Inner Strength - John Burkhard lifted his way to good health

Jan. 7, 2004

When John Burkhard was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000, his doctor gave him an unexpected prescription: exercise. Little did he know that in just three years he‘d achieve a championship-level physique as well as control of his illness, all at the age of 56.
A Boyne Falls resident, John does log work for Town and Country Cedar Homes. “I do a lot of heavy lifting, but when I got diabetes in 2000, my doctor got on my case to increase what I was doing,“ he says, reflecting back on a time when he weighed 217-200 lbs. “At the time I thought my work already was a lot of exercise, but my doctor said to *really* exercise, so I did.“
Burkhard hit the gym at Bentley‘s in Petoskey and started working out four days a week on their Hammerstrength free-weight machines and aerobic equipment. While there, he noticed photos of championship-level weight lifters who‘d been honored by the gym at Bentley‘s annual competition, among other. “After working out there for about nine months, I was starting to look pretty good, so I decided to try competing,“ he says.

BEST OVERALL
Last summer, Burkhard won “best poser“ overall at the Midwest Natural Classic competition in Chicago, outperforming some 56 contestants for the honor. He also took first place in the Grand Masters division for contestants over the age of 50, and was third in an open class competition for the Men‘s Short Division, barely missing a chance to compete at the national level.
Burkhard is modest about his abilities, however. “I‘ve been in the Bentley‘s competition for three years and have never taken a first,“ he says with a quiet laugh. “There‘s guys there that are good in their 50s too.“
Working out in your 50s has challenges as well as rewards. “At our age, you can still put on muscle, whether they tell you that you can or not,“ he notes.
On the other hand, aging makes it easier to get injured. “Don‘t try to keep up with the young kids,“ Burkhard advises, regarding the intensity of workouts. “Don‘t kid yourself, you‘re not with them anymore. Just enjoy it and don‘t go heavy and hurt yourself.“
In his own case, he tries to vary his workouts with different exercises and lifting techniques in order to “shock“ his muscles into further development. Because of his diabetes, he tends to stick to an hour workout. “I run out of juice if I go longer,“ he notes. Generally, he sticks to a schedule of moderate weights and reps.
“I know guys in their 40s who have lifted real heavy weights in the 300-400 pound range, and they‘re done because of joint injuries,“ he says. “Your joints aren‘t designed to handle those kinds of weights.“

BETTER HEALTH
Burkhard has had injuries to his shoulder and knee, and his demanding work with heavy timber has sent him to physical therapy twice for back pain. “But since I started weight training and strenthening my stomach, I have had no back problems,“ he notes.
His workouts have also made dramatic improvements in his health.
“Part of the reason I started exercising was because the cost of my medicine was so extreme, I couldn‘t really afford it,“ he says, speaking of the pills necessary to control type II diabetes, as well as medication for high blood pressure. “I managed to get off all medication by going to the gym.“
Another benefit is the pleasure of growing strong in body and mind. “I really enjoy what I‘m doing and really miss it if I‘m gone from the gym for very long. It‘s something you look forward to doing.“
He adds that he‘s often been inspired by the advice of a fellow weight-trainer from Cheboygan named Lonnie, who starts each competition with some words of wisdom that might benefit just about anyone: “If you think for a minute that you can do this -- you‘re right -- you can.“