Category: Amazing 12 (April-June 2016)

A “leap of faith” is how Sue described the Amazing 12 to me this week. To some degree it really is. You are entrusting the coach to transform you. You don’t know precisely what lies ahead. You have no control over the programming. You are given a diet to follow. And you are told what movements to perform. And then you expect the results you are after to take place.

But if you didn’t believe in the coach or the program or Paul McIlroy or the now-hundreds of men and women who have had outstanding results on the Amazing 12, you would never have even considered doing it to begin with.

So, once the leap is made, there is no turning back. And in order to get the best results, you do have to submit to the coach’s guidance and if you are used to always being in control, that can possibly be a scary place.

Doing anything else or deviating from the plan is potentially self-sabotaging, which makes no sense.

As with anything in life where you want to see change and don’t have the expertise to make it happen by yourself, you call upon help. You need to have faith in the person doing the work for you or telling you how to do it.

“Lucky I trust you, Claudius,” said Sue. “Not many people get me to close my eyes and jump.”

How Sue’s ‘leap of faith’ statement came about followed a conversation before training one morning. Sue had weighed herself the day before and the scales revealed she had gained four pounds, which she was concerned about, but in reality could be the difference between a single bowel movement. Ross, meanwhile, had told me he was capable of lifting more than the weights I was asking him to lift, so he felt like he had a lot in reserve and, effectively, asked why I wasn’t pushing him harder.

I gave them my familiar look, the one that says, “just trust me, guys. This program works. Let it happen. Follow my direction.”

I’m not asking them to follow me blindly. I do offer explanations for why, for example, I ask them to eat certain foods or why I instruct them to lift a weight in a certain fashion. And Sue’s the type of person who goes off whenever I tell her what to do and she does her research. That’s Sue. She likes to know what she’s getting into – she wants/needs to know ‘why?’. If it prompts further questions, she comes to training the next day and asks me. That’s fair enough.

So many things will happen along the Amazing 12 path and perhaps stir up emotions, maybe raise some doubts and fears or take you out of your comfort zone. But that’s all fine, too. It’s a part of the journey and learning and self-discovery and self-improvement etc.

The participant doesn’t know what’s coming and the unknown can unnerve us. But I’ve seen this program at work. I know what it can do. Take a look at the Amazing 12 Chichester graduates page on this site.

Another part of the Amazing 12 experience is learning there is a different way to train and this way may well challenge many beliefs you have (from previous experiences and coaches) about what is true and most effective.

A quote came up on my phone later that day from Perry Nickelston, a brilliant chiropractic physician and movement specialist. It said, ‘Much of what you have to do [to improve] is unlearn what you have been taught.’ I shared it with Ross and Sue.

“I totally agree,” said Ross. “I am really trying and 46 years is a long time to undo. But I am on the A12 for a reason and I’m feeling like I’m doing good work instead of just smashing it like I used to in CrossFit.”

That’s not meant as a dig at CrossFit, but the Amazing 12 is different. Very different.

I’ve had Ross make some dietary changes this week. He’s been feeling more chipper. “Had a really good session today,” he said on Tuesday. “Feel like I’m pumped up more than a tractor tyre. I am actually starting to see and feel real changes. That’s encouraging.”

Ross told me at the end of week 3 that he was going to try to focus (his mind) differently this week. “I’m getting my head in the zone. I know I have to follow the plan as it’s part of the overall strategy. It’s hard [to change thinking and habits], don’t get me wrong, but I want to do great at this.”

For Sue it was an up-and-down week, not helped by a few nights of disrupted sleeping.

Kari had a frustrating week also, because she was called away by her work for a few days on an overseas trip and missed two days training. It’s not ideal, but in some cases unavoidable. So you have to deal with it in the best way possible. I set her some homework.

“I’m gutted,” she said. “It [the A12] has become such a daily part of my routine that I’ll most probably be climbing the walls by Monday [when we start week 5].”

