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Starting Out
at Fifty-Two
A letter from Danny Douglas
I'm 52, and this year started lifting weights for
first time in my life. Between ages 18-21, I was in the United
States Marine Corps, a Vietnam combat vet. Once out of the
Corps and as age crept up, plus working at a sedentary job, I woke
up at age 51 being 65 pounds overweight, as well as being
under-muscled.
I'm 5'10" and at that time I weighed 222. On
January 1, 2001, I could not do a single push-up for the life of me.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and also had spinal surgery last year;
I had the L-4 disc removed. I'm sure the added weight and gut
didn't help it, either.
I am pastor of a church in Orange County, and our
church got a corporate membership at a new LA Fitness gym across the
street from the church. I did not go in for the first four
months of membership, because I was too ashamed at how out-of-shape
I was. I was intimidated by all the machines and the "buffed"
guys working out there.
I started my fitness journey by riding my wife's
"Health Rider" that I had been using as a clothing rack.
Instead of going to the gym, I bought two 15 lb. dumbbells and
started doing what I now know are called biceps curls.
In my mind, I figured I was too old to do anything,
and that my Marine Corps fitness had been a lifetime ago.
I almost gave up, but didn't.
Three months ago, I finally got into the gym and
started working out regularly. I also decided to cut out junk
food, and as Dave Draper says, "Got the sugar monkey off my back."
For the first time in 30 years, I am eating breakfast every day, no
longer binge-eating, and eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.
I've been doing healthy eating for the last three months and keeping
a food journal.
For the last eight weeks, I have gotten to the gym
at 4:30 AM to work out every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as when
it opens on Saturday morning. I do twenty minutes on a cycler,
then hit the iron. I'm learning and studying. I get
there early so I can still have time in the morning each day to do
my Bible study before I go to the church office. I have
recaptured the discipline I had when I was a Marine sergeant.
The Results: I am down from 222 to 198 lbs.,
and have gone from a 38-inch-waist pair of Levis to wearing 34-inch
Levis 501's, something I thought I would never get into again after
twenty years. I couldn't do a single push-up on January 1, and
hadn't done a single chin-up since 1970, my last year in the
Marines. My goal was to be able to do 35 push-ups by September
1, 2001, and 50 push-ups by December 31, 2001. Monday I did 41
push-ups and 5 chin-ups.
A goal reached is a goal lost, so I made a new goal.
My new goal is that on my 53rd birthday, I will pass the USMC
fitness requirements -- not for the 30-to-40-year-olds, like for the
generals, colonels, majors, or master sergeants, but in the
18-to-25-year-old category, like right out of boot camp. It's
a challenge, but I know I can do it.
-- Danny Daniels
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