Patrick McNamara has always been into working out; he’s never been afraid of spending hours in the gym. But the truth is, he’s needed it all his life—and in more ways than just one.
McNamara was a talented soccer and lacrosse player, but his abilities on the field weren’t quite as strong in the classroom. Growing up, he struggled with ADHD and a form of dyslexia. Instead of going the route of medication, he successfully used working out as a form of “therapy.” He credits his regular work out habit to keeping himself goal-oriented and competitive after several major injuries forced him out of sports.
Fast-forward to his adult years—McNamara retained his passion for hoisting iron and has put it to good use as a firefighter in New York. But, just months shy of his 30th birthday, his training hit a wall; he gained nearly 20 lbs of unwanted weight, and started to become unhappy with himself.
In this week’s Men’s Fitness Transformation Tuesday video interview, McNamara opens up about the fitness-as-medicine approach, the details of his life-changing injuries, plus how weight gain snuck up on him and how he fought back to get in the best shape of his life.
See below for an example of what McNamara’s current training program looks like.
