Master your health

Patricia Nugent • February 9, 2026

What’s holding you back from becoming who you want to be?

MSF client John Dedinsky needed to lose weight and get into fighting shape for an upcoming surgery. Trainer Mike Palko not only helped him prepare, he also transformed John’s future. (Photography: Adrienne Rose)


Like a lot of high-powered executives who spent 40 years in the corporate world, working brutal hours with little time for themselves, when John Dedinsky retired a few years ago, he didn’t expect his next chapter to include becoming infirm.


“In 2023, my weight was up to 280 pounds and my hip was so arthritic, it was down to bone on bone,” he recalls. “The pain was awful and yet I kept putting off hip replacement surgery, which in retrospect was not a good idea. I hadn’t realized how much pain I was in every day and how restrictive my activities had become. Pain meds and injections were no longer working and I was barely sleeping.”


He knew something had to change, so John asked around for an elite level of training that could prepare his body for the surgery and rehab safely. Several friends suggested he try MaxStrength Fitness.


Mission Recovery: Accomplished

“Even though the workouts were hard, I had a difficult time believing they would be effective enough with two 20-minute sessions per week,” says John.


He lost 60 pounds and underwent a hip replacement nine weeks ago. His doctors and physical therapists are amazed at how quickly he recovered.


“My rehabilitation has gone unbelievably well,” he says. “I was back in the studio within a few weeks, and every movement of my workouts has been geared toward strengthening the muscles I need most.”


He adds that a big part of his motivation to get back into daily life are his two adorable grandsons, JJ and Eddie.


“What good does longevity mean if you’re not enjoying it?” he asks. “I plan to stay an active and engaged part of my grandsons’ lives and my improved muscle strength is going to play an important part in that. In addition to being thrilled with the things I can now do well in my life, having people notice my weight loss and new physique is pretty great, too.”


This avid fisherman and boater can’t wait to get back on the water this summer.


“MaxStrength trainer Mike Palko has basically given me a new lease on life,” says John, is 68. “There are no plans to slow down in my extended future.”


Time to Reverse Your Bucket List?

MSF Founder Jeff Tomaszewski publishes a motivational e-newsletter for members filled with science-backed content and emerging research in the exercise science arena. This month, he explores the concept of the Reverse Bucket List. Instead of writing down everything you want to do in 2026, he suggests writing down what you’re done with, the routines, habits, commitments or beliefs that no longer serve you.


“It’s magical what happens when you eliminate the big and little things that are holding you back, which allows space for the positive things to sneak in,” he says. “A few real-life examples of things our members want to stop doing this year include skipping breakfast, saying no to extra projects when they’re already over-whelmed, and waiting until everything lines up perfect before they start putting themselves first.”


The sooner you figure out the futility of what’s keeping you spinning on a wheel like a hamster, the faster you’ll master your health and wellness goals this year.


MaxStrength Fitness

13500 Pearl Road, Strongsville

440-467-0700


4212 State Route 306, Willoughby

440-226-8080


2211 Crocker Road, Westlake

440-835-9090


MaxStrengthFitness.com



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