Truth is that trust on the Amazing 12 is a two-way street: I, the coach, must trust that every student has the integrity to adhere to the diet plan I prescribe, that he or she follows the guidelines of the training principles and that he or she completes any additional training I decide is necessary and in the fashion required (like Kari this week).

A leap of faith? Yes. But when I accept someone on to the program, I am also taking that leap of faith.

The beautiful part is that we, the coach and student, want the same thing –  results, success, progress – and the program demands that we invest in time, energy, focus, money, practice, discipline, TRUST, FAITH, patience, effort, mindfulness, restraint to make it happen.

It’s much more than a body transformation program. Trust me.

I am already recruiting for the September wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester. It starts on Monday, September 5. Time slots will be 10.30am and 7.30pm. Drop me a line if you are interested in a life and body-changing experience.

WEEK 3 is complete. The death of popstar Prince left us a little shell-shocked. That led to a conversation about how, as you get older, you become more aware of your mortality and think more about the importance of making the most of life.

The actions needed to change your course of or direction in life are not difficult. But changing the thoughts that govern or restrict those actions often are.

I see three people in Kari, Ross and Sue who, by signing up to the Amazing 12, have taken life by the scruff of the neck and said ‘I’m going to do it no matter what’. These are three people who value their fitness and health and understand how much of a foundation it is towards enjoying the pleasures and overcoming the challenges life can offer.

However, Ross and Kari came in on the first day this week at Core Results both feeling sluggish, for no obvious reason. But they left upbeat. The following morning Kari sent me a text, saying it (the workout) was just what she needed. Ross reiterated the same sentiment when he arrived the next day.

My trio have continued making progress. Ross had concerns his belly won’t shift, but I sent him a short texted reply: “patience and faith”.

It’s still early days and Ross is getting used to a different way of eating and training. He’s from a military and CrossFit background. The approach to training in the Amazing 12 is very different. It requires a mental shift and in some cases unlearning what you’ve previously thought to be true and effective. Not everyone responds to the program in exactly the same fashion. And not everyone sees themselves as they actually are either.

However, I can see clearly Ross improving physically (in his performance and strength). His shape is altering without him even realising it. He looks younger and healthier. The shifts may not be happening how or as quickly as he was expecting them to. But I’ve been through the process before and Ross hasn’t, hence the reason I told him to be patient and have faith. It’s going to happen.

“I really enjoyed every day,” he said of week 3. “I know I can lift heavier and do more. But I’m still unfit and have such a long way to go. I’ve been religious with my eating, but feel as if I am the slow one in class with little gains. I look at what Kari and Sue have achieved and feel I have so much to do to get near them.”

The Amazing 12, of course, is not a competition. But it’s interesting how one person’s perception of the same thing is so different to another’s. Some people are harder on themselves than others, too.

By the middle of the week Ross was really firing. His technique has become more refined. In fact, all three were in top form. I spent a little more time on prep work for the squat and deadlift with Ross and Kari and it paid off. If you could compare them now to when they started you would not believe the difference. Best of all is that they are improving in spite of everything getting tougher. The same goes for Sue.

I stepped up the weights Sue was using for one exercise this week and you should have seen the look on her face – “I can’t do that,” it screamed. I knew she could. And she did – fairly comfortably (although Sue would probably argue it was hard). She walked away with a look of satisfaction that said: “I didn’t just pick them up, I actually did reps!”

It was satisfying to hear Kari say that she’s no longer “intimidated” by lifting weights. She’s never been a fan of barbell work, being more of a cardio junkie. However, she added: “I don’t want this program to end. No matter how bad my day is, I can’t wait to get here [the gym].”

Tall and slender, Kari doesn’t have a typical lifter’s build. But that won’t stop her becoming stronger. I’m fascinated to see how far she goes.

