Getting fit with ...... Zachary Lawhorn

Occupation: USMC 2nd Lt.

Years Exercising: 20 years

Frequency (how many times a week): Seven days a week.

Favorite Exercise & food: Clean and Press – chicken and rice.

What inspired you to start exercising? My father. He was always training for triathlons and mountain bike races when I was a kid. I just started to train with him, and I loved it. We started to run 5K’s as a family and we continued doing running events, mud runs, and triathlons as a family my whole childhood..

How has being consistent with your fitness benefited you? It has boosted my confidence and sharpened me as a professional. Waking up every morning and pushing myself in the gym before my day has started has improved my energy levels and mental focus through the day.

What do your family or friends think of your fitness habits? My family just expects that exercising is a part of my every day and is ingrained into my routine. My friends see me work and how I carry myself, full of energy and focus, and ask what I do to maintain that. So I get them in the gym at 0530 in the morning and most maintain the habit because they also see the positive changes in their life that stem from that physical push in the morning.

What challenges have you overcome to maintain your fitness? As I get older, I am finding that my metabolism is slowing and my recovery time is increasing. Watching what I eat and maintaining a healthy diet has been a constant battle for me. The effects of fatigue have slowed my training at times, but I always make the appropriate changes to my training routine to allow me to keep up the constant improvement.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting their fitness journey? Make fitness a priority in your routine. Constantly starting and stopping a routine is difficult. You never get into a rhythm and end up quitting. Once it becomes a routine, it will get easier every day to continue. Also, play around with the type of training you do. As long as you are getting out there and doing something it will benefit you in the long run. I have seen very fit and healthy people do various activities from yoga to powerlifting to shooting a basketball. As long as it gets your heart pumping and good sweat going and you like it, it will be easier to maintain. .