Billy Wendeln is the other half of the Bible Brodown team. Billy is a former Marine and served in the Air Force for a number of years before becoming a Special Agent conducting National Security background investigations for the U.S. Government. He currently lives in Sioux City Iowa with his wife and kids.
What is your favourite way to exercise outside of the gym?
I actually prefer exercising outside of a gym. I like getting my exercises over and done with, and saving drive time to and from a gym is a bonus. I also really enjoy body-only exercises, such as push-ups, pull ups, box jumps, running, etc. The wife and I often run together; either around the neighborhood, or from the neighborhood to a lake a few miles away and back.
How do you incorporate healthy eating and exercise into your life?
It’s difficult with kids, but the best way is to get everyone involved. Two years ago I started having my kids run 3 times per week, and I would go with them, and then run more after they were done. This ensured it became part of our day and family routine. Eating healthy is something that has to become a lifestyle change. Redoing your entire set of meal to something healthy, and PLANNING out your meals in advance. It’s too easy to grab something easy after a long day of work, if you don’t already have something planned.
If you could make one unhealthy food healthy, what would it be?
Definitely ice cream. It’s my Achilles heal. But we’ve since learned healthier versions, such as frozen yogurt bars, which are only 100 calories. These can help satisfy that after dinner sweet tooth, and that ice cream itch.
What is your favorite exercise? Least favorite?
My favorite is a tough choice between pull-ups and box jumps. Both are in essence working their muscle groups in the same way (burst strength and endurance after many reps, focused on body weight). I think I would lean toward pull-ups, just because you can have a variety of types of pull-ups. Least favorite would be running on the beach, in military boots. Yeah, I don’t do that one any longer.
What is one simple tip you would give to someone looking to get started with stewarding their body better?
Start slow. We often get to a point where we are sick of how we feel or look, and get motivated to go out and do some new exercise routine or program. We start day 1 with major drive, and we push ourselves too much, leading to a lot of pain and soreness the next days, which lowers our desire to do it again, and already gets us out of our new routine. We fail before we even get started. Also, we often start a program and start seeing results in a week or two, which then leads to over indulging as a reward. This just takes you two steps back.
