“My nickname is Zaddy!”: Jeff Zwally opens up about being in the best shape of his life at 62
Jeff Zwally keeps getting more ripped with age.
Mark
Jeff Zwally says he was once a “gay little teenager” who was picked last in gym class. The ritual was so humiliating, he would try and skip out on exercise whenever he could.
That’s quite the contrast to today. The owner of Stay Classy CrossFit in San Diego, Zwally spends most of his time working up a sweat.
We would expect nothing less from the head Gym Zaddy!
“I beat the kids every once in a while,” Zwally tells Queerty. “My nickname here is ‘Zaddy.'”
How about we take this to the next level?
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He repeats it one more time for emphasis. “Not Daddy. Zaddy!”
At 62 years old, Zwally says he’s in the best shape of his life.
The proof is in his rock hard bod. The man–we’re sorry, the “Zaddy”–looks great in a speedo.
On his popular Instagram page, Zwally shares fitness tips and pep talks for the average person. One of his mantras is that it’s never too late.
For most of his adult life, Zwally languished at the gym, doing random workouts without a goal in mind. A fast food exec by day, he PR’d in testing new burger combinations for brands like Burger King and Jack in the Box (his record is eight in one sitting).
Then he found CrossFit about 15 years ago. It’s reinvigorated every aspect of his being, from body to spirit.
“I’ve got friends my age who keep putting things off,” he says. “‘Oh, we’ll do that trip next year.’ It’s like, ‘What are you waiting for?'”
Meanwhile, a Gym Zaddy waits for no one.
In between handstand walks, Queerty recently caught up with Zwally to chat about aging well, his worldly adventures and the advice that changed his life. Here’s what he had to say…
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QUEERTY: Let’s start with the question on everyone’s minds. What’s your fitness routine?
JEFF ZWALLY: I work out twice per day. In the morning, I come in and do old-school weightlifting: benchpress, curls, that kind of stuff. Then in the afternoon, I’ll jump into a CrossFit class. I try and take a day or two off. But as you become a CrossFitter, you get a lot of FOMO when you see a workout on the board and you want to do it. Being here every day, it’s so easy to jump into a class. So I probably work out more than I should! But that’s my routine. Weightlifting in the morning, and then taking a class in the evening.
What’s one fitness tip you’ve learned after 50 that’s changed your life?
When there are days you don’t want to work out, just come in for a 10-minute warmup. By the time you’re done with the warmup, your body is moving again and you’ll be more motivated. I tell people the local gyms aren’t our competition. The couch is.
The other tip I would say is, I don’t chase Rx anymore. When I hit 60, I started to notice that I can’t lift as heavy, and that’s OK. I beat the kids every once in a while. My nickname here is “Zaddy.” Not Daddy. Zaddy!
Are you better in shape at 62 than 32?
Hell yeah! People ask me, “How did you get where you are today, and is it too late for me?” I’ve got clients my age. I went to commercial gyms through all of my 20s, 30s and 40s. And nothing changed for me. It wasn’t until I found CrossFit. CrossFit pushes you to do things you would never do in a gym. You go to the gym and you have headphones on. “That machine’s taken. I don’t feel like doing that today. I’ll just get on the stair master for 25 minutes and call it a workout.” But here, I’m doing handstands and handstand walks. Stuff I would never do. CrossFit is what worked for me.
What’s one thing about owning a gym that people may not know about?
I do all of the social media, so I’m on my phone way too much during the day! Between handling my account and posting for the gym, it’s gotten really bad. As a gym owner, it’s all about the community and retaining people. No member is gonna be there forever. People are gonna get hurt, they’re gonna move, they’re gonna have kids and not have the time. It’s hard when you have a member who’s been with you for years and ends up leaving. They’re friends and those are relationships you develop. There’s this constant churn that comes with owning a gym that no one is gonna be there forever. You have to get used to that feeling of letting people go. You’re always chasing the next member.
What’s your biggest fear about aging that didn’t come true?
That I would slow down. I still love traveling. As I’ve gotten older, time moves a lot faster. Ever since [2020], the years keep flying by and the weeks keeping flying by. I’m 62, and I’ve thrown out 70 as a benchmark. Hopefully I’ll live long past that. But you start thinking, “I’ve got eight summers until I hit 70. Eight Christmases.” I’ve got friends my age who keep putting things off. “Oh, we’ll do that trip next year.” It’s like, “What are you waiting for?”
I noticed that you’re quite the traveler and hiker! What are some of your favorite adventures?
Last year I did quite a bit. I did two really great hikes in the Dolomites and Mont Blanc. They were really epic! Mont Blanc was a 10-day hike through France, Italy and Switzerland. The Greek islands are probably my favorite place to go.
I have to ask… What’s it like being a “Gym Zaddy?“
The older you get, the younger the guys are who DM you. Everyone is younger than you! I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and where I’m at physically.
When you’re not in the gym, what do you do for fun?
If I’m not in the gym, I’m traveling somewhere. I’m getting ready to go to St. Lucia in a week or two. One of my followers reached out and came in to work out. He started a drone footage company, so he travels all over the world getting drone footage that he sells to brands. He helps me travel more. When he’s going out on a trip, I’ll jump on a trip with him. He’s got all the drones, so I get to make content. He doesn’t like being in his footage. We did quite a few trips last year, and hopefully plan on more this year. It’s a great partnership.
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