Claude Abrams, Author at

Jo (April 2016)

HOW do you take a 32-year-old mother of two with a full-time job who has never trained before and in 12 weeks turn her into an athlete?

That’s pretty much what happened with Jo Smith. She had never lifted weights or been a member of any gym or played sports. I took her through two private sessions before we started training – to show her the movements and give her some basic tuition. The rest we had to learn and improve while on the job.

Fortunately, Jo is a good learner. Sometimes it can be easier with raw beginners because they don’t have bad habits that are difficult to break. To some extent that was the case with Jo. But when I think back to the start and how she didn’t know how to engage the right muscles at the right time, it makes her progress all the more staggering.

In the beginning I had her bench-pressing with only 9.5k on a bar. By the end she was doing reps, albeit tough ones, with 42k! That’s a massive increase in strength. Her back squat and deadlift more than doubled during the same period. With more training, it will only continue to improve.

Already she’s talking about doing another round!

Jo started with what could be termed a slender ‘mum’s body’ and finished looking like she’s been working out her entire life!

Every day after I’d finish my Amazing 12 coaching session in the garage gym we used, I would reverse my car on the gravel drive to turn around. As I did so, Jo would walk back to the house.

I can’t remember when precisely, but there came a point when I suddenly noticed how her physique had taken on an entirely new appearance.

She committed herself to the program so well and, to the best of my knowledge, followed all the instructions I gave her.

I got her into the best shape and condition possible within three months. But, because Jo’s never really tested herself physically, there is a lot of untapped potential. This, believe it or not, is just the start.

Jo’s since taken up kite-surfing and cycling.

North London girl Jo was a good student. As the weeks went by, I could see her fitness soaring. Where she had previously faltered, Jo just kept on going, like an energiser bunny.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were some sticky patches, like when she felt sore (common if you’re working muscles that haven’t been taxed in a long time) and one time when she pulled something in her chest. But we found ways to continue without making the situation worse. Jo always brought a good attitude to our sessions, though. I couldn’t have asked for more.

She had to skip a few workouts – six to be precise – through either illness or work-related issues beyond her control, but approached the program with the right mentality, doing everything I asked and never wanting to cut corners. Jo always felt disappointed whenever she missed training.

We got there in the end and the photos tell the story. I am proud of her achievement.

“I always had a flat tummy,” she said. “But never abs. Now I don’t need to suck in my stomach anymore.”

“I loved it [the training]. I’m very happy with the results.”

Much more than just the way you look

THE question of why I chose to be a coach for the Amazing 12 transformation program was posed to me recently. The thinking behind the question was that it’s all superficial and rather shallow, isn’t it?

Aren’t there more important things in life? Isn’t it just another training quick-fix in the fitness world and unsustainable anyway?

I’ve seen all the criticisms of the Amazing 12 and they usually originate from the doubters – those who cannot believe these types of results are possible. But the negative comments don’t come close in volume to the positive ones. And, having completed the program myself and taken individuals through it, I know all the results are absolutely authentic and that these transformations are achieved through effort, discipline, motivation and the application of masterful program design.

I’m not interested in pulling the wool over someone’s eyes or conning them out of money by providing false claims or promises I cannot deliver. How does that enhance my reputation or build trust or help spread the value of what the Amazing 12 offers?

What is superficial anyway? Here are two definitions: “existing or occurring at or on the surface” and “appearing to be true or real until examined more closely“. By those definitions the Amazing 12 is anything but superficial. In fact, the beauty of the Amazing 12 is much more than skin deep. What happens is a ripple effect: strength and fitness achieved through movement, progressive training and better eating habits leads to greater health, boosted confidence, enhanced brain activity, happiness, stronger immunity, a rise in self-esteem and self-worth, a sense of accomplishment, pride…

And there is more. There are the educational benefits, because I’m teaching not only about the importance of good nutrition and providing evidence of it when it is applied, but I also focus on skills – in lifting and movement – and striving for high standards. The Amazing 12 is not just the execution of a program designed, tested and perfected by one of the world’s foremost strength and conditioning coaches. For me, it’s the opportunity to repeatedly enforce how we can move weights safely and effectively so that in our daily activities we become more efficient in our actions and, effectively, less prone to injury and/or decay.

