Dad, Former Submariner, Returns to “Fighting Weight” at PowerStrength
David Grundy spent five years in the U.S. Navy where he was a Submariner.
His “fighting weight,” as he refers to it, back in his military days was 215-pounds.
When asked if he was fit when he was in the Navy, David responded: “Absolutely!”
Nearly 17 years after he left the military, David was more than 60 pounds over his “fighting weight.”
He decided he wanted a healthier, more energized lifestyle.
“I was chubby and looking to do something better with my life,” David said.
He joined the PowerStrength Training Systems Alpine location.
“40-year old and above group, I’m 43 so it caught my eye,” David said.
“A bunch of guys, the same age, probably have been through a lot of the things I’ve been through in my life, three kids, working all the time, so I thought that is a group to be a part of, people holding each other accountable.”
That is exactly what David found at PowerStrength!
“When I first came in I was 276 lbs, I wasn’t very mobile,” David said. “There is a group of six guys that have been coming for quite a while, so I wanted to get to where they were and they accepted me right there. They kept telling me ‘good job, keep working, keep doing good things.”‘
PowerStrength’s personal training programs are specifically designed to help people 40-and-over of all ability and fitness levels.
The staff at all four PowerStrength locations (Alpine, Jenison, Kentwood, Plainfield), always go above and beyond to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
It doesn’t matter where someone is starting, it matters what they’re doing today to get to where they want to go.
Alpine General Manager Austin Trotter and Performance Specialist Sylvia Weatherhead helped make that happen for David.
“Austin and Sylvia, they all just kept saying ‘hi, how are you this morning’ and at the end of the day ‘good job, you really put in the work’ it just really set the tone for me.”
Sessions at PowerStrength take place in a small, focused group to allow for individualized adaptations for each member – and every trainer knows your name.
ASTOUNDING RESULTS
February 12th marks one-year since David became part of the PowerStrength Family.
“When he first came in,” Trotter remembered, “He was a big burly dude and had a huge beard.”
David’s goal was to get back to that “fighting weight” of 215 lbs., he needed to drop a lot of weight.
“I made a bet with my boss at work,” he said. “I had this big long beard that she hated very much. I said if I get down to that weight, that fighting weight, I’ll shave it off.”
A lofty goal, for sure, but he got off to a great start.
“Once I was here for a couple months I realized that it’s doable,” David said.
“I started watching the pounds come off and feeling better, the headspace was better, my mental health, I was happy all the time.”
In four short months, David reached that “fighting weight.”
“212 came and I had to shave my beard!”
“He completely transformed himself,” Trotter said. “For him to do that, especially in such a short amount of time, losing 60 lbs takes 2 to 4 years for some people, so for him to do it as quickly as he did and not sacrifice much muscle mass is very impressive.”
David celebrated this incredible feat by getting the biggest steaks he could find and dining with his son Leyland.
“I was ecstatic, I was amazed! I knew it was possible if you put the work in, but I always doubted myself. We (Dave and Leyland) went out and bought some clothes. I went from a size 40 to a 34 so it was fun, it was amazing!”
FATHER-SON EXPERIENCE
After experiencing so much success at PowerStrength, David decided to get Leyland involved in the Athlete program.
PowerStrength has programs designed for 5th-12th grade athletes that have proven to give an advantage over the competition, making kids stronger, faster, and more confident.
While Leyland has thrived at PSTS, the opportunity for father and son to have this shared experience has strengthened their relationship more than either expected.
“It’s pretty neat,” David said. “It’s a chance for us to bond on common ground, something we both enjoy. For a while, he and I would come on Saturday’s for a dad-son workout and tease each other and push each other. When he was over with the kids he would yell to (the coaches) to make sure you beat up my dad today and I’d sneak in before and say make sure you hurt my son today, so it’s been unique, it’s been a great bonding experience.”
David and Leyland have always had a great relationship and this has only made it better.“Always been close,” David continued about his relationship with Leyland, “to have something that your dad can do with you has been a game changer in our relationship, it’s probably the strongest bond I’ve ever had.”
“Amazing!” Leyland stated about his shared PowerStrength experience with his dad. “Me and him are like peanut butter and jelly. We motivate each other a lot, he gets me a lot of protein, takes time off work to get me here and I tell all the trainers here to make him work hard and he does the same thing which I love. I hope everyone has a dad like me.”
EARLY RISER
David’s results are hard to get, but he says the hardest part was just getting to the gym:
“The biggest thing is knowing that you gotta get up out of bed, that’s the hardest thing. Over that 15-year span that I didn’t do anything, I would get a gym membership or whatever, getting out of bed and getting there was always the hardest part. So if I was to tell somebody, commit to getting there, the rest will work on its own, because you are going to be there, you are going to see success all around you and you are going to want to be a part of it, that’ll change their life.”
David has been getting out of bed much earlier than most. He is a service manager at a heating and cooling company, he needs to be to work in a timely manner, so early sessions at PowerStrength were his choice.
“He trained 3 times a week at 6am,” Trotter said. “Monday, Wednesday, Friday, now he is 60 pounds down, looks like a completely different human being.”
PowerStrength offers a wide variety of times to train with starting times as early as 6am, and into the evening at 5:30pm and many others in between in order to accommodate all schedules.
When asked about the differences in his dad since he started at PowerStrength, Leyland replied:
“He used to be super lazy, but now he is getting up at 4 o’clock in the morning, getting all ready to go here (PowerStrength) – it is a nice thing to have in a dad.”
MORE WORK AHEAD
While David is thrilled with his results, he has no plans to slow down now.
He has already added lean muscle to his slimmed down frame.
“I put 10 (pounds) back on already, not the bad way, the good way, over the course of the year. Still in the same size jeans I was.”
He recently hit his personal record for deadlift and bench press.
“The motivation continuously rises,” David said. “I want to keep getting stronger.”
He has added 10 pounds of lean muscle mass while maintaining the same pants size.
“I want to sustain at least 160-170 heartbeat per minute while exercising without gasping for air or putting my hands on my hips, the lazy man stuff. I need to continually improve and get better cardiovascularly.”
“Continue on the same trajectory that he is on right now,” Trotter added. ”Lose a little bit more unwanted body fat, gain a little bit more muscle mass, and he is starting to throw around a little bit more weight in the gym.”
READY TO TAKE CONTROL?
Men and Women 40-and-over seeking a stronger, more energized lifestyle can join the personal training programs 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 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.