"My brother says I look better at 55 than I did in my 20's."

In October 1999, I bought a membership at Hardbodies Gym on the condition that I could hire a good trainer. At age 54, my only experience with weight training had been negative. I was in my second year of university and had signed up for a weight training class; thinking all the students enrolled would be fat, out-of-shape guys like me. Instead, they were all football players who already had "in shape" bodies. I thought the coach would teach us how to train…he didn't. At the end of the semester instead of measuring any progress I might have made from the beginning of class, he tested us by seeing if we could climb a rope to the ceiling of the gym. All the football players climbed it with ease, as I'm certain they could have done before they took the class. I, in front of everyone, could not get off the ground. I passed with a D.

As I know nothing about weight lifting, and because of my previous experience as a young man, I was very certain I would need a trainer. Someone to keep me on task, motivate me, and simply teach me what I needed to do in order to have maximum success. I was 230 pounds, 6 feet tall, with long thin arms that looked like two toothpicks stuck into a large marshmallow. I did not enjoy looking at myself in the mirror. I got tired easily whenever I did any physical activities. And if I got up out of a chair to fast my head would spin. In addition my legs frequently ached for no reason at all. I had always been teased as a child when playing sports, so I avoided them, and thus lived a rather sedentary life.

In contrast, after being assigned to Cabel McElderry I received nothing but positive feedback, not only from Cabel, but also from other guys that worked out in the gym. I heard that Hardbodies was a very serious gym and many of the guys were like the ones you see on posters. On the occasions when I worked out alone, I was impressed that no matter how advanced or "macho" a bodybuilder seemed to be, he was always kind, friendly, and willing to help me when I asked. In addition, they usually put in a good word of encouragement.

Cabel started me out by putting me on a diet and an exercise program that included 45 minutes of cardio a day, and three, one-hour workouts a week. In less than one year, I had lost 50 pounds! At 180 pounds, I was the same weight I was as a plump, chubby teenager. But now, at 180 pounds I was slender, and my body was more toned. For the first time, I looked good at 180 pounds. Muscle had replaced the fat. In addition my legs no longer ached, the dizzy spells vanished, and I was able to do all the things I did when I was in my 20's (like dancing all night without huffing and puffing). My brother says I look better at 55 than I did in my 20's. I enjoy seeing what I see in the mirror, although I'm still anxious to improve.

As of this writing, I have been working out with Cabel for 1 ½ years. I plan to continue training with Cabel as he enriches my workouts, and my life in general by helping me to:

1) Stay motivated.
2) Continue on a proper diet with supplements that are both helpful and suitable for someone of my age and ability. Diet takes a more prominent place in bodybuilding with age. Cabel has taken time to do his homework to find methods of dieting and supplements that will help me with specific problems affected by my age.
3) Change my program as I progress and my needs change.
4) Make certain that I get the maximum out of each workout by doing each exercise properly.
5) Stretch me to my maximum without taking risks that could hurt me permanently. (With Cabel's help I am now able to lift more than twice as much as when I began.)

I have received compliments from many friends who ask me what I've been doing to take 10 to 15 years off of my appearance. When I explain, I am surprised that most of them, while impressed, are not interested in making a commitment to change their lives. Many of them are over weight and looking for an easy way to change. Very little in my life is worthwhile, unless we work for it.

I only have one regret, that my first experience with bodybuilding was so negative. If I could have met a trainer such as Cabel when I was 24, I could have opened the doors to healthy living at an earlier age and not have to struggle as hard to make gains. I hope this letter will encourage others to invest their time, effort, and of course, a bit of money, to enjoy a more rich and happy lifestyle that only comes when you can look in the mirror and say to yourself, "I'm the best I can be, I've done all I can." It's never too late to start, but the earlier you start the better.

Best of luck in your endeavours to reach a more rich and full life!

Dean Snelling
February, 2001