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Building Strength for the Years Ahead
Matt Seiler didn’t start his health journey because of how he looked in the mirror. He started because of a number on a lab report.
Two years and 40 pounds later, Matt has built real strength, changed his family’s daily habits, and proven that getting healthier as you age doesn’t mean losing what you’ve built — it means building on it.
THE WAKE-UP CALL
Matt had been trying to get healthier on his own for a while, but it was a routine set of lab results that turned intention into action.
“I got some lab results back that basically said I had fatty deposits on my liver,” he said. “My doctor’s told me every visit that I should really start getting healthier, but at that time it was like, now you have some evidence — because now we’re starting to talk about some bad things going forward, like diabetes.”
That was the moment things changed.
“That was the start of trying to watch what I eat and move some more weight,” he said.
THE RESULTS
Matt’s progress since then has shown up in two ways — the number on the scale, and the strength he’s built alongside it.
“I’ve lost 40 pounds,” he said. “I definitely built up a lot of muscle — visibly, I can see it. Better strength, and definitely some gains in the weights I can move. I think it stems a lot from staying healthy as I get older.”
And the lab results that started it all have followed his progress.
“It’s gotten better. It’s not as good as I’d like it to be yet, but I’m not in the danger area anymore,” he said. “We’re trending downward.”
THE GOAL BEHIND THE GOAL
For Matt, weight loss was never the whole point — protecting what he’d already built mattered just as much.
“A lot of what I was reading said, hey, be careful when you’re trying to lose weight, because if you lose muscle, it’s really not that easy to get it back,” he said. “So I wasn’t really looking to gain anything, but rather not lose it. In the process, I definitely gained some along with that too.”
THE COACHES
Coming in with no prior gym or lifting experience, Matt says the coaching made the difference between guessing and actually knowing what he was doing.
“If my shoulder doesn’t feel good one day, I say that to the trainers, and they say, ‘do this differently,'” he said. “If I was doing it all on my own, I wouldn’t know some of those things. It’s great to have that knowledge — and the visible results to see, too.”
PROTECTING HIS FUTURE
Beyond the physical changes, Matt sees his training as insurance against the aches and pains he watches his peers struggle with.
“I see people my own age dealing with back problems — they do some yard work and they really struggle,” he said. “You’ve learned how to lift things better, you’ve learned how to do things better. I’m not injuring myself as much as a lot of people in my peer group do. It’s kind of nice — just in the protective mindframe of, as I get older, trying to build that up so I don’t have to deal with a lot of that stuff.”
SETTING THE EXAMPLE
Matt’s health journey hasn’t stayed contained to just him — it’s become something his whole family sees and, in some cases, is living out alongside him.
“My wife’s been going through her own health journey too, kind of doing stuff at the same time,” he said. “It’s definitely nice to see both of us going together and focusing on that.”
His kids have taken notice, too, even if they’re not as directly involved.
“They’re not quite as interested in it, but at least it’s an example to set for them,” he said. “If I say, ‘hey, you guys should eat more healthy,’ they’re not just looking at me like, ‘yeah, sure, whatever you say, Dad.’ There’s some proof in the pudding — some example that I can lead.”
HIS ADVICE
Ask Matt what he’d tell someone considering PowerStrength — especially someone without much gym experience — and his answer is reassuring.
“There’s no attitude of judgment if you don’t know anything,” he said. “Whether you’re looking to build strength or come back from an injury, there’s no fear of walking in and not knowing what you’re doing — you’ve just got somebody to ask a question to.”
Asked to sum up what PowerStrength has meant to him, his answer was simple and honest.
“Consistency — I come here twice a week, I’m used to it,” he said. “PowerStrength is just a place where I can go and feel comfortable.”
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.