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What is 40fit?

40fit supports a community of athletes age 40+ with Fitness, Community and Lifestyle resources. The goal is to support performance, lifestyle and quality of life for 40 plus athletes. By combining the resources of evidenced based science, anecdotal experience, and the community, individuals are challenged to look at aging through a refreshing perspective and reach their maximum genetic potential.

Why?

The more I trained using various methods, the more I realized there was something missing.  I noticed that even though I was significantly more fit than most of my peers, my experience in training was not the same as the “younger crowd.” The higher my fitness level became, the more I realized the value of fitness and lifestyle factors that I paid less attention to in the past. This is true for almost any athlete seeking higher levels of performance and capacity. Any inexperienced athlete can make quick and sometimes astonishing gains.

40fit programming is based on my own personal experiences as an athlete, evidenced based science and the collective experiences of the community. The programming model is a conjugate of these inputs and represents an adaptive construct to support the maximum genetic potential of each individual athlete. There is no one system that can meet the needs of all individuals, and anyone who would tell you otherwise is selling something for the purposes of selling something. The programming in the training model will constantly change and be a work in progress. We will not follow fads or training techniques just because someone else recommends them or they have become sexy. The foundation of any training should be based on what works, not what sells. I know that puts us at a significant disadvantage to spread the word, but I hope that the results of those who engage in our training will be evidence enough.

Mar 22, 2019

Doug Eidd, owner of Doug's Gym, the oldest barbell gym in America at the time of its closing in 2018, joins us today to share his perspective on health and fitness after over 60 years of experience training himself and thousands of others. In his own words, after a lifetime of training he has realized he already knew what he needed to know at 16, when he began training with weights to develop his strength and build muscular size.

 

Looking for work after the Korean War, Doug briefly considered PT school but was steered away by a friend in the field struggling to make ends meet (the nascent industry had yet to fully integrate with the existing healthcare system, and did not bill insurance at the time). Instead he entered the gym business, opening Doug's Gym in downtown Dallas in 1962. Doug's was one of just a few gyms in the area, but as bodybuilding began to enter mainstream American culture, demand for gyms grew, and the term "working out" entered the lexicon of modern working man.

 

Doug has since trained thousands upon thousands of people, and seen fitness trends and fads come and go. He still relies on the old, basic barbell lifts for the core of any training program, and he preaches moderation in diet and lifestyle. One might chuckle at his moderation comment, as you were likely to find Doug toking his meerschaum pipe in his office while reading the newspaper, but Doug still trains with weights 5 days a week, moves around with ease, and possesses a sharp and curious mind -- at 88 years of age.

 

You don't have to take it from us... listen to Doug. He's probably been training longer than you've been alive, and he's learned a thing or two about training during that time.

 

Some articles on the history and closure of Doug's Gym:

 

Dallas photographer Norm Diamond has taken some beautiful photos that capture the spirit and essence of Doug's Gym. You can view his portfolio and order prints of his work here: https://www.afterimagegallery.com/Diamond2.htm

 

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