To complete the Amazing 12 one requires motivation – to drive yourself on to achieve your goal – and discipline – to show up on the days when your motivation is low. We all have good and bad days. That’s inevitable. But the Amazing 12 holds you accountable. It’s not a turn-up-when-you-feel-like-it program. It’s not to be tackled half-heartedly. But it will teach you what can be achieved if you keep showing up, no matter how you feel. You just have to trust it.

Adriano, one of my graduates, commuted each day by train several hours from Chichester to London. In fact, I wouldn’t let him on the program initially because I didn’t think he’d be able to stick to it and his success was more important to me than his money. I’d trained him previously and never seen him turn up more than two days in succession. So I set him a small challenge: come to training every day the following week and I would consider it. He did.

“I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t easy [doing the A12] initially,” he admitted. “I had to get up at 5.30am to get to London and I’d be back in Chichester for 7.30pm, then be at the gym from 8.30pm-10pm, go to sleep and repeat. Nevertheless, sooner than I thought, I adapted to the new routine. My body adapted and this became normality for the 12 weeks.”

To see Adriano’s face at the end was a gift. When I asked him about the experience, he quoted me a Kipling poem that best described how he felt.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them ‘Hold on!’

“The Amazing 12 gave me self-belief, body awareness and a mental toughness I didn’t realise I could have,” he told me.

So let’s not get hung up on the superficial notion, because superficial is worrying about how our hair looks or the style of our shoes (and Adriano loves shoes more than anyone I know) or the clothing we wear or make-up we put on or how fashion dictates our actions. What is real is who we are and that we have only one body to take us through this journey of life. What is important is our health and, because the Amazing 12 program insists on clean, wholesome eating, this program actively boosts our level of well-being which then spills over into every other quarter of our lives and those with whom we come into daily contact.

Is it sustainable? Of course not and that is why it runs for 12 weeks only. But, as I have already stated, those three months will teach you plenty and, because new habits are formed along the way, leave lasting impressions and build a formidable platform from which to develop further.

I chose the Amazing 12 (and, thankfully, it chose me) because it is empowering. There are few things more satisfying or rewarding in life than empowering others. I see it in the smiles on the faces of my graduates when they have finished the final session and reached the mountain top. I see it in the eyes of some of them before they have even started – that glint of excitement at the prospect of what lies ahead. And, of course, I hear it in the words of people like Adriano.

Each person has their own story and, as such, their motives for wanting to do the A12 differ. There are now hundreds of graduates around the globe who have successfully taken the journey and transformed their lives. I get individuals who come back a second time, because it works for them in a way that nothing else does. That’s a massive compliment for the Amazing 12.

And when someone who had been diagnosed with a rare form of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma and thought his body would never recover completes the program and says he feels fitter and stronger than ever before or a lady of over 60 returns to her fighting weight of 30 years previously and she’s beaming with delight, I know my job is worthwhile and way beyond superficial.

*Interested in the Amazing 12 in Chichester? Want to find out more? Please contact me and arrange for a free consultation where I’d be happy to talk you through what’s expected and answer your questions. My next phase starts on January 9, 2017 at Core Results.

Las Vegas And The Ragamuffin

LLOYD HONEYGHAN was the first British boxer I went to the US to write about during my time as a journalist, when I was sent to Las Vegas in February 1989 for his world title fight with Marlon Starling.

Honeyghan, who called himself the “Ragamuffin”, got well beaten. I had a front row seat. Mike Tyson, then world champ, was commentating ringside.

That week it actually snowed in Vegas. I also recall walking through a sandstorm to get to Johnny Tocco’s gym near downtown in order to watch Tyson prepare for his first fight with Frank Bruno.

Honeyghan and I would talk a lot in later years, right up to when I finished with boxing and journalism. But he probably doesn’t recall the first time we chatted.

As a teenager, I used to travel each week to south London to train and spar at the famous Thomas A’ Becket pub above which was a gym steeped in history.

I used to watch Honeyghan box Michael Watson and Kirkland Laing amongst others. The gym at that time was buzzing with talent and characters – Errol Christie, Glenn McCrory, Clinton McKenzie and Gary Stretch, now a Hollywood actor, to name a few.

One morning, close to what must have been exactly 30 years ago, I had finished training at the Becket and was getting changed. Lying face down on the massage table was Honeyghan, but I didn’t realise it at the time.

We were the only ones there and got chatting casually about Honeyghan’s impending fight with Sylvester Mittee.

“Who’s going to win?” he asked.

“Mittee,” I told him after some thought.

