Blog
Ready to Give Up To Living a Bigger Life
Not long ago, Chris Asplund couldn’t step into his apartment without grabbing the handrail.
There is only one step.
But carrying groceries through the door had become a challenge. He would shift everything to one arm, grab the railing, and carefully pull himself up.
That was life.
At 61 years old, after nearly three decades of physical labor, his body felt worn down.
“I’ll be honest, I was broken,” Chris said.
Today, that same step doesn’t get a second thought.
He walks into his apartment with both arms full. He climbs stairs at work without feeling exhausted. He moves better, hurts less, and feels more optimistic about the future than he has in years.
And perhaps most importantly, he no longer feels like giving up.
28 YEARS OF WEAR AND TEAR
For 28 years, Chris worked as a custodian at Aquinas College.
Every day the work was physical.
Eventually, it caught up with him.
“I don’t know if you remember the old movies where Frankenstein would walk and his legs were stiff,” Chris said. “That was me.”
Everything hurt.
His mobility disappeared. Walking became difficult, and he was sore by the end of each day.
Last year, Chris moved into an administrative role at the college.
The physical demands changed, but a new concern appeared.
Without all the daily movement, he knew his health was heading in the wrong direction.
“I realized I needed to do something different because I’d balloon out.”
Then he saw a program exclusively for men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s..
That message got his attention.
TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT ALONE
Chris wasn’t new to exercise. Over the years he had tried Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and various gym memberships.
The problem was never access. It was knowing what to do with it.
“Unless there’s somebody there to push your buttons to get you to move and do things, you don’t do it,” he said.
Like many adults, Chris would walk into a gym, look around, use a few machines, and leave.
He had no plan, accountability, and nobody helping him progress.
PowerStrength changed that.
THE FIRST THING HE NOTICED
The first victory wasn’t on a scale or a body composition scan.
It was that step into his apartment.
“For the first time in a long time, I realized I stepped into my apartment with my arms full of groceries and I wasn’t having to hold on to the rail,” Chris said.
The moment caught him by surprise. A year earlier, that movement would have been a challenge – now he was doing it without even thinking.
His mobility was coming back — and not just at home.
Chris belongs to a group called the Weight Watcher Bros, a community of men from around the country who meet up each year.
Last year, they gathered in Omaha. Despite only a few weeks of training at PowerStrength, Chris found himself keeping up as the group walked around the city.
For someone who had been walking stiff-legged for years, that was significant.
“I was able to keep up with the guys for the most part,” he said. “That’s saying something.”
MEETING HIM WHERE HE WAS
One reason Chris has been successful is that the program was built around his needs, not a generic template.
Getting up and down off the floor has always been difficult for him. Instead of forcing exercises that didn’t fit his ability level, the coaches modified them — elevating movements, adapting exercises, and focusing on what he could do and build from.
“They’ve adapted the exercises,” he said. “Things are elevated.”
The goal wasn’t to be perfect, but to make progress.
Week after week – that’s exactly what happened.
“I can’t point to any one thing that I do here,” Chris said. “But overall, when I’m done, I feel almost supercharged to get through my day.”
MORE THAN JUST PHYSICAL
The physical improvements have been real. Chris is wearing smaller clothes. He has more stamina. He walks across campus again. He climbs stairs without feeling like he’s dying.
But the biggest transformation may have happened mentally.
“I feel 100% different than I did when I walked in the door the first time,” he said.
Then he paused.
“I’ll be honest. I was ready to give up.”
Years of pain had taken their toll. He was sore all the time. He relied on pain relievers. He was self-medicating with alcohol just to get through the day.
Today, that’s no longer part of his life.
“I don’t need that anymore.”
For Chris, that may be the most important victory of all.
THE POWER OF COACHING AND COMMUNITY
Chris credits much of his progress to the coaches — not just because they tell him what to do, but because they help him understand why.
“When I have questions, they’ll explain what muscles we’re working and why we’re doing it,” he said. “I like to know what I’m doing is going to make a difference.”
The motivation matters too. So does the camaraderie.
“The other members are supportive and motivating,” he said. “We’re all acknowledging that we’re all doing a good job.”
EXCITED ABOUT WHAT’S NEXT
Chris turns 62 soon he sees things differently. Life is becoming bigger, not smaller.
He’s looking forward to future Weight Watcher Bros meetups. He’s energized by his new role at Aquinas College. He’s planning to keep working for years to come.
“I’m excited about what’s coming,” he said. “Versus thinking about life as a couch potato.”
WHAT HE’D TELL YOU
Chris has already recommended PowerStrength to friends. One of them trains here now.
His advice is simple.
“The knowledge and the motivation that the trainers bring are worth more than your membership at any other gym where you’re just walking in trying to figure it out.”
Sometimes the biggest transformation is simply getting control back of your life.
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 as 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 HERE to learn more program details and schedule your risk-free consultation.