Editor’s note: This article was published in Grand Traverse Scene magazine’s Summer II 2026 issue. Pick up a free copy at area hotels, visitor’s centers, chambers of commerce or at the Record-Eagle building at 1764 Forest Ridge Drive in Traverse City. Click here to read GT Scene in its entirety online.
Adam Bartelmay’s peaceful persona does not conflict with the power that lies within; it complements it.
The 55-year-old TV journalist’s commitment to developing and maintaining a muscular, chiseled body was rewarded in mid-May at the Mike Vruggink’s National Physique Committee’s Grand Rapids Bodybuilding Classic where he finished first in the 45+ age division; second in the 50+ age division; and second in the Open Class “C” that featured all ages, 5-foot-10, up to 210 pounds, an event that qualified winning participants for national competition.
Bartelmay, who works out at the Iron House fitness center in Traverse City, began his regimented bodybuilding regime in 2017, and for all his rigorous workout routines — combined with strict, self-imposed diet practices — the results have brought him the degree of health and wellness he’s long wanted.
“It’s a great diversion when stress gets to you — we all have it,” Bartelmay said of his bodybuilding. “I always call it my therapy. It gives me a focus on something I can control.
“I just want to be fit and healthy, to be honest. This has become a lifestyle for me. I will do it as long as my body will let me. I’m not getting any younger, but I believe exercise slows the process.
“I want to be healthy and fit,” he said. “I want to be able to chase my grandchildren, if and when I ever have them. Even if I stop competing, I plan to stick to this lifestyle. I’ve been doing it for so many years, I don’t want to go back.”
His workouts typically last one to two hours a day, five to six days a week. His dedication to diet and nutrition, he said, is a 24/7 endeavor.
“I’m not a power-lifter, so I don’t do a lot of heavy lifting,” he said. “It’s more for aesthetics. I use progressive overload to build, (and then) it’s just as important to rest and recover.
“Diet is everything. A lean, fit body is really made in the kitchen. Food choices are everything. I eat mostly from lean protein sources and I do eat carbs like potatoes and rice.”
Bartelmay said he “started toying around” with bodybuilding when he was 46 years old.
“I was heavier than I wanted to be, out of shape, had no energy and wanted to make a change,” he said. “I do purely physique, aesthetic training. I lift as heavy as I can at times, but I’m not a power-lifter. Bodybuilding and power-lifting are different kinds of sports. I benefited from mentors at the gym who encouraged my potential in physique building.
For the longtime on-air news personality, the results have been in his reflection, literally — in the image that looks back at him in the mirror.
“When I see improvements in my physique, in areas of my body that are lagging, (in my) legs in particular, (though I’ve) been seeing success and growth there … (I have found that) it’s not impossible to build muscle at my age, but you won’t do it like someone in their 20’s.”
Finding community in Kingsley
Bartelmay and his wife, Heather, live in Kingsley in southern Grand Traverse County. They have been married 23 years and have two grown boys who are now in their 20s.
“I love the safety and tight-knit nature of the community,” he said. “It’s like a throwback to the way things used to be. Not to say nothing bad could ever happen … those things can happen anywhere, but it’s safer than most and I like it that way.
“I love to sit on the Lake Michigan beach and just listen to the water. It’s the most calming, beautiful experience for me. I also like to sit atop the dunes near Frankfort and watch the horizon.”
Bartelmay grew up in Upper St. Clair, PA, a suburban Pittsburgh, and graduated from high school there in 1989. He went on to Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where he earned his Master of Arts degree in German Language and Literature (Germanistik).
“I spent my junior year in Salzburg, Austria and the University of Salzburg, and one year there as a graduate student,” he said. “I also attained a Fulbright assistantship to spend a year in Linz, Austria, after I earned my master’s degree. I got to see a lot of Europe when I was there.
“I love to travel. (My) favorite spot is Portugal, we have traveled there many times, once as a family … also to Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada, several spots here in the states and all over Michigan. While Portugal is my favorite country to visit, Vienna, Austria, is my favorite city.”
Bartelmay said he views their travels as a hobby, but reiterated that “gym is my hobby.”
“I also love to read about nutrition and exercise,” he said. “(My) wife and I also like to binge watch streaming series … love to watch football and basketball, Steelers games on Sundays when they’re on TV here, which is surprisingly often .. and my wife is an MSU grad — we cheer for Green.”
Bartelmay is in his 30th year in TV journalism. He began his career in Alpena in 1996, moved to Traverse City in 1998 where he worked at 7&4 for nearly 12 years. He moved on to Boise, Idaho (2010-2012) and Joplin, Missouri (2012-2013), before returning to northern Michigan to work at 9&10 News.
“We decided this was home and where we wanted to be,” he said. “My wife is a Traverse City St. Francis graduate.”
Since joining the TV 9 & 10 news team in 2013 he has served in different roles, including as “Michigan This Morning Anchor” from 2015 to 2023, and as evening news anchor for 2023 to present.
“I just want to be able to inform our viewers with stories that matter to them,” he said. “I love northern Michigan and bringing them a record of what’s happening in our broader, beautiful regional community.”
The day’s sad stories, he said, can stay with him.
“Of course (they can), you can’t help but become affected by these things,” he said. “A lot of people think we journalists become jaded about these things, but they are incredibly difficult when they hit close to home. The Walmart stabbings last summer, the murder of the parking garage worker November and the heartbreak of those who endured the March 2025 ice storm and the Gaylord tornado come to mind.”
On the positive side, high school graduations and sporting events, he said — and similar events — can stay with him, too.
“That’s the fun part,” he said. “Getting out to shoot football and basketball games is honestly one of the best parts of my job. We are a small station in a small market and it’s all hands on deck for these things. High School sports are an integral part of the fabric of our communities and it’s gratifying to observe that spirit and support.”