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More Than the Number on the Scale
Mitch Timmer will be the first to tell you he was never a gym guy.
“I was the fat kid in school,” he said. “Fat kids and gym do not go well together. Gym was a hostile place for me — until I came here, at the age of 66.”
Since joining PowerStrength, Mitch has lost more than 40 pounds on top of some weight he’d already lost before he started — he’s now dropped more than 100 pounds total.
But the number on the scale is only part of his story. The rest is about independence, strength, stamina, and being able to show up for the people he cares about.
THE START
Mitch didn’t walk through the door looking for a transformation. He came in to support his daughter.
“My daughter Jessica had been a member here for a few months before I was,” he said.
There was a promotion at the time — a bingo-card style challenge with a free session as one of the rewards.
“I thought, Well, I’ll help my daughter out – and we’ll come in and try this out.”
What started as a favor turned into something much bigger.
THE NUMBERS
Mitch had already lost 60 pounds on his own before he set foot in PowerStrength. Since joining, that number on the scale has only continued to drop.
“I’ve lost about 40 more (pounds) since I’ve been here,” he said. “So I’m a little north of 100 pounds lost.”
THE DIFFERENCE THIS TIME
For Mitch, this isn’t his first experience with significant weight loss — and that history is exactly what makes this time stand out.
“I did lose 100 pounds probably about 12, 13 years ago,” he said. “But the difference then is that I didn’t work out or anything. That was just watching what I eat.”
That earlier loss didn’t stick. This time, with consistent strength training built into his routine — alongside a renewed focus on protein and regular meals — the results have held and kept building.
THE EVERYDAY WINS
Ask Mitch what’s changed, and the weight isn’t even the first thing he mentions — it’s the small, everyday moments that used to be hard.
“Getting shoes on — I used to hoist my leg up on a chair, stop breathing, and tie the shoe,” he said. “Now I can just bend over and breathe at the same time.”
It shows up in his yard work, too.
“I can get down on the floor or the ground to do work in the yard, and not have a three or four-point plan to try to get up again,” he said. “I can get up off the ground a lot easier.”
THE COACHES
Coming in as someone who’d never spent real time in a gym, Mitch credits the coaches at PowerStrength with making the experience approachable from day one.
“They’re just so friendly, and they know their stuff, and they’re encouraging,” he said. “I’ve never felt condescended to — that was a biggie for me.”
He’s also noticed the little things.
“They know my name right away. I’m lousy at names, and that impresses me.”
That personal attention extends to working around the aches and pains that come with age.
“If you’ve got a knee or a shoulder that’s bothering you, they come up with something you can do that takes it easy on that area,” he said.
THE DEEPER WHY
For Mitch, the biggest payoff of his training isn’t personal at all — it’s what the added strength and stamina let him do for other people.
He volunteers regularly at Jehovah Jireh Food Pantry in Hudsonville, doing warehouse-style work — hauling bins of food, stacking, and organizing.
“I started doing two-hour shifts. Now I’m doing four and a half, five hours — and I feel about the same as I did after two,” he said.
That shift has reshaped how he thinks about training altogether.
“I used to think being obsessed with working out and health was kind of me-focused,” he said. “But especially at this stage in life — retired — I’m seeing that I can give back more. I’m doing it so I can do more for others.”
THE ADVICE
Mitch’s message for anyone hesitant to start, especially those who’ve had a rough history with gyms, is simple.
“They cater to 40-plus, and that was attractive to me too,” he said. “If you’ve got a phobia of gyms because of past life experiences — give it a shot.”
Asked to sum up what PowerStrength has meant to him, his answer captured both sides of his journey — the physical and the purpose behind it.
“Living life better, with more energy, less recovery time,” he said. “It gives me hope that I can do more for others as long as I can — and it’s probably going to be longer, because of it.”
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.