From Feeling Older to Stronger Than Ever, How Gym Membership Became Life-Changing

October 11, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

When Zackary Opheim moved to Sioux Falls five years ago, it was a position at a local church that convinced him to move from Minnesota.

A few years later, he knew it was time to return to the gym.

I was very sedentary and out of shape, he said. I looked at almost every place in town, and when I came to GreatLIFE, I knew this was it when I got there.

He was looking for weightlifting and they were well prepared for it, Opheim said. There was a wide variety of people starting out and something for everyone. The people were friendly and I just enjoyed being there.

Coach Ross Steineke was still working the front desk at Woodlake Athletic Club and studying for his coaching certification when he met Opheim.

He stopped by to talk to me on every visit, asking if I was already certified and could train with him. It was very motivating to complete the certification in a timely manner, and as a result, he was my first client, Steineke said.

He has a really fun attitude and personality; every session is a blast.

When they started working together, Opheim was 39 and starting to feel it.

I thought I would have to get a knee replacement. I had lower back pain. When I woke up, I felt old, he said. Ross knew how much he had to do to me. I gained a lot of muscle, but lost about 10 pounds. I’m in really good shape and I feel great.

Now, Opheim is literally Steineke’s strongest client.

After working together and helping push him to his potential, he achieved some pretty impressive lifting numbers, Steineke said.

This includes a 315-pound bench press and a 500-pound deadlift without a belt.

Both easily put him in the top 1 percent of gym goers, Steineke said. I joke that now I have to catch up to him in the big elevators.

Opheim gives Steineke a glowing review, he said. Ross is a bodybuilder, so he’s got the goods, and that’s what the trainers at GreatLIFE are like. They do it themselves and that’s what I like. That’s what I want.

Opheim likes some high-intensity cardio and interval training, but focuses primarily on resistance training.

The idea is to make the gym a positive, fun environment for people to achieve their goals, Steineke said.

I would say the biggest obstacle for people reaching their fitness goals is simply going to the gym, whether it’s time or motivation, he said.

As trainers, it’s important that we make our sessions fun for clients so they want to keep coming to the gym, because consistency is one of the most important aspects of achieving fitness results. Going to the gym should be a fun hobby you look forward to, not a chore you dread. GreatLIFE feels like a community first and a business second; This is what helps set it apart from other gyms, in my opinion.

It can be intimidating to walk into a gym, Opheim noted.

I think a lot of people go to gyms where the approach doesn’t help in the long term as it should. “I tell my family members to go to a gym like GreatLIFE,” he said. My life just changed. I can’t put it into words. I’m much stronger, much fitter. I look better; I feel better. Helps with mental health. I should have done this a long time ago. It’s just a blessing.

Want to learn more about starting your GreatLIFE journey? Take advantage of a free consultation session called GreatStart.

“We love going through this with aspiring new clients,” Steineke said. Myself and the other great coaches we have at GreatLIFE would love to help. Try it out and see if working with one of us can help you achieve your fitness goals.

Ready to get started? Stop by any convenient GreatLIFE location or click here to learn more about everything GreatLIFE has to offer.