Personal trainer inspired him to get, keep moving

• His background: Jack Olden admits that in August he was in the worst physical shape of his life. “I didn’t look good. I had high blood pressure,” says Olden, 65. “I had physically been in shape prior but over the past two years I let myself go.”

• How he got moving: He learned through friends that he was eligible for Silver Sneakers, a program through his insurance that offers free gym memberships to older adults. He says that opened the door for him and his wife to join the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Dunwoody.

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Adrienne Hughes-Harris/Adrienne Hughes-Harris / AJC Special

Jack Olden enjoys an array of exercises at the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Dunwoody.

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• His inspiration: After joining, Olden and his wife were introduced to Jeff Baird, a JCC personal trainer, who gave them an orientation. “He was enthusiastic about helping us get back in shape so I decided to go ahead and take his personal training course with him,” says Olden (which costs extra).

• The workout: Olden first signed up for eight 30-minute sessions. Baird showed him how to use the weight machines, the best way to work out his muscles and why he should work them in a certain order. He also learned the right way to do cardio: “My threshold heartbeat is 125. I’ll maintain that for at least 25 minutes,” says Olden, who likes the stepper and the treadmill. When his eight sessions were up, Olden says, “I decided I needed more help so I signed up for another eight.”

• Working out on his own: After 16 sessions he was ready to tackle the weight machines on his own. The only problem was remembering exactly how they all worked. “[Baird] would sit down at the machines and I took pictures and downloaded them on the computer. I have a schedule now that I follow every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” says Olden.

• Mixing in classes: Besides designing a routine for Olden, Baird also encouraged him to attend classes at the JCC such as Phys Ed and Body Pump. “I think I’m the oldest one,” he says of the Phys Ed class.

• A typical workout week: Olden is now a regular face at the JCC, showing up five days a week: On Monday he takes Phys Ed and does weights and cardio; on Tuesday he attends a Body Pump class; on Wednesday it’s weights and cardio, followed up with Body Pump; Thursday means an evening Body Pump; and Friday is for light cardio on the treadmill and yet another Body Pump class. And he doesn’t neglect his core: “I’m always working on the abdominal muscles — crunches, things of that nature,” he says. He generally takes a break on the weekends but will go for a walk.

• How it’s helped him: When it comes to the weight machines, Olden has seen lots of improvement. On his chest, for instance, he can now do three sets of 20 reps. “First time I don’t think I could do 10 [reps].” He’s lost about 10 to 12 pounds and is down to 25 percent body fat (from 28 percent).

• Why he’s grateful: Olden says that if he hadn’t worked with Baird to develop a routine, “I would not have known what to do; I would not have known what kind of classes to do. If I had gone straight into Phys Ed, I would have had a heart attack. His inspiration and direction has just been the best thing that’s happened to me.”

• His advice: “Get positive about yourself. No one else can do that for you. You’ve got to say ‘how much longer do I want to feel bad about myself?’ I don’t want to do that any longer. I want to get better.”

THE WORKOUT

Jack Olden does his customized workout at the Marcus Jewish Community Center: www.atlantajcc.org

To see if you qualify for the Silver Sneakers program, check out: www.silversneakers.comor call 888-423-4632.

• Do you have a favorite workout? E-mail us at myfavoriteworkoutajc@gmail.com.