIQUE, NOT GUESSWORK
Anthony isn’t new to lifting. He was active in high school and college, but he found the landscape very different the second time around.
“When I worked out in high school, I was always coached on how to do things. Now, on your own, there’s so much more information out there that you get overloaded,” he said.
His biggest concern at 40 was doing it correctly.
At PowerStrength, every small group session of no more than 6 people per certified trainer is fully coached, and every rep is watched closely to ensure proper technique.
“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t hurting myself. They’ve done a really good job of making sure I’m doing it right, and I’m learning things with benching and squatting that I never even knew existed when I was lifting in high school.”
The lessons have followed him to work.
“They taught me to keep my elbows in on the bench, and my shoulder isn’t killing me,” he said. “I was working with pipe wrenches last week, and I noticed my elbows were out and I could feel it in my shoulder. I brought my elbows in, and I thought, oh my God, it goes with everything else.”
THE FAMILY
In what Anthony calls “the old big Italian family,” where food is central, weight has long been a challenge.
“I was always overweight as a child, and I really had to work at it,” he said.
The change has been hard for the people around him to miss.
“My wife says the same thing. My mom and dad ask, ‘Are you losing weight? Are you working on something?’ And I tell them, yeah, I’m working out.”
The biggest shift, he says, is in how he feels day to day.
“I know how I felt before I started. I was just down, with that laziness going to work and then coming home. Now I feel more energetic. I’m pushing the kids, saying, ‘ Let’s get active, let’s hang out.’ I’m moving more, I’m doing more.”
THE DISCIPLINE
Anthony trains three mornings a week at 5 a.m., something he says he never imagined doing.
“I never thought I’d come at 5 a.m. — I didn’t even do that in high school,” he said. “But it’s self-determination, discipline. Here I am, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to work out at five in the morning.”
The schedule has reshaped the rest of his week.
“In the beginning, I’d have pizza Tuesday night, then really feel that pizza at five in the morning on Wednesday, and I thought, I’m not doing that anymore. It’s helped me eat a lot cleaner.”
That discipline has carried into other goals, too.
“It’s helped me accomplish some personal goals, like the nicotine pouches. I always did that, and I thought, that’s it, I’m done with these. It was a self-push. I’m still going strong, knock on wood.”
WHAT HE TELLS OTHERS
Anthony speaks about PowerStrength often, including to his own mother-in-law, who is in her 60s. His advice centers on the coaches.
“What I find here is they want you to accomplish your goals. They’re not here just for a paycheck,” he said. “You can tell they’re very passionate about each and every person.”
For anyone nervous about a nagging shoulder or sore legs, his advice is simple: “Just tell them, and they’ll say, ‘Okay, how does this feel?’ If that doesn’t work, they work with you.”
He also points to the structure as a draw for busy people.
“If you want to go somewhere where you do not have to think, they have the program set for you, and they care just as much as you do. I promise you, you’ll see results. You’re going to like it.”
Asked to sum up what PowerStrength has meant to him, Anthony didn’t have to think long.
“PowerStrength is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made,” he said. “In regard to health and everything else.”
READY TO MAKE YOUR NEXT 10 YEARS YOUR STRONGEST EVER?
Men and women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want to get stronger and have more energy can join the Personal Training Program at PowerStrength at any time. No previous workout experience is required — each program is customized to the fitness and ability level of each individual.
Multiple personal training sessions are offered in the early morning, mid-morning, late afternoon, and evening. Find your nearest PowerStrength location — Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, Plainfield, Holland, or Byron Center.
Click powerstrengthpro.com/adult/contact-adult to learn more and schedule your risk-free consultation.