Troy A. Dolfi

With the news of our second daughter to come I felt it was time to take a look at how I was living and try to get myself to a point where I might actually be able to extend my life instead of just taking what comes.

I had done some weight training in high school and in my twenties, but it never lasted more than a year at a time.

I was now at the over 40 year old mark and started researching vitamins, minerals and all the healthy foods as well as getting blood work done and a complete physical.

Hit the gym with vigor and the idea of "more is better" - this was a waste of a good year almost.

I had bought in to the idea of working body parts twice a week, taking supplements that were advertised as the best for mass, testosterone, recovery and so on.

Then I switched up routines doing 5x5 , supersets, 5 day week, westside barbell and a couple more variations that I thought would just make me explode and look like a bodybuilder.

All wrong.

After the first year, I slowed it all down and simplified my routines to be one body part per week and usually a three day split.

I also learned more about nutrition and recovery...and that's when I actually started seeing the biggest difference. Sure, I had some bulk from all I had done in that one year, but there was no real definition, no abs, no legs (didn't work those regularly that first year either)

So, at 42 years old, there I was scrapping all I thought was well and good for training and adopting a whole new set of rules for myself.

These rules included setting a plan.

Without a plan, what are you hoping to accomplish? It's just another option to fail. Start a training log, take pictures, track your nutrition, anything that will show you are progressing. It is a great motivator!

Other rules included being in the right mindset, setting a decent level of intensity and actually trying some visualization as I had heard from other guys I respected in the gym. I no longer went in to a workout trying to lift the heaviest weights with mediocre form.

I slowed it all down and paid more attention to recovery and feeding my muscles while eating the good things to optimize my bodies abilities in all that I did. I found that nutrition is king!

It's been a few years now, and looking back, I'm proud of what I've done and am always willing to help others understand how paramount a little strength training can be in regard to their quality of life.

Troy's Transformation Pictures: