Transformation Testimony - Meet Eduardo And Learn How He Changed His Life

Eduardo Solis is a fantastic member of our Fringe Fam – and a local Austinite as well.  He said Fringe Sport is always close to his heart, especially when he rides his Raptor bike and it makes his heart rate skyrocket!  He wanted to share his transformation with all of us because he was proud of it – and he really should be, for all his hard work!

Eduardo is 46 years old and works as a software engineer at a small company.  He says his journey actually started in childhood.   His family was never very health conscious. Plus, he said he faces multiple genetic obstacles such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.   He stated he has battled weight most of his adult life, which hasn’t been helped with his job and being in front of a screen for hours on end.  He said he’s lost and gained and lost and gained, but was never able to find that lifestyle change that would stick.

But in 2012, Eduardo hired one of the best trainers he had ever met, who taught him about living a healthy life. He introduced Eduardo to weight training and for a while he was able to keep this weight down.  But, as it usually happens, life crept in, work became very important and the bad habits snuck in again.

When the pandemic started, Eduardo told us he was already 35lbs overweight but switching to working from home with a pantry full of snacks resulted in a year where he went from those extra 35 lbs to a whopping 60lbs extra!  And when 2021 hit, he said he had zero energy to even be with my family.  He said his wife was frustrated because he had no energy and he felt like a lousy husband and father, because all he had energy to do was couch surf and binge watch TV. 

Around that time, Eduardo hit his turning point. As he was feeding the dogs, he felt a sharp pain in his kneed that put him on the ground. When the pain didn’t go away after several weeks, he saw a doctor and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. He was told it was reversible, but he had to do something about the extra weight he was carrying around.

Since he refused to live on pain killers, Eduardo decided then and there he HAD to make a change. So he  restrictive diet for a while to get back to a weight where he felt like he could exercise with no trouble – and then decided to start their  own home gym! 

What was Eduardo’s first project?   Making their own plyo box – then finding a cheap rower and treadmill. When the kids jumped in to help make the space more like a gym, everything from there started to change!!

Eduardo admits, “I have never been a super fan of cardio and I have always enjoyed strength training exercises. So, after some research I started the build out for the strength training part of the gym!”

Of course, the pandemic made it hard to get stuff but he did get his hands on what he calls “my most cherished piece of equipment!! A Fringe Wonder Bar!”  Thanks to this bar, a simple rack and a couple of bumper plates, Eduardo was able to start getting used to compound movements and the rest is history…. Or at least recent history!

Today, he says strength training is part of family life!  He lifts 3~5 times a week and follows a healthy eating lifestyle, which has helped him keep at a good weight for almost two years now.

But for him the most exciting news – his knee is completely healed!!!  He has NO pain.  And he knows when he’s done sitting in front of the computer all day, he can get up and go outside with his wife and kids and have a BLAST!!  He has tons of energy to do anything he wants to do.

What’s Eduardo’s favorite part of a garage gym?  He tells us, “Having the gym at home gives us an incredible amount of flexibility since we can just exercise at any time without having to drive, wait for equipment, etc. We now have barbells, kettlebells (of which the best ones are Fringe!) adjustable dumbbells, pull up bars and one of my favorite pieces of equipment: A Fringe Raptor bike!!!”

When we asked him for advice to give to “newbies,”  he pauses and says, “I am not sure I can give advice to anyone but what I can share is that lifting puts me in a very “zen” mindset. Lifting has healed my body and my soul, it has helped me get rid of food addiction. The days I lift are happy days even if I don’t hit a PR or fail a lift! Ohh BTW I did locate my old trainer who just happened to open a fitness studio and I am a regular now!”

We appreciate Eduardo sharing his strength journey with us and inspiring others to do the same as he’s done.  Eduardo shows us it’s possible to change, no matter your age or your lifestyle!

Do you want to share your Transformation Testimony with us?  Check out this link and find all the info you need on how to share your strength journey with us and the rest of the Fringe Fam.

And, as always, lift heavy, lift happy!