K-Factor TEN Monthly Series–May 2021

As part of our K-Factor TEN monthly series, we will share ten questions and answers from people in the 50+ community with a fitness lifestyle each month.

Our goal is to help people get started and be encouraged, and know that it’s not too late to start, and anyone can do it.

This month we’d like to introduce you to Bruce Blockus.

1. Please give us some background on how long you’ve been working out and what started you down the path of fitness?  I became interested in fitness when I started reading Strength and Health magazine at age thirteen. The focus was on training for Olympic Weightlifting or other sports, not bodybuilding. I bought weights with my paper route money and trained on and off until I entered the United States Navy (USN) at age 20. I got married while in the USN, and after discharge, I neglected my health working two jobs and raising two children. It wasn’t long before I gained eighty pounds of fat, and at age 50, I had a heart attack scare. I didn’t have any permanent damage, but the cardiologist warned me that I would have a relatively short life if I didn’t change my ways. That was my call to action. My second call to action was in 2012 when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. I was in decent shape, but I knew that caring for her would be emotionally and physically demanding on me. I saw information online on Bill Phillips Transformation Camp, and I signed up. The knowledge and group support I received enabled me to get into the best shape ever, and I cared for my wife at home until she passed away.
2. How did you figure out what to do in the gym – what exercises work? I’ve always been a research junky, and the library was the go-to place in 2000. I read several books and started to self-experiment. I knew that weights would be the way to build strength and muscle with some walking and sprinting to help with cardiovascular conditioning. Maintaining and building muscle is the key to long-term success. Short, intense resistance exercise and High-Intensity Interval Training are the way to go. I’m a continuous learner, and over the last ten years, I’ve sought out leaders that teach the best theoretical and practical ways to attain great results in a time-effective way. I experiment with myself and keep what works well.
3. Did you start and stop working out before it became lifestyle? Yes. I had a 25-year layoff! Since I restarted my journey at age 50, I’ve been pretty consistent, but I have had some gaps where I stopped for a couple of months.
4. Why did you stick with it? What are the main benefits for you? Good health and fitness are priceless! Pain-free, strong, mentally sharp, and no meds at 70. Appearance has never been a driver for me. I often say that looking better is a side effect of being healthy and fit.
5. How do you motivate yourself when you don’t feel like working out? How do you get past that? I’m not fond of working out. But I schedule it like any other important event, and my body expects it. If I’m not sick and just lazy, I make a deal with myself to do one set, and if I can’t continue, it’s OK to stop. I always continue.
6. Please give us some background on your nutrition, and were there foods or strategies you tried in the past that were mistakes? Nutrition and sleep go hand and hand with exercise for a healthy mind and body. I’ve tried many Ways Of Eating—one to six meals a day with many different macros from low fat to high fat. I’ve found that many of them worked as long as I ate a reasonable amount of calories for maintaining good body composition. Since I measure my goals in decades, I need to have an eating plan that is easy, socially acceptable, and effective. I eat three meals a day, starting at 8:00 AM and ending at 6:00 PM. High protein, moderate fat, lots of vegetables, and high glycemic carbs like rice or potatoes after workouts. Very little fast or prepared foods. My big mistake was twenty-five years of the Standard American Diet (SAD). SAD is high in calories, processed carbs, sugar, and omega-six fats. Low in essential nutrients. Nutrition up, calories down!
7. Do you have a “cheat day/meal” on your plan? If so, how do you keep a “cheat day” from becoming a cheat weekend or week? What technique do you use? At this point in my life, I have a free meal whenever I feel like it. My metabolism is strong, and I can usually burn it off. I track my weight and body fat percentage on a recording scale app, and if I see it trending up, I know I need to reduce calories. A free meal can be very useful if you are eating at a calorie deficit all week. Psychologically knowing that you can eat “forbidden” foods if you wait till the free day is helpful to stick to a nutrition plan. Physically an insulin spike from a large meal with lots of high glycemic carbs can help reset your fat-burning hormones, but only if you have been eating at a calorie deficit all week.
8. “I don’t have time to spend hours a day working out and preparing meals” is something we often hear – how do you answer that?  If you don’t have time to do the things you need to do to prevent years of illness and early death, I’d say your priorities are mixed up. It doesn’t take hours a day to get the job done. You can make significant progress on four thirty-minute workouts a week. Food prep doesn’t need to be a huge production. Clear all of the junk out of your pantry and shop once a week for healthy ingredients: pre-cook chicken and other staples like hard-boiled eggs. I no longer eat six meals a day because it’s way less hassle and time spent to eat three. There are lots of easy to prepare meals in books like Eating For Life. 
9. Do you have any tips to help beginners get started? Any ideas for those who may be intimidated about going to a gym or don’t believe it will work for them? Resistance exercise with good nutrition will work for anyone. Find a good coach that will set up an exercise and nutrition plan for you and get you started. There is no need to go to a gym to exercise. Since everyone is pressed for time, cutting out the travel is valuable. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get great results. Doing circuit style training (like Bill Phillips 5/25) with dumbbells combines resistance training with cardiovascular conditioning and only takes twenty-five minutes. One big secret of success is to find an online support group. Studies show a 250% results increase for those who use one. Your coach can suggest an appropriate group.
10. What is your go-to pizza or that cheat day treat you look forward to? Settebello Neapolitan-style pizza with artichokes, mushrooms, and pancetta is my favorite. Add a glass of Barbera wine, and I’m in heaven.