Then, as he got up, not saying a thing, I recognised who he was.

I never did tell Lloyd this story and he never did hold it against me when he next saw me.

Of course, Honeyghan took care of business against Mittee and, less than a year later (1986), went on to become world champion, famously defeating American Donald Curry (above).

Week 2: Progress Overload

THE second week of the Amazing 12 at Core Results in Chichester whizzed by. That’s always a promising sign. Nothing felt laboured.

Sue hit me with a staggering statement midweek: “Not kidding, Claudius, but two weeks on the Amazing 12 has got me into the same shape I was in after a year doing CrossFit,” she said. Sue showed me the photographic evidence. It doesn’t lie.

Despite knowing what the Amazing 12 can do, I was still a bit taken aback by that statement. But I could see it before my very eyes. However, with the Amazing 12 being more than just about physique development, I know there is still some way to go before Sue regains the strength she had before her shoulder injury. She’s definitely on track and squats and performs the deadlift as well as I have ever seen her. In fact, given she’s coming back from surgery and the shoulder was what she was most concerned with, Sue said that part of her body feels really strong. All being well, it will stay that way.

Having also worked previously with Ross, I can see him returning to his former self. As I keep track of his performance, I’m continually reminding him of how much stronger and fitter he is becoming in such a short time. He is feeling it, too. Ross is now able to perform more comfortably and with better form tasks he clearly struggled with in the first week. There’s a bounce in his step. I can see his body changing which, when you work with people every day, isn’t always so easy to notice.

“Isn’t it amazing how in just 10 days you can feel so different,” Ross told me. “I’m so much stronger in a short period of time.”

“It’s been a really good week,” he added. “Thoroughly enjoyed it. Small gains across all areas, so I’m happy with my progress. There is more to come from me. I’m releasing a lot of internal energy. My form is improving. I’m going in the right direction.”

As for Kari, I’m really impressed by how well she is learning the movements in the program and how her technique has become more refined. She openly admitted when we started that her core was a weak link. But now, in a short time, I can notice how much stronger she holds herself from head to toe. We work on skills and techniques EVERY session. And when I test out her endurance levels, it’s so noticeable how her rate of recovery and level of effort has improved.

Looking forward to week 3, but I’m enjoying it so much that it’s going too quickly for me.

The next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester is planned for September-November 2016. Don’t miss out. Want to know more details or book a free consultation? Contact me at Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

A Picture Has A Thousand Meanings

THERE is a time and a place to push hard. Finishing on your back at the end of a session doesn’t indicate over-training. Ending in that position after EVERY session will likely, however, be to the detriment of progress.

This was Sue Saunders on the second week of the Amazing 12 in Chichester (at the Core Results gym), giving it her all, but working hard without allowing sloppiness into her movement. That is how I prefer it.

An image like this can provoke varied reactions: ‘that looks too tough’; ‘that’s just what I’m looking for’; ‘can I do that?’; ‘is it too hard for me?’; ‘she must be fit’; ‘she can’t be very fit’…

What does the picture say for you?

Rest assured, the Amazing 12 is designed to work on anyone who moves without pain. I don’t slaughter the people I work with. I train them to become stronger and fitter. And a workout like this has its place in the process.

My 10 Truths – Part 2

MY previous post, inspired by the podcast of Lewis Howes, a former successful American footballer, listed my first five truths – truths I have discovered in my lifetime.

Here are my next five, in no particular order of importance.

happiness

6. Happiness is between the ears. This is a close relation to No. 4 and No. 5. In western culture we’ve been taught, conditioned and raised to seek happiness externally. I used to think that if I lived in constant sunshine (I’m a summer person) and in stunning surroundings and by the ocean and without the pressures of a stressful job and no mortgage and in a comfortable home with space, I’d be blissfully happy. I tried that. It didn’t work. If my thoughts are scrambled and unsettled that is what I will feel irrespective of what I’m doing, where I am and how much money I may have in the bank. Make it a priority to manage and train your thoughts. Hard as it may be, routinely weed the garden in your mind. If you don’t, the weeds take over. When your mind is at peace – really at peace – then your relationships, location, wealth and vocation can enhance your happiness, not the other way around.

stress

7. Too much stress is our greatest enemy. It’s interesting that we focus our attention on all other areas of life, but spend so little time combating stress or forming effective strategies to deal with it. We can be perfectly healthy and strong and fit in our bodies and eat the optimum diet, but it won’t protect you if you are exposed to frequent doses of high stress. Nothing, in my opinion, is more damaging to the human body and psyche than continual stress and worry.

