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No more pain or heartburn. Less snoring. And a new profile picture.
Chris Burman wasn’t a high school athlete. He’d never spent much time in a weight room.
By his 40s, a torn meniscus and the weight gain that followed had left him feeling like the wheels had fallen off entirely.
Less than a year after joining PowerStrength’s Personal Training Program that’s tailored to adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, he’s down 40 pounds, back to running, and telling anyone who’ll listen that he wishes he’d started sooner.
Chris’s story is something every adult over 40 who’s struggling with their health and fitness can relate to — and it’s proof that it’s never too complicated to start taking your health seriously.
THE BREAKING POINT
Chris’s path to PowerStrength started with an injury.
“I trained for and ran in the River Bank Run three years ago this spring, and I tore my right meniscus in the process,” he said. “Coming out of that, it was just nagging knee pain, and the wheels just fell off. I didn’t do anything, which just compounded a bunch of weight gain.”
It’s a pattern a lot of adults recognize — an injury or a busy season leads to months (or years) of inactivity, and by the time you’re ready to do something about it, the idea of walking into a gym feels bigger than it should.
THE FIRST STEP
For Chris, the nudge came from someone he recognized.
“I saw one of your videos from an old neighbor of ours who was working out at the Holland facility, and he’s a little older than me. I thought, I should go check that place out.”
He admits the first walk through the door came with some hesitation.
“There’s a certain intimidation factor in just walking into a place and seeing people move some weight,” he said. “But I would say I got pretty comfortable pretty quickly.”
That’s by design. The program isn’t built around a single workout or standard everyone has to hit — it’s built around meeting people where they are.
“You could pick any trainer in this place, and their ability to meet you where you are — there’s certainly not a vibe here of, ‘you’ve got to put up 225 on the bench, or you’re not a man,'” Chris said. “It was just like, ‘hey, you’re dealing with this thing,’ and working through getting that thing strong enough to get into some other exercises.”
THE RESULTS
Less than a year in, the change is measurable — and it goes well beyond the scale.
“I’ve lost right around 40 pounds. Way stronger. As a general statement, I feel way better than I have in — I don’t even know when,” Chris said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this way.”
The list of what’s improved keeps going.
“Stronger. More energy. Heartburn is gone. Less snoring,” he said. “All those little kind of small things. But big things.”
His knee — the injury that started this whole journey — is no longer holding him back.
“I don’t feel it. It’s not an issue,” he said.
He’s back to running regularly, on his own terms.
“I have a love-hate relationship with running, but I love that 3-to-5-mile range — just enough to get out and do something.”
THE CONFIDENCE
For Chris, the biggest shift hasn’t shown up on a scale or a lift chart — it’s shown up in how he carries himself.
“I would say probably more in self-confidence — energy to go get things done,” he said.
That change hasn’t gone unnoticed at home, either.
“My daughter was like, ‘Dad, you look really good — you’ve lost a lot, you need to change your picture,'” he said, describing a moment his daughter caught his old YouTube profile photo on the TV screen. “I don’t know why it meant so much, but it just struck me… that felt really good.”
THE COMMUNITY
Chris trains at 6 a.m. — a session filled with people at every stage of the journey, from beginners to guys who’ve been at this for decades.
“There’s some guys that will show up here that have me by 15, 20 years,” he said. “You’re like, man, if that’s what 60 looks like, sign me up.”
It’s the encouragement, as much as the coaching, that’s kept him coming back.
“The people that are here every day, fist pumping and encouraging you through it,” he said. “This place is a lot of fun. Coaches are cool. It’s just a fun place. Getting up at 5 a.m. isn’t on the top of most people’s list, but I get up and look forward to it.”
THE ONLY REGRET
Ask Chris what he’d tell someone else considering PowerStrength, and his answer doesn’t take long.
“I wish I would have done it 15 years ago,” he said. “If I think about how I feel at 44 now — man, if I could have felt like this then, wow. Certainly would have been worth the effort.”
His advice for making it work isn’t complicated, either — it’s about treating the time like any other commitment.
“It’s definitely an investment of time,” he said. “Being really intentional and scheduling that time — as I’ve done that, it’s become like, this is going to happen today.”
Summed up in his own words: “PowerStrength is a game changer.”
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE READY
Chris’s story isn’t unique because of his age or his starting point — it’s a story that plays out for adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s every day at PowerStrength.
Whatever is holding you back — an old injury, years out of the gym, or just not knowing where to start — the personal training program is built to meet you exactly where you are and help you build from there.
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.