When Eugene Charlesworth reflects on becoming a Men’s Health UK model back in 2007, he chokes up. “It kept me alive”, he says. “It kept me focused, it kept me engaged”.
Charlesworth had only stepped into a gym for the first time five-years previously, aged 40 and in the middle of a mental health crisis. He credits the gym with saving his life and says his story is proof that it’s never too late to start training.
“It was a very low time in my life. I’d reached breaking point, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to carry on living. A friend of mine was very into the gym scene, he saw I was falling apart and he took me with him. I thought it was a load of nonsense. But I kept going.”
And he’s been going ever since. Initially, Charlesworth says, he focused on compound training as a quick way to get in shape and burn body fat – via squats, deadlifts and clean and jerks. But, as he saw his body begin to change, he gained confidence and found a useful outlet for his problems.
“When you pick up that bar and hold it, you can give it all your aggression. It goes through the equipment like a charge – and then you don’t take it out on other people”.
Now 60, and much happier and healthier, Charlesworth’s training is still going strong. He says the secret to maintaining his physique is working out every day, which he does because training is akin to “eating or breathing”. However, he’s had to make some adjustments to his routine, so while the squats and clean and jerks that brought him to MH‘s attention are still part of his routine, deadlifts are now firmly off the agenda.
“It’s just too dangerous as your body becomes more brittle and your muscles tear more easily as you get older”, he explains. “Plus it takes much longer to recover from injuries”.
As Charlesworth’s aged, he’s also added more cardio into his routine and recommends other men do the same as they grow older. “We all tend to become less active as we get older, so keeping your cardio going is really important,” he says.
While he’s adapted his training in the last 15 years, Charlesworth doesn’t believe the fitness industry has done the same. He despairs of the lack of diversity in the gym and doesn’t like the idea that he’s the only (almost) pensioner in the weights room. An advocate for the impact exercise can have on mental health, he believes more must be done to make gyms welcoming for everyone.
“There’s just no vision for different types of people. It’s not changed in 15 years – and if anything, it’s got worse. I want to help people who are scared to walk into a gym. It upsets me so much that we have so many gyms but they’re so off-putting for so many people.”
To counter this, he asks gym regulars to be friendly to newcomers, say good morning to the person next to you and “stop walking around like you have two carpets under your arms”.
For anyone intimidated by gyms full of people who – frankly – look like him, he has this message: “Don’t let a body fool you into thinking someone has the perfect life. Mental health is just as important. Do you want to function and be happy? Or have a six pack and be mentally unstable? The gym is not all about pumping iron – it gave me a good path when I was so close to going down a bad one.”
And how will Eugene be celebrating being in shape at 60? With a cruise, of course. “I’ve already got a smile on my face as I can see myself walking around the ship at 60 – and I will have a pair Speedos on,” he laughs.
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