Typically when people sign up for a gym they have a goal or vision of how things will be different for them if they dedicate themselves to training and nutrition.
Each person’s vision is different.
Some might want more energy.
Others might want to lose weight and fit into clothes they used to wear.
Others might want to feel less creaky and stiff.
Others might want to pack on muscle and feel stronger.
Others might be after longevity – increasing both health span and life span.
Others might want to feel “more capable” … which could be in athletic performance, or simply life responsibilities like taking care of their kids or grandchildren.
Many people want some combination of these things. Some people have goals that are not too far off from their starting point, and others have lofty goals that require significant time and energy requirements.
Today we are celebrating one of our long time members – Jim Hopkins – in his achievement of a milestone many years in the making: earning his way into the “1,000 pound club” for his combined total of back squat, bench press, and deadlift. Jim’s lifts were:
Squat x 140kg (308 lbs)
Bench Press x 127.5kg (281 lbs)
Deadlift x 190kg (418 lbs)
TOTAL = 457.5kg (1,008 lbs)
We hope that you are as inspired by his story as we are. It is a testament to the progress you can make and what you can achieve when you simply keep showing up and working hard … as you’ll find out, at first you might not even realize how far you have come!
Please see below for a short video of his impressive lifts and an interview with him about his progress and advice for those working towards their goals.
How long have you been lifting? I’ve been strength training for about 10 years now, but started pretty casually. I only started taking it seriously since coming to Industrial Strength about 2017, because I realized I needed quality coaching and programming if I was going to make any significant progress.
How young are you? I’m 58 years old, and honestly pretty proud to say it, because I certainly don’t feel it.
What were / are your overarching goals with training? My training goals sort of constantly evolve. Broadly, it’s just about getting stronger and being healthy. I am surrounded by a lot of people my age and I’ve seen a lot of deterioration in health in some people and how it so quickly snowballs after a certain age. Honestly this terrifies me. As we approach retirement age, Connie and I want to be able to really celebrate our lives, be active and do the things that we enjoy. The prospect of being hampered by physical constraints is unacceptable to me.
I think that like a lot of people, I started training because I wasn’t happy with my body. But I’ve come to realize that is a terrible starting point, mostly because change happens so gradually that it becomes difficult to stay motivated. I’m not saying wanting to look good is a bad goal, but it really just comes with the territory if you do the right things consistently.
So I shifted my goals to more of a S.M.A.R.T. goal model. For those not familiar, that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. So it’s essentially an accountability model with a bunch of little goals that you achieve and revise. Far more fun because you are able to celebrate successes more often, and metrics keep you motivated because you see progress across time. Another huge benefit is how this mindset transfers to other aspects of your life— your work, your relationships, everything, without even realizing it.
At the moment, my goals are evolving again. I can see the horizon from here, and I’m fully aware that the days of chasing PRs will come to an end at some point. There will be a day where I just won’t be able to do it anymore. Fortunately, that day is not today.
Did you have any sports or athletic background coming into strength training? I played football, basketball and tennis in high school so strength training wasn’t exactly new to me. I also competed in bicycle motocross for several years. I continued basketball and tennis frequently into my 30s and worked in professional sports so spent a lot of time around athletes, training and trainers. But in my late 30s/early 40s, I got very out of shape. I had just started a business and lost my way a bit. I felt terrible. That’s what motivated me to get back into fitness.
How did you get to the 1000# club? Tell us about your journey. Funny thing is the 1,000 lb club was actually never really a goal. I knew it existed but didn’t want to get too caught up in totals because smaller goals work better for me. I do remember at some point adding up the total I had at the time and thinking 1,000 was probably not achievable. So I really just stayed focused on improving individual lifts. I honestly didn’t even know I reached it when I did. Some time after my last PRs I thought ‘hey, I wonder what that adds up to?’ and there it was.
What are your top 3 key ingredients that helped you reach your goal? 1) Consistency. 2) Consistency. 3) Consistency. Of course there is more than that but I do think that is the primary driver. Working out when you don’t feel like it. Working out when friends want to make plans. Working through little pains and setbacks. Just showing up every day for yourself. Over time, there really is no better way to get where you want to go. I will say, because I preach it all the time to anyone who will listen (thanks Mira!), is that ignoring mobility work will hold you back from strength goals way more than you think.
Do you have any advice for anyone who might be inspired by you? I would love to think I could be an inspiration for anyone, especially people just starting out. Even if it’s “hey, if that old guy can do it so can I!”. But again, it’s the consistency that makes the biggest difference, so find a way to love the process. Be it strength metrics, technical perfection, enjoying the company of gym-mates, whatever. Find a way to shift the thinking from “I have to go to the gym” to “I get to go to the gym!” Find gratitude that you have the ability to shape your health and your future in meaningful ways, because many do not. That’s how you set yourself up for success. For me, I think I just really enjoy the community the gym provides and sort of got addicted to the feeling of setting and crushing goals. Humans love affirmation and self-affirmation becomes very powerful and empowering. Yes, strength training is hard. But so is living with debilitating physical ailments, low bone density, poor cardiovascular health, cognitive decline, a compromised immune system and depression. CHOOSE YOUR HARD!
What’s next? As far as goals go? My near term goals are to heal up from some little injuries to continue to be able to train at peak levels. I have some numbers that I’m looking to hit in some individual lifts so just putting in the work there. Long term honestly just being able to continue to train, whatever that looks like. Training has become such a huge part of my life and something I enjoy so much I couldn’t imagine not doing it.
Please feel free to add anything that I did not already ask you:-) I’d just say it’s great to see that people are talking so much about the benefits of strength training these days. For so long when people thought about getting in shape it was always steady-state cardio and the research now is clear that the benefits there are astoundingly limited. People are really starting to embrace strength as the fountain of youth that it is and how it’s the best path to longevity, wellness and body-positivity. One of the things I love about Industrial Strength is how that is the core mission— to build people up through strength, and how supportive and inspiring the IS community is.
It’s true that some amount of wisdom comes from age, so I’m gonna to drop some:
We all have our own measures of success, but the societal norm typically involves wealth or power. While I’ve had some measure of that kind of success, I’ve long given up on being the wealthiest person in the room.
But… I am able to walk into most places and confidently believe I’m the fittest person there. Why does that matter? Because no matter how much money, power, or material things others may have, there is going to be a day when they would give all of that for a different measure of success, and that’s not a regret you want to have.
