Talking Fitness with Firefighter Tim
Staying fit, prioritizing health and protecting our community. Here’s how the MCC helps a local hero!
You may recognize Tim. He makes regular appearances on Indy Style where he shares healthy recipes and workouts. Or you may recognize him from around town. He has served as a Carmel Fire Department firefighter for 17 years. He’s also a regular at the Monon Community Center—his number one choice for a local gym.
As you’d imagine, staying fit is important for a firefighter. It’s a physical job that requires you to wear over 70 pounds of equipment and be up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. But Tim didn’t magically start pursuing a fit and healthy lifestyle when he became a firefighter. It’s been a longtime priority and interest for him. In high school he was a wrestler and was interested in weightlifting, later he coached wrestling at Carmel Clay Schools, and he studied exercise physiology in college. So it’s safe to say fitness has been a longtime passion.
So just how does Tim use the MCC to stay fit? We’ll let him tell you!
Q: How does the MCC stand out from other gym options?
A: It’s my community and has all the equipment I need for my workouts. If I want to do heavy lifting or I want to get cardio in, I can do that here. I also love the track because I’m not a big fan of the treadmill. I just started taking cycle classes before the shutdown, so I look forward to starting that back up. Plus, we have five daughters, so the KidZone (childcare) is a great perk for my family.
Q: What is your go-to workout at the MCC?
A: I normally start off with a quick warm-up to stretch. Then I’ll do some sort of weight workout. I like to superset, which means I hit two body parts back-to-back. Maybe its back and triceps or legs and shoulders. After that, I do core work and then I’ll finish with some sort of cardio—typically the elliptical or on the treadmill.
Q: How do you stay motivated to work out?
A: Well, I’m not getting any younger and the job doesn’t change. I have to stay more motivated to keep myself fit. I’m 41 and it’s not as easy to stay in shape as it was when I was 24. So I take that as a challenge to push myself. Of course, we have facilities at the Fire Department, but I also use the MCC. Having this resource in our community is wonderful.
Q: What’s your most-used amenity at the MCC?
A: Definitely the Fitness Center. As I mentioned, it has everything I need to get in a full workout.
Q: Have you returned to the MCC since its reopening in May?
A: I have! With everything going on this year, my workout schedule hasn’t been as regular as it usually is, but I’ve come back to the MCC a number of times. I was really impressed; we actually have talked about it at the firehouse. The Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation team has really stepped up to the plate and made it as accessible as they can. I never would have thought the equipment could have been spread out like it is. Moving the cardio equipment out to the track was brilliant. I feel safe and the spaces feel sanitized. I’m grateful to be able to come back and utilize the Fitness Center again.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: I feel like one of the important things we’ve learned this year is the importance of staying in shape. We’re in a weird time, but I do hope it’s a reminder to people to prioritize their health. For me, I actually have an autoimmune disease. I have a lot of aches and pains and sometimes it’s a struggle to convince myself to work out. But it’s good to let people know if I can do it anyone can do it.
So, will you take Tim’s advice and make fitness a priority?
You’re in luck because the MCC is open for fitness! Even though cases are on the rise, our members and their safety remain our number one priority. We are adhering to mask and social distance guidelines in place by our state and local officials, and we continue to deep clean and sanitize our spaces. Click here for all the details about our COVID-related policies and procedures.
We hope that you’ll become a member. Memberships start at just $44 per month for adults and provide access to all of our amenities from the Fitness Center to Group Fitness and more.
