When navigating the crowded world of health and wellness, true authority is rare. Today, the internet is flooded with influencers looking for quick clicks. But for our August issue, Silver Magazine sits down with someone who has actually put in the work.
Glenn Faltenhine is a veteran wellness professional. His authority is built on decades of personal trial and error, experience running his own weight-loss business, and a history of coaching at one of the top gyms in his city. From training elite junior tennis players to helping adults reclaim their vitality, Faltenhine knows what it takes to build sustainable health.
We sat down with him to discuss his journey, his philosophy, and the undeniable truths he has learned over a lifetime in fitness.
Earning Authority Through Experience
Faltenhine did not wake up one day as an expert. His journey began at age 14, driven by a desire to transform from a skinny kid into someone big and strong. He consumed bodybuilding magazines, took their advice as gospel, and routinely packed away up to 5,000 calories a day while lifting in a small university gym.
It was during these formative years that he developed a deep understanding of nutrition, training, and the mental hurdles associated with body image.
Silver Magazine: “You have mentioned dealing with body image struggles yourself. How did that shape your ability to coach others?”
Glenn Faltenhine: “During this time is also when I realized that I had a bit of an issue with how I saw myself. No matter how hard I worked or how much my body changed, I would look in the mirror and see a much skinnier version of myself. Later in life, I would find out that it was a form of bigorexia. Oddly enough, the fact that I dealt with this really helped me with many clients. After we had a chat, every single client realized that even though my issue seemed the better of the two, it was still causing me the same stress and low self-confidence that they were feeling. For the first time, skinny was also not the goal. The goal was strong, healthy, and most of all happy.”
This empathy, combined with his background in training youth athletes and running a commercial weight loss business, solidified his transition into a full-time health expert.
The Insider Secrets
We asked Faltenhine to cut through the industry noise and share the practical secrets he uses to transform his clients’ lives.
- Embrace the Discomfort: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he advises. Building new habits is tough, but when it finally clicks and becomes easy to maintain long-term, it is an incredibly rewarding day.
- Treat Exercise Like a Prescription: Many older clients are on medications they would never dare skip. Faltenhine urges people to schedule their walks and strength training with that exact same dedication. Lifting weights increases bone density, builds muscle mass, and strengthens tendons—benefits medications cannot provide.
- Track Your Macros for Performance: When Faltenhine hit his late 50s, he realized that simply eating clean was not enough. By weighing and tracking his food, he experienced a total mental shift. “I didn’t look at it like I was making sure I didn’t go over my calories. I was making sure I was hitting my macros. Making sure that I got enough of what I needed to perform the best.”
- Push Close to Failure: When lifting, every set should be difficult enough to stimulate growth. Once proper technique is established, you must challenge yourself to get stronger.
- Give Yourself Grace: The fitness industry profits from failure and restrictive fad diets. True authority comes from teaching clients how to make small lifestyle changes, how to enjoy a vacation without guilt, and how to get right back on plan the next day without stress.
The Non-Negotiable Rules of Engagement
When it comes to sustainable well-being, Faltenhine keeps things brilliantly simple.
Silver Magazine: “What is your ultimate rule for nutrition?”
Glenn Faltenhine: “Number one is to make sure that 80 to 90 percent of your calories are coming from whole foods. There is a coach that I follow who had a wonderful definition of whole foods: It grew in the ground. It grew on a tree. It had a mom and dad. Following this alone will truly transform a person.”
He also emphasizes that for fat loss, a manageable daily deficit of 300 to 500 calories is ideal. However, his biggest non-negotiable is resistance training. He firmly believes that it is never too late to start lifting, calling it the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth.
A Humbling Moment
Despite his expertise, Faltenhine is the first to admit that taking yourself too seriously is a mistake. When asked for his funniest memory on the gym floor, he shared a story from his time training elite junior tennis players.
“I was very confident in how I delivered the information as we were making our way through the program on the gym floor, clearly a tad overconfident,” he laughs.
He was demonstrating a lat pulldown machine but failed to ensure the weight pin was fully inserted.
“I was expecting a fair amount of resistance as I pulled the bar to lock myself into the bench and demonstrate my strength and incredible technique. There was no resistance, so I fell backward off the bench and rolled into the middle of the floor. I was not hurt physically. Pride took a shot in the gut. The entire gym had a great laugh, and it was brought up frequently from that point on.”
Whether you are an elite athlete, a busy parent, or looking to get incredibly strong over 50, I bring 20 years of training experience to anyone ready to embrace the shortcut-free journey to lifelong fitness.
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