Cancer Survivor Regains Muscle, Is Stronger Than Ever
Eric Hoogewind encountered a life changing event in the summer of 2022. The Hudsonville native was diagnosed with colon cancer.
“Went to the ER, they did a Ct Scan, came back and said it’s cancer, boom,” Eric said. “In the situation I was in, the diagnosis was, wow!”
That hit hard. Receiving that diagnosis led to many questions, but Eric knew he had to be tough if he wanted to beat it.
“I stayed very strong,” Eric said. “I had numerous doctors say you had a better attitude towards it than your wife. You have to stay positive to win. Going into chemo, I didn’t want to be weak. All I saw in my head was patients that are in chemo that are weak, I was not going to go in weak. Positive the whole time, hard to do, but I had to stay positive.”
Eric was put on a liquid diet for 6 weeks, mostly water and protein shakes. He eventually had emergency surgery, then 10 weeks off of work. When he finally went back to his job as a trim carpenter, he was very limited in what he could do.
“I just couldn’t do much,” he said. “It was all new again, my body had lost so much muscle, it was hard for me to do anything. I had an ileostomy bag, so that was strictly carbs, for a diet of basically white bread, rice because that would digest the easiest. My carb count went way high, knee pain went way high, shoulder pain went way high.”
But Eric kept fighting. 8 months after his diagnosis, he was declared cancer free. An incredible accomplishment, but it did not come without a price.
“After my first surgery I had lost 60 lbs.,” Eric said, “in 6 weeks that muscle just disappeared, and I just felt horrible. It was time to start working out.”
REGAINING STRENGTH
When he made the decision to attempt to regain what he had lost, Eric sought out the experts at PowerStrength.
“I drive by here everyday, so I joined and it’s the best thing I ever did.”
Getting back all the strength that he lost was not going to be easy. Not only had Eric lost a substantial amount of muscle mass, but he had lacked consistency with exercise in the past. Eric had purchased memberships at gyms before.
“I was one of those that would sign up the first of the year, go for the first month and a half, and then walk away,” he recalled. “I was never a dedicated gym rat.”
Eric got started in the Over 40 personal training program in Jenison, one of 4 PowerStrength locations in West Michigan. Because of the private, small group atmosphere, Eric receives a lot of 1-on-1 attention in each session.
No matter the fitness level, age, or physical condition, each client is able to follow a training program with their individual goals in mind.
“Gain strength back, enjoy the gym,” Eric said about what he wanted to do at PowerStrength. “I always liked going to the gym, but I wanted to get back into shape, tone up because everything was sagging. It was just crazy.”
Eric was almost starting over considering the journey he had already been through when he first started at PowerStrength.
“It was really hard because you start out lifting 20 pounds when you were able to do a lot before, a lot more,” he said. “It is unbelievable how quick it built, I changed my diet to high protein-low carb, and my body has changed a hundred percent since August (8-months ago) as far as muscle.”
“I never thought I’d be able to get to the point where I am now.”
HAVING FUN
A big reason for Eric’s transformation at PowerStrength has been his ability to stay consistent. The past problems of becoming bored with exercise are no longer present.
“PowerStrength makes it so fun,” Eric said. “I love the (small) group training. You get to know the guys and ladies, it is just fun to be with them. The trainers are unbelievable, they make it a lot of fun.”
Another thing that keeps him coming back is the way he feels now everyday.
“The motivation is when you feel this good, I don’t want to go back to where it was,” Eric said. “Energy levels are way higher, everything is a hundred times better than what it was walking away from colon cancer and I don’t want to slip. If I miss it for a week I feel like I’ve fallen back 20 percent.”
STRONGER THAN EVER
Not only has Eric regained the muscle that he lost during his battle with cancer, he has surpassed where he was prior to his diagnosis. Eric didn’t just return to his previous work capacity, he is doing more than ever before. A major benefit in a field that is as physically demanding as his.
“Way past it, way past, way past! I am able to do everything at work, more than I have been able to do in the last 4 years because of knee pain, weight wise. I haven’t lost a lot of weight, but my waist size is down about 10 sizes since I started PowerStrength, probably 25 pounds,” Eric said.
His wife is stunned by his success at PowerStrength.
“Totally shocked that I can build strength like I have,” Eric said. “She is 100 percent for it.”
Eric is enjoying PowerStrength so much, he is sharing his experience with those around him. He recently got his neighbor to give it a try too.
“It’s the best thing ever,” Eric told him about PowerStrength. “We got the VIP pass at the end of the year, I gave it to him, he said he would give it a try and he is 2 and a half months into it and he cannot believe the muscle gain that he has had. I told him to give it a try and I will guarantee that you are going to like it. They make it fun, the trainers talk to you, they make it fun. He is 100 percent behind that now, he says it is so fun to come here and work out, he loves it.”
MOVE THE CHAINS TOWARDS MORE MUSCLE
Eric plans to keep his foot on the pedal at PowerStrength.
“Keep building muscle,” he said. “I would try to tone down even more, lose more weight. I’d like to try to lose more weight , but keep building muscle and stay toned.”
READY FOR A STRONGER, HEALTHIER, MORE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE?
Men and Women over 40 seeking a stronger, more energized lifestyle can join the personal training programs at PowerStrength. No previous workout experience is required as each program is customized to the fitness and ability level of each individual.
Multiple small group and private sessions are offered in the early morning, mid-morning, late afternoon, and evening.
Click HERE to learn more program details and schedule your risk-free consultation.