8. Good quality sleep is crucial. There used to be a time, when I was younger, when getting by on little sleep earned you bragging rights. Now I think back and see it as nonsensical, like a lot of things I/we do/did in our youth – until we know better. Sleep is so vital on so many levels. It’s what allows us to grow, recover, repair and function optimally. My sleep suffered after I became a father. I used to be able to sleep anytime, anywhere. But not anymore and that’s frustrating. Losing sleep can strip years off your life and reduce dramatically the quality of your days and ability to function at your best. Thankfully, there are many ways to improve it. If you’re also working out a lot or hard, you need at least eight hours per night.

multi-task

9. Multi-tasking is overrated. I know there’s a bit of a gender joke here about how women can and men can’t and some will argue that I, as a man, have included this to fight the corner of my male brothers. I can multi-task, but let’s just say I prefer not to. As soon as you split yourself between multiple tasks the quality of the effort and focus diminishes and, more often than not, so will the end product. I much prefer to concentrate on one thing at a time and give it my best shot. Quality over quantity every time for me, though it doesn’t stop me from admiring those who can spin plates on their head, hands and legs while riding a unicycle, playing a flute and meditating!

Ali

10. Our actions are determined by our beliefs. This is what makes it so hard for us to allow change to happen: we are so entrenched in our beliefs. And we so often believe what people tell us is true without questioning. I’ve tried to keep a more open and flexible mind as I have grown older, which means that some or all of these 10 truths could change in time. But I know I’m stubbornly holding on to other beliefs that probably don’t serve me well. There’s nothing wrong with changing your mind. However, the longer we believe something the harder it can be to shift our mindset. I’ll leave you with this quote from Muhammad Ali: “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

End of week 1

WEEK 1 for Sue, Ross and Kari on the Amazing 12 flew by.

I’m enjoying working with three people who are so different not only in build, but also the way they move and approach their training.

Sue turns up every day equipped for her mobility drills before we get started. She picks up her roller, balls and blocks and knows exactly what she is doing and why. I have to give credit to the guys at Core Results for handing her a restorative program that got her body, which felt broken, working again. I wish everyone I trained prepared for their sessions like her. By the time we start, she is ready to roll.

Sue learned the painful way – through injury – the value and necessity of good quality movement. She may lack mobility, but has lots of stability. I don’t think I’ve worked with anyone on the Amazing 12 who has taken on the program with such focus on movement integrity.

With Ross and Kari, who haven’t had the same experience with injuries, my challenge is different. Everyone feels invincible until they get broken. The Amazing 12 is nothing like what Ross or Kari has done before. It can take a while to adapt to what’s really needed and how. But they will get considerable practice of the techniques, breathing and best way to tackle the workouts in the weeks ahead.

Having worked mostly with individuals previously on the A12, I like the vibe of a small group. People feed off, motivate and encourage each other. This week everyone was on the evening shift.

Kari sent me a nice message: I absolutely loved this week,” she said. “Can’t wait for more sessions.”

They all complained a little about muscle soreness (the type that reminds you that you’ve been working your body) and I had warned them that was typical during the first week, where a lot of movements are new and the style of training not what they are used to.

“I felt it most across my chest and upper arms,” admitted Ross. “It’s been agony at times, especially trying to lift weights the next night.” Interestingly, Kari felt it most in her quads, whereas Sue said she could feel it all over, but that it was a “nice” feeling.

I know they will all get stronger with each week and their technique improve also. Sue’s always asking me questions (she’s the curious type), but I don’t give much away (nothing, actually) where the programming is concerned.

Turn up, do the work, eat as advised, trust I know what I am doing and let the Amazing 12 do its thing.

My 10 Truths – Part 1

Lewishowes

ONE of my favourite podcasters is Lewis Howes (pictured), a former professional American Footballer who has gone on to become a big media success after his sporting career was cut short through injury.

He has a podcast called ‘The School of Greatness‘, where he interviews successful people and extracts from them secrets to being leaders and achievers in their chosen fields. I’ve become an avid listener because it’s informative and inspiring.

At the end of his podcast interviews, Howes usually asks his guests a question: what three truths have you learned from life that you would pass on if it were your final message?

It’s a thought-provoking question and one I’ve pondered every time I hear him ask it.

