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Grandma Has Muscles Now — and the Rest of the Family Noticed Too
Not long ago, Dottie Tissue would sit on the side of the pool at family gatherings. She would watch her kids and grandkids play in the water while she stayed on the edge. She was tired. She didn’t have the energy to get in.
That is not who she is anymore.
“Now I’m up. I’m at it. I’m not tired, I’m excited, motivated, and I have a lot of energy,” Dottie said. “Which is great.”
Dottie and her husband Troy are military veterans — Dottie served in the Army, Troy in the Navy. They have five kids and ten grandchildren, ranging in age from two to sixteen. And since joining PowerStrength’s Personal Training Program for Adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, their lives have changed in ways they did not expect.
HOW IT STARTED
Dottie was the first one through the door. She started in July of 2025 during a stressful stretch of life and needed an outlet.
She had been a serious athlete in her younger years — running full marathons and competing in triathlons. But a serious accident years earlier had changed everything. After multiple surgeries and a long recovery, she was told by her doctor that running was no longer an option.
For years, she stayed away from the gym. She had never lifted weights. She did not know where to start. Then she saw a PowerStrength ad featuring real women her age, and something clicked.
“I saw real people my age and real women,” Dottie said. “And when I got here, I saw one of the women who was in the ad. And I said, ‘Okay, this is cool. I can do this.’”
Her goal when she walked in was simple. Not weight loss. Not hitting a number on a scale.
“I just want to feel better,” she told the staff on day one.
A few months later, the results were hard to ignore. Dottie had lost three inches off her waist. Her attitude had improved. Her energy was up. Troy took notice.
“She felt better. She acted better, in all honesty,” Troy said.
He knew it was time to start his journey at PowerStrength, too.
TROY’S TRANSFORMATION
Troy joined in November. By April, he had gone from being obese to 7% body fat. He did not starve himself. He did not follow a strict diet. He simply started eating more health-conscious foods and showed up to PowerStrength two to three sessions per week.
The results surprised even him.
“Without exaggerating, I feel probably 20 to 25 years younger than I did three months ago,” Troy said. “It’s the truth.”
The moment that got him to finally commit came from Dottie. When Troy questioned whether the cost was worth it for both of them, she had a simple answer.
“Can we afford not to?” she told him. “We’re investing in our futures.”
“That was my ah-ha moment,” Troy said.
THE FAMILY NOTICED
With five kids and ten grandchildren, Dottie and Troy do not train just for themselves. They train to show up fully for the people they love most.
The family has noticed. One of their grandsons tried to grab a football from Dottie in the pool recently and could not do it.
“Grandma, you got muscles now,” he told her.
Troy was helping one of his sons — who is close to 40 — pitch two-by-fours. His son got winded. Troy did not.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, do you need to take a break?'” Troy recalled with a laugh.
The energy they bring to family time now is different. The presence is different. And they both know where it comes from.
“I can wholeheartedly say it’s because we’ve been coming here,” Dottie said.
A NEW TRIBE
Beyond the physical changes, both Dottie and Troy talk about something they did not expect when they first walked in — community.
“When we come in, they know who we are. They always say hi to us and shout out our names,” Dottie said. “That’s important to me.”
Troy described the experience as being on a journey with like-minded people — and said the staff’s knowledge and energy have been a big part of what makes it work.
“We are not really on this journey on our own,” he said.
For anyone on the fence, their advice is the same. Troy says to come in and talk to the staff.
“You’ll leave with more answers than you thought you had questions,” he said.
Dottie says to push past the challenging first couple of weeks.
“It’s important to stick with it and just keep going,” she said. “Because it works. The whole program works.”
For Dottie, it comes down to something bigger than fitness.
“PowerStrength is almost like my new family,” she said. “I’ve made such great friends and connections here. It’s motivating. It’s physically helping me, mentally helping me. But it’s a new family.”
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.