If you’re looking for someone to get you motivated and enthused about being physically active, look no further than Dr. Looper.
This past June, Dr. Looper (Doc) joined the SBG tribe at our Atlanta location. He was interested in becoming a part of Straight Blast Gym Atlanta’s Fitness Kickboxing program, conveniently located in the same shopping center as his Dental Practice. After stopping by the gym to check out our ambiance and atmosphere, Doc decided to become the newest student of SBG Atlanta. At 63 years old, he also became our oldest student.
Fitness Kickboxing Coach Jim Sheppard recalls Doctor Looper first attending his classes:
“I was stoked to have Doc with us, especially because of how motivating it is for the other men and women in class to see someone in their 60s on the mats and getting after it. I definitely had my reservations though. Our Fitness Kickboxing classes move fast and can really push people to their physical limits and I’d never coached a 63 year old student, at least not on a regular basis. I couldn’t have been any more pleased with how Doc performed during his first few Kickboxing classes.”
Watching Doc move and participate in class you wouldn’t think he’s 63; you’d probably think he’s more like 43. While he may not have known how to throw punches and kicks, he picked all of that up quickly while absolutely killing it in every other aspect of our Fitness Kickboxing classes.
“I was amazed at how he was able to hang with people half his age. I would, and still do, regularly ask him if he’s holding up okay and he just smiles and says ‘Oh yea’. I’ll tell him that if he needs to take a break to just sit it out and come back when he’s ready. Whenever I do that he just looks at me, smiles, and says ‘Ok’, and then continues to crush the workout.” 🤣
“Sometimes I run partner workouts, where my students will team up with someone else in class to complete that days’ workout. When Doc first started, I wondered if the younger men and women in class would avoid partnering with someone over 60, thinking that it might slow them down. I found out really quickly that finding Doc a partner wasn’t going to be a problem. Every time he’s paried up in a group of 2 or 3 he’s either right there hanging with everyone else or even LEADING THE GROUP! It’s pretty amazing to watch.”
It has been a pleasure to have Doc training in our Fitness Kickboxing classes, and really just having him as a part of the SBG tribe in general. He is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and a fantastic ambassador of Straight Blast Gym and our overall vibe.
“On top of being an incredibly nice guy who motivates the other students, having him with us at SBG also motivates ME. Every time I watch a 63 year old Doc crush his workout it makes me realize that any and all excuses I might be making about why I didn’t train or workout that day are completely bogus, and I usually end up training later that night.”
On a side note, if you’re in need of dental care hit up Dr. Looper and his office. Doc has been practicing dentistry in Atlanta since 1984, making him one of the most established and accomplished dentists in the entire city. You can read all about Doc and his practice right here.