Exercise Training: Time for Action!

I hope you enjoyed the women’s push up variation, I posted last week. Men, don’t worry I have something coming up for you, too. I’ll be posting it on the blog, so look for it. I happened to be watching “Lost” which is my favorite show on television and saw a trailer for the new movie , “Hot Tub, Time Machine”. Yes… I am going to go see it! It might be a bit cheesy for some, but I love to laugh and I know it is going to be a funny movie. After I saw the trailer, I couldn’t help but entertain the thought of what it would be like to go back in time. Hmmm…. I think I will do that right now.

The year was 1995 and two years prior, I had just finished up my college basketball career. I had been playing basketball since I was 10 years old and never thought the “air” would go out of the ball and I would stop playing. Basketball had been a part of me for most of my life and it took me to some wonderful places and introduced me to some great people. I couldn’t believe it was all gone. I knew I could still play for fun, but it is something about playing competively that brings out the best in you. I still liked to play, but I noticed after time my interest in playing became less and then something happened.

When I was in high school and college, I was significantly underweight for someone my size. I was 6’6 and weighed a whopping 170lbs and that was on a good day. I remember how I got pushed around under the basket, because I didn’t have any strength. It was through that experience, that I became obsessed with gaining weight. That’s right, gaining weight! I would consume weight gain shakes and eat loads of food just to put on pounds, and none of it ever worked. It just succeeded in giving me “gas” and frequent bathroom trips. I know too much info, right? ( smile) I finally gave up my quest to gain weight and just chalked it up to a fast metabolism, but one thing always sticks out in my mind. What was it? I remember people telling me as I got older I would gain weight easily and I thought, “nah that could never happen to me!”

Ok… fast forward to 1998 and the kid who couldn’t gain weight was almost 240lbs! I am 6’7 now but 240lbs was alot of weight for my frame and it took its toll on me. I had frequent back and knee problems and couldn’t understand why this was happening. I could only guess it had something to do with giving up the gym and exercise all together. I had this notion I would be forever young. Have you ever had the same thought? I remember my turning point vividly and it came during a pickup basketball game at the local “Y” in my hometown during a vacation. I use to dominate the court and not to brag or boast, but I had great leaping ability. I started playing and living on a memory of “ what was”, but here was the truth. I was overweight, slow, and could barely get down the court. I can remember all the comments from the guys I grew up with and all of them said, “ you are living the good life down there in Florida”. They were really telling me I had gotten fat but in a round about way. It hit me to my heart while I was sitting there with ice on knees and my heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings. What could I do?

I drove back to Florida a couple of days later, and I knew things had to change. How was I going to change them? I was determined to change and this was coming from a guy who stopped at just about every Burger King from South Carolina to the Florida border. I didn’t know it at the time but that would be my last fast food binge. I got home and started to do some research on the internet and came across the “Body for Life” website and dove into it. I wanted to buy the book and I remember it being 20 bucks, at the local book store. I was on a budget at the time, and couldn’t afford it, but I didn’t give up. I went to a flea market in South Florida and I remember going to a booth and saw the “Body for Life” book. I asked the guy in charge of the booth how much he wanted for the book and he replied, “a dollar”. I bought the book and went home and immediately dove into it. This was a Saturday and by Monday I was at the gym starting the program. I stuck with the program and got down to 205lbs and never felt better. I noticed my knee pain and back pain disappeared and I felt better than I ever did. I felt athletic again and it showed when I ventured back to playing “pickup” basketball. I guess you might be feeling that I’m “tooting” my own horn, but that is not the point. The point is to take action and quit waiting on the perfect time, the perfect day, the perfect training program, or even the perfect trainer because perfection doesn’t really exist. The important thing is to start where you are and expect help along the way. There is power in a made up mind. See you on lean side.

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist