GET TO KNOW ME
Hi, I’m Frank, the curator, author and occasional bodger of the Fat Zombie blog. I am a typical 53-year-old bloke who has become far too familiar with the less glamorous side of aging.
With certificates in Functional Movement Training, Circuit Training, Advanced Resistance Training, and Nutrition & Weight Management, I’ve spent much of my life navigating the world of fitness - both for the thrill of it and at times out of necessity.
My personal mantra was always “I need the gym more than it needs me.” Thankfully that has now mellowed a little and I have put any thoughts of maintaining a six pack into retirement (I must remember to tell the wife). Though through it all, I still firmly believe that a balanced approach to fitness and diet are the best hopes we have of maintaining functionality, good health and happy relationships. Both with ourselves and those we love.
Prostate cancer runs deep in my family (every male over 60 has had it), so it’s a subject that’s always in the back of my mind. But that’s just one chapter in my health saga. I’ve been through numerous blood clots, including a pulmonary embolism (a Thursday I won’t forget), arthritis, tendinitis, and a rotator cuff injury that just doesn’t know when to quit. And then there’s plantar fasciitis, which for the past two years has made walking feel like I’m treading on broken glass.
As fun as all that sounds, my obsession with staying functional keeps me going. In my youth I was hooked on competitive racket sports, most notably squash, until I found solace in the gym after rehabbing from an injury. With age and wisdom (or lack thereof) golf has become the new obsession of my 50’s.
If that doesn’t strike a chord I have battled insomnia for over 30 years. My mind refuses to quieten and switch off and this has led to a love hate relationship with sleep. Fun fact: it was during one of those 3 a.m. brainstorms that Fat Zombie was born. Turns out, insomnia can sometimes produce good ideas, or at the very least, a way to fill those sleepless hours.
I’m not a doctor and I won’t claim to have all the answers. But what I do offer is personal experience and a lot of research. So, let’s figure out this midlife rollercoaster together - aches, sleepless nights, and all.
