SUCCESS STORY
Wilder Hubbard decided at age 45 to shape up. His fitness journey got a kick start from a bartender-personal trainer.
At age 45, Wilder Hubbard decided enough was enough. He was going to get in shape. “I was getting close to 50, and I wanted to be healthier before I hit 50,” said Hubbard, who works in advertising.
He first started hitting the gym in his apartment building Downtown, but wasn’t seeing any results.
One day over lunch, he confessed his woes to the bartender, who happened to be a personal trainer, and a relationship was born.
Hubbard began training with the bartender, Mark Akin, twice a week at the Downtown gym Envision Memphis.
“We started out with a lot of basic stuff, which wasn’t basic for me,” said Hubbard, now 47. “He had me run up and down the floor a few times, and I was completely out of breath.”
Eventually, Hubbard joined the gym, which Akin now owns.
His workouts amped up to include hill sprints — running up and down Court Street from Riverside Drive to Front Street—squats, bench presses, push-ups and so on. “I worked out every other day,” he said. He kept a notepad of his various workouts so that when he got to the point of working out on his own, which he does now, he could consult his notes when necessary.
“Now I know the proper form and can do it correctly on my own,” he said.
Hubbard also changed what food he was putting into his body.
He significantly cut down on his carb intake, even eating gluten-free bread, and ate more protein and vegetables. As a diabetic for 31 years, fruits were not a good choice for him.
His doctor has been pleased with Hubbard’s activity.
“He has noticed a good change in my health,” he said.
Hubbard believes he has achieved his goals as well.
“When I started out, I had noodle legs, spindly arms and no core. I was like a potato,” he said. “Now I feel good, which is a success for me. I sleep better. I wake up better. I’m in a better mood. I’m managing my life a lot better. This has been incredible for me.”
His next goal is to feel confident taking his shirt off at the beach.
“I’d like to build up a little bit so that when I go to the beach, I’m comfortable,” he said. Have you lost weight and kept it off, adopted better eating habits, started exercising or had success living a more healthful lifestyle? E-mail your story to sunyata00@gmail.com.