I tried narrowing it down to three, but 10 came to me straight off the bat and there could – and probably are – more I just haven’t thought about. Here are my first five most obvious truths (and I reserve the right to change these as I grow older and wiser!) Part two to follow…

choice

1. We always have a choice. In other words, take responsibility. It’s easy to blame others when things don’t go how we want them to. But the reality is that no matter the outcome, good or bad, we play our part. Somewhere, somehow, we make a choice, consciously or unconsciously, that puts us in the position we find ourselves in. And even if we don’t think we have a choice in what happens, realise we always have a choice in how we react.

2. ANYTHING is possible (within reason) if you believe it and don’t give up on it. Ask yourself this question: how many things have you achieved in life that at one time you would have considered impossible? To make it happen, firstly, you have to believe in the dream and then, secondly, you have to give yourself the best possible chance. In my case there are dozens – probably more – of examples where I achieved the seemingly improbable. I think back to how, without any journalistic qualifications, I became editor of Boxing News in what seems a lifetime ago. It was a job that as an early teenager I literally dreamed about having. The odds seemed stacked against me, yet it happened. The only conclusion I can reach to explain why I got the job is that I wanted it so badly and for so long that the hands of fate turned in my favour. However, it wouldn’t have been enough for me to dream about it, but then stay at home and wish for a call to come my way offering me the position. I had to put myself about, make the right contacts, develop the right skills, remain focused and keep pushing until the opportunity became available and I was the obvious choice for whoever had the final decision on filling the vacancy. Passion, desire, drive, determination count for so much. You can’t beat the man or woman who refuses to quit or give up and, remember, you are only limited by your thoughts. I eventually gave up that job, a secure one of over 20 years, to travel the world with my wife and children when people said I was insane for trying, that it couldn’t be sustained and I’d never again find a job I enjoyed. I was told it was too risky. Yet we still made it happen and lasted 4 1/2 years on the road. Does is make me special? Not at all, because I think almost anyone could do it. All I did was dare to challenge the conventional thinking that holds us back and took the steps required to achieve the goal.

3. Health is really all you have. Thankfully, I discovered this early in life. It not only saved me a lot of money and time that would otherwise have been spent on alcohol and tobacco and who knows what else, but has enabled me to live a life free of medication and sickness. Today, we live in a fast-paced culture where we demand and expect instant gratification. We seem to have really lost touch with a sense of what is real, important and valuable. We have so many material desires, but what do they, our futures and the quality of our relationships mean without the full health to enjoy it? I have young children. Not only do I want to be around to see them grow up, I also want to be able to fully engage and play with them, regardless of age. I want to help them to appreciate the importance of staying healthy. I also don’t want to become a burden to anyone. So I’ve always made my health a priority. It may sound selfish or even obsessive, but I believe the opposite to be true: the more functional and healthy I am, the more I can offer to everyone and everything in my life.

Fear

4. Fear isn’t real. Now I bet you’ve heard this before. It still doesn’t stop me from feeling a sense of fear or anxiety. But it does help me to deal with it. Fear always appears real when we don’t confront it. But when you do, more often than not you discover it’s a mental fabrication and an exaggeration of our imagination. It’s not the situations or circumstance we face that are scary, but more the thoughts we have about and around them. I like the acronym for fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. I stopped reading newspapers and watching the news many years ago because I didn’t want my head filled with negative images and messages. Too much of that can leave you paralysed, deflated, paranoid and terrified. I chose to filter as best I could what my mind could be exposed to. So now I try to feed myself positive messages. I listen to podcasts instead of the news, read books instead of newspapers and am selective if I switch on the TV. I’m still a work in progress (and always will be).

freedom

5. Freedom is in the mind. Let me explain where I am with this one. We supposedly live in a ‘free’ society where we have the freedom of speech etc. But we are not truly free until we can be ourselves, accept ourselves as we are and exist without concern about being judged or how others will react to our actions, words, emotions and beliefs. My definition of genuine freedom: to act with integrity, transparency, honesty and fearlessness. A wise man once said to me: “Whenever you are worried what people think, you are owned by them.”

My next 5 truths to follow…

Trading Places

I HAVE Jon and Jo on week 11, close to the end of their Amazing 12 program, while yesterday Sue, Ross and Kari all began the April wave at Core Results in Chichester.

