Marmanold.com

Since August of 2024 I’ve been on quite the health journey. I started walking on my desk treadmill that month and, starting January 2025, committed to hitting 50,000 steps per week.

Since January, I’ve consistently exceeded my 50k steps and have had quite the physical transformation. I’ve lost at least 15 pounds and have seen my waist go down by a few inches. I have more energy, my joints hurt less, and — even with an incredibly difficult work situation — my depression and mood are under control. I’m still amazed that something as simple as slowly walking while I’m in meetings has had such a positive effect.

Back in July, I was approaching a year of fitness. I was down several sizes in jeans, shirts were fitting better, and I’d just come back from a wonderful trip to Europe. My good friend Claude was predicting that I’d be at a healthy, stabilized, weight in another twelve months. The habit was established, I knew I’d keep at it, and I was truly excited about the progress I’d start seeing over the next year. Without dieting, without stress, without a gym, without the guilt of being away from family, and without exhaustion, I’d found a way to get to and maintain a healthly weight. Finally.

But, I started looking back at old pictures of myself when I was 29 and 130 pounds. I was skinny, but I wasn’t happy with how I looked. I still had a flabby chest and a small belly. I looked skinny, but not healthy. Years of reading about health let me know that what was missing then — and still missing now — was strength training. But, I thought, I don’t have the time or equipment to strength train. Skinny-fat is simply the best I can do.

Thankfully, I happened to have Claude open and decided to do a little research. With only the dumbbell in the closet, without encroaching on my morning routine, without keeping me in my office after work, and without a huge time commitment, what was possible?

After a good bit of back and forth, some additional research on my own, and a lot of tweaking, I ended up with a simple strength training plan. According to Claude and the Internet, it turned out I didn’t need a huge or complex fitness routine. If I could commit to doing three little five-minute sessions between meetings twice a week, I was promised I’d achieve results.

I’ll admit it, I didn’t believe it one bit. It seemed too easy. There’s no way people were getting strong doing this. But, as it was so easy and I already had the dumbbell, I decided to give it a try. I had nothing to lose.

Well, let me tell you, it turns out, it really was that simple! Today I finished my tenth week following this plan. The first few weeks I was really sore, but I was surprised to find how energized strength training made me. (Even though I was only starting with a five pound weight!) I dropped the snack concept and starting doing all of my sets together during lunch or when I finished for the day. Within a few weeks, I could feel tightness in my arms. I was actually getting strong! By week six, I was feeling so good I started training three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). By week eight, I was ready to move up in weight (10 pounds!).

Now finishing up week ten, I feel great. I’m getting stronger and you can start to see some definition in my arms. My posture has totally changed. I feel planted, strong, and confident. My walking has somehow gotten even easier. Best of all, I’m exicted about the summer. Instead of skinny-fat, I’m on track to be a fit dad.

Throughout this journey, the thing that keeps coming back to me is how easy all of this is. I’m frustrated at how difficult fitness has been marketed to be. No apps, no gyms, no fancy equipment, no diets, no stress. I dropped the chemicals, eat real food, walk slowly for 2-hours a day, and do a little 15-minute dumbbell circuit in my office every so often. That’s it.

So, my friends, that’s how I’ve gotten healthy. That’s how I’m going to be fit and healthy for the first time in my life this summer.

Drop the ultra-processed foods, get a treadmill, and lift some dumbbells. It’ll change your life.

My Strength Training Routine

🌅 Morning Snack (5 minutes)

Bicep Curls

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Lift toward shoulders, elbows at sides

Dumbbell Rows

• 3 sets of 12-15 reps (each arm)
• Pull to ribs like starting lawnmower

☀️ Midday Snack (5 minutes)

Chest Press

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Lying down, push weights to ceiling

Reverse Flies

• 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Bird wings - squeeze shoulder blades

🌆 Afternoon Snack (5 minutes)

Hammer Curls

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Palms face each other

External Rotations

• 2 sets of 15-20 reps (each arm)
• Elbow glued to side, rotate hand out

Bonus Exercises

Add when you have extra time

Overhead Press

• 2 sets of 8-10 reps

Russian Twists

• 2 sets of 20 total