STRENGTH IN POSITIVITY

A year after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, bodybuilder and South Barrington-based personal trainer Steve Zick—at 5-feet-9 and a chiseled 207 pounds—still looks like he could lift a Volkswagen with his right arm and curl a Hyundai with his left. But the 62-year-old’s strongest attribute might be his mind. It’s packed with positive thoughts.

“As soon as I found out I had Parkinson’s, I said, ‘OK, fine, what do we do now?’” says Zick, who was diagnosed in May 2023. “At first, I thought my arm shaking was due to the surgery I had undergone on my right shoulder years ago. Later, I had difficulty swallowing, and I slurred words. Then I thought, ‘Stroke.’”

“I’m fortunate,” adds the former standout prep and YMCA swimmer, who grew up in Chicago and attended Lane Tech College Prep. “I’m on one of the lowest doses of Parkinson’s medication. People think life is over with a Parkinson’s diagnosis. It’s not. Look at me. It’s manageable.”

Zick, who has a 21-year-old son named Steven, was a former construction worker and lighting manufacturer when he started training a range of clients at XSport Fitness in South Barrington in 2017. A competitive bodybuilder since 2014, he now has 30 clients, including a 74-year-old woman who has Parkinson’s disease.

“She wants to be able to do things without the help of her children,” Zick says of the client’s primary motivation to at least slow the disease’s progression. “She’s doing great. We laugh all the time. It’s mandatory that we hug each time we see each other, because a hug transfers energy and releases dopamine. Releasing dopamine helps those who have Parkinson’s. I love giving hugs. I’m thinking of starting a Hug Club.”

He’s also training for the National Physique Committee Mid-American Winter Classic, a national qualifier for competitive bodybuilders, that begins on December 7 in Normal, Illinois.

“Believe it or not, trainers need coaches, and I have a great one in Matt Kornick, who has been with me for the last 11 or 12 years,” says Zick, who placed fifth in a national Men’s Physique event (50-and-over age division) in 2016. “Not only has he helped me grow physically, he’s also been a great mentor in an industry I’m passionate about. Matt has been there through the ups and downs, and now he’s working with me through Parkinson’s to put me in the best position to win.”

Zick also works with a muscle activation specialist once every two weeks.

“We have a game plan,” says Zick, who trains clients (ages 14 to 78) and works out six days a week. “It’s to be ready for the stage, where I can’t wait to do the mandatory poses. I’m thrilled that I get to prepare for December while doing all I can to boost the confidence in my clients. I’m working with a 78-year-old who had back surgery and wants to ski again. Another client of mine weighed 360 pounds when I first met him, and he was down, down, down. Sad. Six months later, people in his life have said, ‘What happened to you? You look great!’”

So does Steve Zick. The man whose arms are probably sore from all those daily hugs continues to embrace life and take on Parkinson’s.