Pete DiPrimio is only 5-foot-5, 140 pounds, but you wouldn’t want to arm-wrestle him. Pound-for-pound, you won’t find anybody much stronger, and don’t even think about outlasting him on the tennis or racquetball court. He used to run marathons.

I speak from personal experience, having played DiPrimio in tennis. You better pack a lunch--and a gallon of Gatorade--when you take on Pete. You are going to be on the court a long time.

As a man who also stands all of 5-5, I used to think I had a lot in common with Pete. Endurance is not one of them, though. It could have something to do with the additional 25 pounds I am carrying.

DiPrimio, 52, isn’t carrying any extra baggage. Although he doesn’t run marathons any more, his body fat is barely in double figures, percentage-wise.

Fortunately, Pete can help you get your body fat down. He teaches a “gravity” class at the Monroe County YMCA and serves as a wellness instructor.

Pete also is an award-winning sports writer for the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel and author of three books on Indiana University athletics and 10 children’s books.

So Pete, what are you doing to stay in shape these days?

I lift weights, ride a bike or play racquetball.

What kind of lifting do you do?

Lot of free weights, pull-ups, ab work. It is not a body-building workout. It is more to maintain strength, fitness and to lower body fat. Mostly, I do it for athletic purposes. I don’t do it for appearance, but for performance.

Tell us about the gravity class.

Imagine a 26-pound sled with a system of pulleys that allows you to work your whole body. At base is a place where your feet go. You sit on the sled, which slides up and down. You are lifting your body weight, plus the weight of the sled. The higher you set the incline, the more difficult it is.

It is good for people who haven’t done much weight lifting, who want to keep their tone while keeping their weight down. It is a 45-minute workout, and it is not just strength training. It is cardio as well. Like anything, you can make it as intense or as easy as you wish by the degree of the incline.

I’m guessing you watch your diet, too?

I wish I could tell you that, but it would be a lie. It is possible I might have had a chocolate chip cookie just before you called. I should probably watch my diet more, drink more water, but I don’t have much of a diet. I eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat. The gravity class and everything else I do help.

It is consistency of doing something every day. Whether doing gravity or not, something needs to be a part of your lifestyle. You need to be consistent. You want to stay in shape the rest of your life.