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Not your average Joe

Men's Fitness, June, 2003

Some people exercise because they want to; others, because they have to. For Joe Nersveen, it was a little of both. Over the past 12 years, he's battled multiple sclerosis and overcome a drug addiction. Last year, after seeing himself on a videotape of his vacation, Nersveen set his sights on another battle--losing weight and shedding body fat. "I was in Tahiti walking down the dock, just jiggling;' Joe says of the video. "It was gross. I swear to God I didn't know that was me." Look at Joe today and you wouldn't either. Here's his story.

JOE NERSVEEN

Age: 37

Profession: Graphic artist

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Height: 6 feet

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Weight before: 235 pounds

Current weight: 180 pounds

Waist before: 38"

Current waist: 30"

JOE'S WORKOUT

Workout split: Trains with weights twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Time: 90 minutes

Total sets: 10 to 12, three per body part

Reps: Alternates between high- and medium-rep workouts. During high-rep workouts, Joe will do up to 15 repetitions. On medium days, he shoots for eight.

Workout advice: "Flexibility is the key for me. I stretch every single day. My personal opinion is that if you're just beating the hell out of the weights, you're also beating the hell out of your body."

Cardio: Performs 30 minutes of cardio before every resistance workout, switching machines every session to keep his body guessing. He also kickboxes once a week and takes a martial arts class once a week.

Cardio advice: "Options, options, options. You have to keep everything incredibly mixed up or you'll get bored and won't want to do it. Your body gets used to one thing or another, so constantly changing things up helps to achieve better results."

TRAVEL TROUBLE

Being on the road and away from the gym makes it hard to get in a workout.

Joe's solution: "I take my workout with me. Whether I do a floor routine or bring resistance bands, I make sure to get in a workout. I don't really have the option not to."

CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE

Sometimes your sweet tooth has to be appeased.

Joe's solution: "I love chocolate, so I give myself one cheat day a week when I can go off my diet. I allow myself one small piece of chocolate cake--and I mean small. If I cut that out, I'm history, because then I eat all kinds of junk foods."

MOTIVATIONAL MUSINGS

It's hard to stay motivated and keep a consistent routine.

Joe's solution: "You have to set a goal from one step to the next. My only goal at the beginning was to get to the gym. I didn't care what I did when I was there, I just wanted to get there. I'm constantly setting goals and sticking with them."

Not your average Joe

Men's Fitness, June, 2003

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