Fitting Fitness into Life - Eric Luchetti

Dad bod. Yep, those two words on their own seem harmless. I mean, being a dad is one of the most rewarding things any man can ever do, and we simply need “bods” to exist, regardless of shape and size. But put those two words together, and they suddenly elicit snickers, and puns, and memes. And there’s no need to lie here: we’ve all chuckled about someone we know (or about ourselves) for letting themselves go and developing the physique better known as the dad bod.

Well, four months ago, that was me. After being relatively in shape my whole life, I had finally let myself go physically. Months of late-night pizza, chugging Busch Lights, and Blue Bell ice cream sessions, my sympathy weight had ballooned into full on dad bodiness.

I had become an out of shape, a shell of the former NCAA athlete I used to be. I had an amazing wife, beautiful 6-month old baby girl, and the best human-loving-Mastador ever at home, but I was too tired, lazy, and chubby to be the all-around great American they needed! In the past, I would pack on the winter weight when I needed to, but was usually able to lose it in time to let the quads bask in the warm summer sun.

They deserved better. I deserved better. And that’s where PRx Performance came in.

Ironically enough, I am pretty sure I was chomping down on some pepperoni slices when a rerun of Shark Tank was on CNBC. Call it fate*, call it destiny, or call it my wife’s love of Shark Tank - it’s on quite often - but this particular episode featured a couple dudes selling their bad ass squat rack to Mr. Wonderful. Here I was, Chubs McGee, putting forth zero effort to my physical fitness, yet completely intrigued with the PRx model.

You see, I loved working out, but hated machines. I have always loved the feeling of throwing weights around and the ensuing soreness that comes with it. Having said that, I was never a fan of the big box gyms - you know the kind I’m talking about. The kind that never has an available squat rack, but features 73 elliptical machines and overly tanned, incredible Hulk-sized human beings giving you the side-eye because you are trying to figure out how to use the awkward cable machine with instructions that make IKEA assembly manuals look easy to comprehend. Gyms just weren’t for me. I did find a gym I loved once, D1 Dallas, but I had to give that up in 2016. It was class based and therefore time consuming and expensive. At this stage of my life, I need to focus both my time and money where it belongs, at home.

Getting back to that Shark Tank rerun, it really got me thinking. I had numerous discussions with my wife, selling her on the idea of a garage gym. She probably, and rightfully so, passed it off as another one of my crazy ideas that I would obsess over for a few weeks and then move on… but this time, I didn’t let it go. I started envisioning my garage gym, researching companies, and pricing out weights and accessories. I did not let the idea fade away. In fact, shortly after we moved into a new house, I finally sold my wife on the idea to move forward with my dream of having our own garage gym.

After our move, I spent about a month deciding between a Titan, Rogue, or PRx rack. Every review for PRx seemed positive but I still hesitated over the price. Then I found out my ceiling was too low and all but gave up... that is until I met the best customer service/sales rep ever, Nancy from PRx (okay, emailed with Nancy).

Nancy explained to me that even a Tim “the Toolman” Taylor handyman/chubby slug like me (my words, not hers), could indeed make the Profile Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar work with my 8’ ceilings.

Boy was she right! Kind of.

After receiving my rack (in fantastic time by the way), I struggled to get it just right on my wall (see my Tim Taylor reference). After calling PRx for help, I was put in touch with yet another top-notch human being, Eric (also my name, which is dope).

Eric suggested one quick tip to fix my rack (hehe) and sure enough, it folds up and down perfectly!

Long story short, this thing is sturdy and looks super badass! But even if it isn’t better quality than its competition (spoiler alert: it is), the customer service you get is definitely worth paying just a little bit more.

I finally started Project Au Revoir Dad Bod on April 17 of this year. I now have the time to work out at least five times a week after my beautiful baby girl goes to sleep, and my commute is approximately :30 seconds each way. Added bonus, no more creepy Hulkamaniacs and their judging eyeballs.

Listen, I have a long way to go before I get to where I want to be, but since my first workout, I am down from 169 (at a skyscraping 5’7”) to 155 lbs, with my body fat percentage sitting at 15.5% (down from 23%). My clothes actually fit (layers are no longer my best friend), my energy levels are higher, my mood is exponentially better, and more important than anything else, I am able to enjoy time with my family while no longer sacrificing my hard earned cheddar and time.

I cannot recommend PRx and their products enough! I may still be a washed up NCAA soccer player with a dad bod, but I’m now motivated and excited to work out, in my own home gym!

So, thanks to PRx and a focused approach to counting macros (and still eating pizza), I am well on my way to saying Au Revoir to the Dad Bod.

* - True story, we lived in Fate, TX at the time, so I am going to say it was fate.