When he started at The Perfect Workout two years ago, retired real estate executive Gerald Swanstrom wasn’t looking for a new workout. He already had access to a gym at his retirement community, and at age 77, he was in pretty good shape from 60 years of playing tennis and healthy eating. On a friend’s recommendation, though, he decided to check it out. “Slow motion strength training made sense,” he says. “The theory behind it was fact, and I liked the one-on-one supervision.” His goals in the beginning were to improve his conditioning, increase strength and movement, and ramp up his metabolism.
Gerald quickly felt a difference, and after a few months started to see some muscle build-up. The workout and the results were much different than at his previous gym. “The one-on-one training is great. They’re very knowledgeable, and they pay attention to what I’m not doing. Bekki makes adjustments each time, and I always ask her, ‘Am I better than last time?’ She’s the best trainer I’ve had.” He adds, “I don’t think anyone can do this on their own and do it right. You can’t see what you’re doing.” Before, Gerald’s sciatica ran all the way down the side of his leg, and he had low back pain for about a year. Shortly after starting at The Perfect Workout’s Walnut Creek studio, it went away, which he can only attribute to the training. Since then, he’s also made big improvements on all the machines, especially the leg press, ab machine, and bicep curls. His posture has improved, he’s bounding up and down stairs, and he says he feels like he’s 62 again.
“Other people work out for 90 minutes a day and they’re not getting what I’m getting here. 20 minutes twice a week is not a lot of time.” Asked about his goals, Gerald jokes that he’d like to appear in a men’s fitness magazine. In all seriousness, he has some advice for seniors. “You’re not too old to do this. You’re not going to get injured, and I think anyone who takes this program is looking at being physically younger. The Perfect Workout is a wonderful experience.”
