This is probably my most revealing interview yet.
Here’s an excerpt:
We’re talking today to Robert Henry to find out about his new fitness/motivational book, Age Re-Defined.
Thanks for this interview, Robert. As a Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Coach, and Wellness Coach, you transform individuals into healthier and fit people. How motivated you to be healthy and to teach others to do the same?
My parents passed away at ages 62 and 63. I was 21 at the time. That’s one reason. Being a professional pilot off and on over the years, I also wanted to maintain at least the level of health needed for an FAA first class medical certificate. That’s another reason. The big kicker came when I was 51 and 52 and had a spike in body fat, after decades of being “lean and mean”. A doctor said to me, “You’re not getting any younger”. I refused to accept age alone as the determinant of my health going forward. With the help of an awesome trainer, I re-booted my commitment to exercise and nutrition. Months later, I emerged healthier and with a higher level of fitness than before. I was back in waist size 32, I reversed my triglyceride and cholesterol numbers big time (they had spiked at age 52), and I discovered what I call “my inner athlete”. This was in my early to mid-50s and after more than 20 years of being a fitness enthusiast.
As this was happening, I also set out to obtain more education about fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Working out was no longer enough – I wanted to learn more. So, I then earned 4 certifications, including the coveted CSCS. And I wrote Age Re-Defined.
You are very fit for your age! How long have you been working on your eating habits and physical appearance?
Thank you! I started working on my nutrition at age 29. I started exercising at age 30. I was barely 150 pounds – I’m 5’11”. My first exercise goal was to increase strength, add some muscle, and gain weight. Twenty-two years later, weight loss became my goal, at least for the first few months of 2009.
You have another passion – flying. Would you like to tell us about that?
Sure. I took my first flying lesson at the age of 14. It cost $5 for the introductory lesson. You were only supposed to do the $5 introductory special one time, but they let me do it again two weeks later, because I was only 14 and mowing lawns now and then didn’t pay much, and my allowance was very modest. I made my first solo flight on my 16th birthday. I was a Private Pilot at age 17, a Commercial-Instrument Pilot at 18, and a Certified Flight Instructor at 19. When I was 2 years old, I had eye surgery. When I was 5 years old, a doctor said that my eyes were coming along nicely, but that I couldn’t be a pilot. I think that might have played some role in me later becoming a pilot. I also remember looking up at planes flying overhead and being very curious about them. By the way, that doctor was correct about vision being a huge deal for pilots back then. My options as a pilot early on were affected by my vision, but not by the condition that was surgically corrected.
I worked as a flight instructor and as a pilot from age 19 onward, including while in college.I taught dozens of people how to fly. When I was a 19 year old flight instructor, my first student was a 43 year old school system administrator. He was followed by Yale professors and administrators in their 40s, an attorney in his 50s, and more. In a way, you could say that I was living a version of Age Re-Defined back then – the ages 19 to 21 version.
Although I come from humble roots, I’ve been around private aircraft for big chunks of my life.
Eventually, after law school, I returned to aviation as an instructor and also flew for pleasure and for attorney business.I received my Airline Transport Pilot certificate. Still later, I started flying jets, and earned three jet ratings, including the Gulfstream IV or G-IV. As I write this, I haven’t flown for a year and a half, but I would welcome a return to the skies. Most of my flying has been as a professional – either as an instructor or as a professional pilot. I’ve flown regular folks, federal prisoners accompanied by federal prison guards, surgical teams, donor organs, concert promoters, celebrities, owners of major league teams, and more.
I enjoy flying jets more than any other flying I’ve done.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/blog/21607#ixzz2UCST0iSo
In the remainder of the interview, I discuss health, exercise, and nutrition. Check it out!
My eBook: “AGE RE-DEFINED: Take Control of Your Health, How You Look, And How You Feel – Even In Your Forties & Fifties”. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and elsewhere. I’m available for personal training, fitness nutrition coaching, and wellness coaching. In-person in the Los Angeles area. Telephone/Skype/email outside of the L.A. area, or if more convenient. Inquire about rates.
Stay fit and stay well. Happy Memorial Day weekend 2013.