My Life at the Gym: An Unexpected Surrender to a Life Sentence!

By Will Seagers

Hi Folks! Will here. Please let me start out by explaining this rather tongue-in-cheek blog title. In no way is there any regret or negative inference intended. The simple truth of the matter is that now as I am approaching my 73rd year on this planet, I still make my (almost) daily pilgrimages to my beloved gym! Considering this has been going on since age 18, it is rather like a self-imposed life sentence! LOL. Propelled by vanity and my personal history, it's just something that I am not able nor want to bring to an end.

First of all, it brings me great joy and satisfaction to be in (decent) shape and to have good health at this stage of my life. I really believe that regular exercise is part of the reason. Just a few years ago, when I was still gainfully employed and slightly lacking in the free time needed for routine exercise, I experienced setbacks in mobility, strength, cognizance and other signs of aging. A lot of those signs have lightened up or vanished with my health regime of the past five years... or should I say my return to the dedication I had when I was younger and in the spotlight.

Aging, as a former porn star, is a very peculiar thing, indeed! The gifts of looks, body and all of the attention just seem to have vanished... or should I say morphed! And, since there is no handbook to guide one through this process, it's a day by day, one foot in front of the other kind of learning process. Attitude and reality are important concepts to keep in toe, as well. It's sort of funny when I catch myself admiring younger studs and not even getting a look back - like I'm invisible. That can weigh heavily if you live in the past!

So, in my 55 years of throwing the weights around, I have seen some major changes. It was my younger brother who alerted me to the ability of one to make a new and improved version of themselves with the use of these weights! He started in high school. The change was impressive. I followed suit as I entered my freshman year of college. I could not believe how much and how quickly I grew... So noticeable, as I was always a such a skinny kid growing up.

My first gym was my bedroom with a simple bench, barbell and plates. As my lifting routine and a new attention to nutrition set in, my persona out in the general public took a major turn to the positive. Formerly quiet and bashful, a new and more daring self-image was emerging. This was when the first bits and pieces of my newfound porn career were starting to take place.

But, back to how the gym world was starting to surface around the country and around the world. I guess I noticed it most in the early to mid 70s, when it seemed every neighborhood wasn't complete without one. Chains like the European Health Spas started to become part of every shopping mall. Prior to that, if you were visiting a city and needed exercise, it was off to the good old Y.M.C.A.! It was becoming very mainstream to be "fit." Of course, big cities around the country had always had their "weight lifting palaces," but now it was becoming a very profitable industry. So, gyms like Gold's became chains and sprang up around the country.

Gym change was in the air as privately owned gyms like the Pump Room and the Muscle system of San Francisco's golden past even made the bold move of catering to a gay clientele. The next move that swept the country was co-ed gyms. This started during the early 80s wave of the Women's Liberation movement and still is normal operating procedure today. The cursing, grunting and "caveman" behavior of the past was replaced with a new gym etiquette! (I miss the old ways! LOL.)

So, as fate would have it, it is now about 1:30PM. It's time for me to take my pre-workout drink, throw myself in the shower and get ready for my daily pilgrimage. Today is back and biceps day! Good Health to all in this self imposed life sentence!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.