No dead weight

At age 63, Steven Sides set out to get healthy. He ended up breaking state records in power-lifting.

Like many empty nesters, 63 year old Steven Sides wanted to lose a few pounds and improve his health. What Sides didn’t anticipate was pushing his limits farther than he ever imagined and breaking state records for powerlifting.

”I had gotten up to 230 pounds. I joined the gym to lose some weight for health reasons and just to generally feel better,” Sides said.

Sides’ first year of membership at Anytime Fitness yielded almost no results. Discouraged he sought the guidance of personal trainer Zack Gordon, who Sides attributes to bringing him to the realization that he was capable of more than he knew.

”Zack pushed me farther than I could have on my own, and I learned that most of the limits people think they have are put there themselves. Anybody can do this, whether they are older, overweight or out of shape. Sure there have been days that are difficult, but you just work through it and wait for the next day,” Sides said.

With Gordon’s encouragement and guidance, Sides not only began seeing results but developed an interest in the sport of power lifting.  Adapting his regimen with a more focused interest to lifting heavier, Sides began his training, which was no easy feat in the beginning.

”The biggest challenge was getting started and being consistent. One day of training a week just isn’t going to cut it. But having a plan and sticking to it and being committed definitely pays off,” Sides said.

Kathryn Sides, Steven’s wife of 37 years and gym partner, keeps him accountable to his early morning workout routine.

”There are a lot of mornings that I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed at 5 a.m. if it hadn’t of been for her,” Sides says.

Gordon says even at Sides’ age this type of training is feasible to anyone by communicating with your trainers, who are able to distinguish soreness from legitimate pain.

”There’s an old saying ‘Are you hurt or are you injured’ and that’s based on each person’s individual history. But by having an open and honest conversation we are able to create a plan that’s within the spectrum of what they can do and what we want them to do,” Gordon says.

Sides agrees.

“As you get older you kind of learn what pain to listen to, and what pain to ignore and work through.”

With his original goals not only met, but exceeded, Sides set his sights on competing by registering for the Ultimate Warrior Competition in Birmingham held in May.

Despite only training for two years and it being Sides’ first competition, he broke state records for all three lifts in his division and weight class. His squat and benchpress both being 209 pounds and his deadlift at 336 pounds.

”What was funny, was that my very first lift that day broke the state record, but then I ended up breaking all of them,” Sides said.

The soon to be grandfather is hoping that these accomplishments can serve as an inspiration to others who might be setting the same limits on themselves that he once placed on himself.

By proving to himself that he was not only able to compete, but to excel, Sides recently began researching other state records within his reach, saying that competing in Tennessee and Kentucky are possibilities by the end of the year.

”I mean setting records is fun, but right now I’m focusing on working on technique and cutting more weight, the rest will take care of itself. At the end of the day I’m competing against myself. And any day of competition is a good day whether or not I break a record.”