Meet Jay Croft

 Loves the gym

Home base: Midtown Atlanta

Family life: Single

Work life: Fitness Content Marketer Age: 55

Jay Croft describes himself as “skinny, runty kid” growing up, enjoying rec baseball and basketball, but certainly not an athlete. And then came the summer of 1984, when Jay was in college and Bruce Springsteen burst onto the mainstream music scene with “Born in the U.S.A.”

And Jay’s life-long passion for gym workouts was born.

“I learned that Springsteen was a skinny, runty kid, too, and I thought ‘Hey, look what Springsteen turned himself into,” Jay says. “He was strong and muscled, and that inspired me to hit the gym. I’ve been a gym guy ever since.”

What’s your go-to workout?

“It’s definitely the gym. After college, I started working at newspapers, and with that came crazy hours. But the gym is always open, and it’s easy to fit in a workout. Plus, you can do it on your own — and that’s important when your hours don’t match anyone else’s schedule.

Lately I’m focusing on robust leg workouts. As I grow older, I see how important it is to work compound muscles. I’m continually learning about my body and how it all fits together. You lift the weights, you get the muscles.”

How do stay active during the day?

“I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with an abundance of places to walk like Piedmont Park, Freedom Trail, the Atlanta Beltline. I like to alternate my gym workouts with time on the treadmill or elliptical, too. My work day is often a lot of time at the desk staring at a computer, so I get up often just to move. I’ll walk around the office just to stretch my legs and loosen up. I get antsy if I sit too long — I know how important it is to move.”