“Thank you for making me believe in myself more and allowing me to push myself that little extra,” she told me. “I’m feeling stronger every day. My core feels much more engaged, which is great as I felt myself slumping in the last year or so, completely unaware of how it could impact on my training.

“Never in a million years did I think I would enjoy lifting weights this much.”

We finished the week with a slight rotation in shift pattern: Ross did his first morning class, joining Sue. Kari went solo in the evening. Generally, I prefer that everyone trains at the same time each week, but with this wave I have more room to manoeuvre and sometimes changing the group dynamic a little freshens things up and keeps everyone on their toes.

Ross and Sue, though, finished on their backs, breathing hard after a bout with the unforgiving prowler, crowning another great week.

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

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

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.

SUE SAUNDERS’ last conversation with her father, who sadly passed away last November, was about doing the Amazing 12.

Sue’s dad was her rock. She trusted him implicitly and ran everything by him so, understandably, she wanted to discuss the Amazing 12 with him.

While her father never really understood her passion for exercise and training and used to think she was crazy when she told him what she’d been doing during her CrossFit days, he did understand the value of being challenged.

“He knew what it meant to try to achieve something you think is out of your reach,” Sue told me. “That conversation we had was the final time he was coherent. He loved the mountains. He had aspirations to climb something big. I told him, ‘the Amazing 12 was my Everest’. It was a challenge to myself.”

In that moment, Sue’s dad turned to her and said, “You should do it.”

He smiled and laughed. “He understood my reference,” said Sue. “This way one of us gets to climb a mountain.”

A few days later, he passed away.

Sue will be on the April wave. This is something she has contemplated for nearly two years. She’s come a long way, because last May she had keyhole surgery on her left shoulder following a build up of calcium. Initially, the surgery didn’t seem to do much. But, slowly, her shoulder has returned to working order. Credit the guys at Core Results for helping to design a program that has effectively brought Sue to ‘Amazing 12 Base Camp’. Now begins the climb.

We’ve discussed doing the Amazing 12 for a long time. It means a lot for Sue. She still feels a sense of guilt that she’s being too self-indulgent. But her family is supporting her. A mother of two (aged 7 and 5) and professional photographer, Sue, 43, said: “I was never good at sports or sporty. No-one encouraged me to do sports. I didn’t begin using weights until I was 19. I never picked up a barbell until I started CrossFit [3 years ago].

“But I know I have the physique to have been good at something – given the opportunity. This [the Amazing 12] is like I’ve been given a second chance.”

My job is to guide her safely to that mountain peak and, as with anyone who has suffered an injury or undergone surgery, there are risks. But it’s one Sue feels ready and willing for.

“Being healthy and fit means everything to me,” she said. “Without good health everything is difficult. Being fit and healthy opens the doors to a full life. You need to be fit for purpose – to pick up your kids, run around with them…That’s your responsibility.”

Five years ago, when she took up running, Sue couldn’t make it to the bottom of the road (not far) without getting out of breath. Now she runs 6km three times a week. So she comes into the Amazing 12 in decent shape.

Alhough she’s excited, Sue’s feeling nervous, too. “This is all out of my comfort zone. I’m scared. I’m worried about not letting others down and being in the right head space. But it’s really important for me and probably something I’ll never do again.”

Never say never!

KARIEN GLADMAN, from Waterlooville, though originally from South Africa, told me: “I know where I want to be, but don’t know how to get there.”

Kari wants a change of lifestyle and to get into eating cleanly. Her desire is to discover her athletic potential. She’s a life-long fitness enthusiast and (23 years ago) a former aerobics instructor. One of her dreams is to climb to base camp Everest.

Tall and lean Kari has done some CrossFit and Tough Mudder races, but lost her way after being at her fittest in 2015. She is motivated to be healthy and fit and admits in the past she may have over-trained in her desire to get conditioned.

I’m excited to work with her. She was knocking on my door to be a part of this wave. That told me one thing: she has the necessary commitment and enthusiasm. She also understands this is going to be a process.