Every morning like clockwork, Charles Bennett wakes up at 5 a.m. with one thing on his mind: the corner elliptical trainer at Millberry Fitness and Recreation Center at UCSF Parnassus Heights.
Bennett, who is 70, has been attending the Millberry gym regularly for over 30 years, starting when he worked as a nurse at UCSF in 1993 and continuing past his retirement in 2012.
“It's just part of my routine. I almost feel normal when I'm going to the gym. I could almost do it without thinking. It's just almost body memory,” Bennett said.
While some might be surprised that Bennett would choose to work out so early before starting a grueling day of work as a nurse, Bennett says that this time is the reason for his consistency.
“If you wake up in the morning and it's 5 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. and you're heading to the gym, there's really nothing and no one that could interrupt you because there's no one up. I used to laugh and say, ‘I'm waking up on the elliptical trainer’ because I’m half asleep. But when I'm done, the day is completely different because I'm energized, I'm stretched.”
Bennett is part of a small community of gym regulars who’ve been coming over the years. They’ve learned each other’s routines and keep each other accountable.
“If I don't show up for a while, I catch hell when I get there. That's one way to keep you consistent. You have people who you know are going to notice you're not there.”
Bennett has been active all his life, participating in marathons, bodybuilding competitions, and eventually working as a personal trainer himself.
“I've done six marathons, New York City twice, Honolulu, and a couple of other states. I did the AIDS ride three times, and that is from here [San Francisco] to LA. And I did bodybuilding for about ten years.”
Even though Bennett has visited gyms across the city, there’s something special about Millberry gym that keeps him coming back.
“First of all, towels. You have as many as you want. Number two, you get a locker. They have a shower. They have a dry sauna. They got a million machines. Downstairs, they have all the free weights and all the benches you could possibly want. They have classes that are really nice.”
“The equipment is always new. It's always working. It's always clean,” Bennett said.
In fact, the Millberry gym was so important to Bennett that he and his wife moved to be closer to it.
“Literally, our reason to actually start home shopping in San Francisco was because I needed more time in the morning to work out. Isn't that something? And we bought a house right down the street from UCSF.”
During the 30+ years that Bennett has been attending the gym, he’s gotten to see upgrades and renovations firsthand.
“I've watched it through so many iterations. Years ago, there was no pickleball court. There was basketball, but now they've got pickleball. I got my pickleball paddle, and now I play there a couple of times a month, and I just love it.”
Bennett considers himself to be ‘spoiled’ with how many benefits the Millberry Union gym has.
“It's helped me in so many ways. I think that's one of the big reasons why I look so young. I'm bouncing around like a kid, and I believe it's because, from the time I can remember, I have been working out. I just love it, and it enhances my life.”
For those looking to emulate Bennett’s routine, here is his workout schedule:
“I always do thirty minutes on the elliptical trainer every single time I come in, and that warms me up and gets everything all loosey goosey. And then I work one muscle group once a week. On Mondays, I'll do chest and triceps. On Tuesday, I'll do back and biceps. Wednesday, I take off and I'll do a two-or three-mile run. Thursday, I do legs. And Fridays, I do shoulders and abs. So, I pretty much covered my whole body once a week. Once I finish my workout, I always get on the mat, and I do a full stretch.”
If you are overwhelmed with the idea of going to the gym, Bennett recommends starting small.
“Sometimes, if I'm really tired or I hung out too late, I'll say, 'Charles, just go and stretch. You don't have to do anything more. Just go and stretch'. And then I get there, and, of course, I'd always do the whole workout,” Bennet said
“Think about it, you're on the elliptical trainer and you're looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge, I mean…this is just great.”