What started as a quick trip to shoot hoops at the Downtown YMCA turned into a major lifestyle change for Justin Peffer.
Peffer started coming back to learn more about weightlifting. And two years ago, he started taking it seriously. He often squeezed in two 45-minute workouts a day, joking that the gym was another home.
Now Peffer, 29, hits the gym six days a week for his weightlifting routine.
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Q: When did you start working out and why?
A: I started probably 3½ to four years ago. One of my old managers wanted to shoot hoops here. Then I came back and got into lifting. I started taking it seriously about two years ago.
Q: Describe your workouts. How many days per week do you exercise?
A: I’m here six days a week. Monday and Thursday, I work on chest, triceps and shoulders. Tuesday and Friday, I work on back and biceps. Wednesday and a weekend day are leg day.
Q: What is your current fitness goal?
A: I want to get down to 5% body fat. Other than that, I’m not about numbers. I want to look good and feel good.
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
A: Losing body fat. I was at 18% two years ago. Then I got into the diet part, and now I’m down to 9% body fat. I also had muscle growth. I first came in here with noodle arms.
Q: What has been the toughest hurdle and how did you overcome it?
A: The monotony and doing the same workouts. I looked up online and asked the other guys here.
Q: What helps you stay on track?
A: My self drive. I have high standards for myself and I’m very high-strung. If I want something, I’m going to go do it.
Q: What is your gym pet peeve?
A: People texting during their workout and not re-racking their weights.
Q: What do you do when you aren’t in the gym?
A: Concerts, work, go out with buddies, bike rides, hikes and watch sports.
Q: What is the piece of equipment, supplement, clothing, etc. that you can’t live without?
A: Deadlifts. It works your whole body, and I’ve started hitting PRs. I can do 355 pounds.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their fitness journey?
A: Start light and focus on form. Get plenty of sleep, hydration and focus on nutrition.
Gymgoers share what motivates them, pet peeves and their proudest accomplishments
You never know who you might run into at the gym.
There's the man who's exercising as he waits for a heart transplant. Or the woman who's made Jazzercise workouts part of her life for more than 30 years.
Some workouts see moms accompanied by babies. Elsewhere you'll find folks well into their 90s who stick with exercise.
Check out their stories.
After Joe Adams had a heart attack, he underwent numerous procedures to get his heart in working order. Just when it seemed things were on the right track, his heart started to fail again. Read more.
Tamara Mosby-Montegut started working out as a stress reliever. Now she wants to keep up with her husband when he tackles 50 pushups in a row. And she wants her daughter to follow their healthy examples. Read more.
Varun Narayanan wanted to shed the pounds he packed on during the holidays a few years ago. He dropped from 230 pounds down to 195. Now he treks up active volcanoes. Read more.
After giving birth to her fourth baby, Susan Sawyer wanted to drop the baby weight. She took up Jazzercise. Sawyer's stuck with the dance-based exercise for nearly 35 years. Read more.
Jessica Hawley thought her third pregnancy was different because she was having a girl. But baby number three was another boy. The pregnancy felt different because she was more fit this time around. Read more.
When Gary Gundy started having trouble getting up after squatting down for target practice, he knew it was time for a change. The La Vista man dropped 80 pounds in three years. Read more.
Valerie Heath started shedding pounds by using the family's Wii. Now she belongs to a CrossFit gym and works out six days a week. Read more.
To be around for her family, Ashlei Spivey needed to get in shape. She joined a boxing gym. Now her workouts leave her feeling like she stepped out of a movie. Read more.
Betty Watt survived a sometimes trying career as a middle school teacher. Then she beat cancer twice. And the whole time she was a regular at the gym. Watt and her husband Charlie workout at least five days a week. Read more.
Erika Hanna sometimes has a pint-sized workout buddy during her morning classes. Her son Henrik, 18 months, offered hugs as she held a plank position and occasionally chased a loose exercise ball around the room. The studio gives Hanna a chance to stick close to her kids while staying on top of her own health and fitness. Read more.
Gwen Leyden wound up spending a week in a wheelchair because of a chronic condition. Leyden gradually was able to walk without using a cane. Later she started using the treadmill and eventually worked up to weightlifting. Read more.
With high blood pressure — and the possibility of needing cholesterol meds — Rich Hazuka was headed down a dangerous path. He dropped 75 pounds thanks to diet changes. When he plateaued, he took up exercise. Now he's off his blood pressure meds and has no need for any cholesterol medication. Read more.
George Mach can't help but wake up well before dawn. With that free time, the early riser started a gym routine. He hits the gym three days a week. Read more.
As Gregg Learned aged, arthritis made physical activity a chore. He struggled to walk across the parking lot at work. But joining a gym has helped Learned to stay on his feet. Read more.
At one time, Laura Adams could barely finish a lap around the walking track. But the Bellevue woman, who weighed 300 pounds, stuck it out and dropped 115 pounds. Read more.
Vince Huerta has always tried to keep active. He decided to give powerlifting a shot and now, the Omaha South grad holds a number of records for the weight he's hoisted. Read more.
Paul Stultz takes swimming seriously. He joined a Masters Swimming club and is working on nailing strokes like the freestyle and butterfly. But one of his biggest accomplishments was hiking the Grand Canyon. Read more.
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