Meet Dan Irish
He has been a Cambridge homeowner since 2012 and lives on Springstone with his wife and four children, ages 19-13.
Here’s his story:
Please tell us about what you do in your fitness habits on a routine basis. How many days a week do you do this, and for how long?
I weight train four to five days per week at MEI Fitness Gym in Fishers off of 96th Street. We also have a gym in our garage and I can train there if I’m short on time. We have a sauna in our home gym and I do that six to seven days per week as a way to help keep my health and immune system in check.
I have been lifting weights since seventh grade in 1986, so that makes it 36 years. I started at Carmel Junior High with my football coach. As a team, we came in before school and lifted with him and his friends. It became a habit and helped me get stronger in my sports, so I never stopped!
What’s your "why" as the foundation to your fitness rhythm?
I love strength! It feels amazing to get stronger and that’s my main focus as I age. I attribute my dedication to the weight room in high school to being able to earn a scholarship as a walk-on on the football team at Indiana University. I played there for four years, from 1993-1997, under Coach Bill Mallory and earned a full scholarship by the final year on the team!
Are you training for anything specific or any upcoming events or have done so in the past?
I’m married to a competitive bodybuilder, so out of her push and my curiosity, I did one bodybuilding show in November 2016. I had a coach and he guided my training and nutrition to prepare me for that show. One and done! While it was fun, the sport is not for me and I’m grateful for that experience. Now I’m training for life and for aging well!
Do you have a favorite path you take, gym/facility, instructor/trainer, workout partner or program that you use and why you use it? If so, would you be willing to share it so others in the area can know about their options?
I’m a member at MEI Fitness in Fishers. I’ve also belonged to a few other gyms in the area in the past, such as Lifetime and LA Fitness, both great gyms. I now enjoy training at MEI early before work and getting it finished before the day starts. I also like the many walking paths we can take in our neighborhood and walk with my wife, kids and dogs throughout the year.
In addition to being a REALTOR® and manager in the industry, I am also the head football coach for the freshman team at HSE High School. I feel I need to lead a wellness lifestyle so I can be a model of fitness and movement for my family and for the youth in our community.
Is there anything about your nutrition and self-care that is also a part of your physical activity patterns that you want to share?
I can lift all day long, but nutrition, where most of the visual changes happen, has never been my strong suit. I like to keep up with my boys with their “teenage fun foods” until my personal-trainer wife gets at me and gets me back into a more focused mindset on healthier fare!
When I do dine out, I do mindfully try to choose more proteins, vegetables, salads, or skip the bun. Ale Emporium has some great salads and 1933 is an excellent place to get some amazing proteins and low-carb appetizers. I’m working on it and know how important this piece of it is, especially as I age and turn into a new decade this coming year!
As a final tip or word of advice, what can you tell the neighbors that might inspire them to start and continue in their own fitness journeys?
I see as I’m approaching 50 that there is a huge need for people my age to have a weekly plan to lift free weights and do some routine cardio. My best tip is to block out the time for yourself in your calendar and get it in before the day gets going. I’ve developed this pattern and it’s really paying me back!