Each person’s journey through this program is unique, even for second-timers like Jon. It was a new experience for me, training someone on their own turf and without the space and equipment I am used to. There have been ups and downs with Jon and Jo, which is to be expected over the course of three months. What matters is how you tackle them.

While I always knew Jon would gain strength and power – as he did first time (a year ago) – I didn’t know what to expect from Jo as someone who hadn’t trained before. But she’s now like an energiser bunny. I can see how much stronger she has become as well.

For Ross, Kari and Sue on the first night, starting at 7.30pm, there was a touch of the unknown (I don’t give much away). In the early stages it’s important to think about form and get used to the tempo and movements. It can take time for all my pointers to sink in, but I know these three are going to get in a lot of practice in the weeks to come.

Having a coach – is it worth it?

A CONVERSATION I had recently with Sue Saunders, who is about to begin the Amazing 12 Transformation program with me next week, got me thinking.

We were discussing coaching. And Sue’s not what I would call inexperienced, seeing as she’s been going to the gym since she was 19 and is now 43 and has been a member of around 10 gyms.

But Sue still admits: “I’ve got a basic grasp of what to do, but I still feel like I need someone there. I don’t trust my form enough.”

Not everyone is as honest as Sue or even bothered about form. And I must admit that when it came to getting coaching, I used to be a sceptic (I’m talking 20 years ago).

I learned to play tennis and most sports just by watching television, getting the necessary equipment and going out and copying. But it’s hard to do yourself much harm making mistakes on a tennis court. In the gym, moving heavy objects, it is a different story.

My thinking used to be ‘why pay for help when you can learn to do it by yourself?’ But then I became a coach and, one by one, I received pupils who had done exactly that – trained on their own or learned from others in the gym. What did I notice? Lots of injuries and some horrible technique.

I can’t recall the amount of times it was said to me, “So I’ve been doing it wrong all this time?”

Yep. I’m afraid so.

And the amount of times I’ve stressed the importance of being mindful of technique when putting down a weight or picking it up only for it to be forgotten instantly!

That’s not the only reason a coach is needed. People switch off when they shouldn’t, forget to breathe when they should, breathe when they shouldn’t, don’t know where to look or put their hands, can’t feel what position their body is in, don’t know which muscles to engage…

Yet, despite the potential for injury, which can be costly if it leads to treatment from a professional or (worse case scenario) surgery, the inclination is still to ‘wing it’ or learn from a video or read a book.

That’s okay for some who have a good eye or are experienced or visual learners or if the movements are straightforward, but not so for a lot of others or raw beginners. And, if you ask me – and I may seem biased, I admit – it’s often not worth the risk.

But even taking injury out of the equation, good coaching should accelerate learning and, consequently, improve standards. I took lessons in boxing, tennis, swimming, fencing and karate to name a few sports. I can honestly say I learned something from EVERY session. But not until I took up CrossFit did I get any tuition in Olympic lifting or gymnastics.

A lot of these lifts are complex and take a lot of time and practice to develop. So while watching videos on Youtube of individuals doing amazing things can be inspiring, it also creates an urge to leapfrog the natural order of progression to attain a particular goal. And this is where a good coach would be useful or even crucial for safely monitoring or overseeing any advancements.

On the Amazing 12, often because I work with small groups or individuals, I try to watch everything. I reiterate that the goal is to do the best you can with good form. Always.

I’ve worked with Sue previously and, thankfully, she trusts the way I operate. “I found normal gyms to be rubbish for getting results,” she said. “You need to be working with people who know what they are talking about. It is important for me to have a personal trainer and guidance, especially if you want to get anywhere.”

For Ross Smith (above), who’s also on the Amazing 12 next month and experienced in so far as he’s been in the armed forces and training since he was 16 (he’s now 47), personal training has also become a priority.

He’d never had personal training before we worked together when I was teaching CrossFit.

“That was a shock,” he admitted. “It was more intense and I liked that. I wanted to go to another level. Knowledge and credibility in a coach is important and so, too, is trust.”

A coach’s job, though, goes beyond offering just technical guidance. You need to assess the individual, physically and mentally. Once it’s clear they are safe to train (by that I mean they can perform the basic movement patterns devoid of pain), some may need encouragement, while others need to be watched closely or slowed down even. On the Amazing 12 the job extends to dietary advice, program application and assessment almost on a daily basis.

The bottom line: want great results? Get a coach you can work with and believe in, know your goal, follow a program and stick it out.