Celebrating 80 with a workout
October 2, 2008 · Updated 1:01 PM
NORTH BEND - No one can ever accuse Joe Baranowski of failing to pull his weight.
This North Bend man, who just turned 80 last week, can actually pull a couple times his weight.
Baranowski works out four times a week at Alpine Fitness in North Bend and has no intention of slowing down. Although he has a small, almost slender frame, Baranowski can handily dead- lift 265 pounds - weight that would seem to have no business being on the shoulders and arms of a man who has lifted about as long as he has been retired.
"I'm doing this as long as I can," he said. "I don't really listen to my doctor."
Baranowski has always tried to stay in shape but didn't get into weightlifting until later in his life. In 1985 when Baranowski was 62, his son opened up a gym in Bellevue where he could work out free of charge.
"I liked the membership fee," he said.
He started out small but as he learned more about weightlifting, he saw it as more of an art than as just another way to stay in shape.
"It improves your full range of motion," he said.
For the complete story, pick up a copy of this week's Valley Record
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