The Amazing 12 Program Archives

Fail to plan, plan to fail

MAKE sure you have a goal or vision, a long-term goal. I really can’t stress it enough.

Without a goal it’s difficult to structure or design a plan. It’s like setting off in your car and not knowing the final destination. You’ll drive more in hope than certainty.

So if you fail to plan, you are most likely planning to fail.

Give it some serious, considered thought. Imagine where you want yourself to be, physically, years from today and work backwards. Then think about what you need to be doing to get there.

When it comes to physical training, working out without a purpose is just working out for the sake of working out. It’s not building towards anything. And the chances are you will, after a while, either become bored, disappointed, injured or just give up and say it wasn’t working or producing any measurable results.

The Amazing 12 has a clear goal: to make you the best physical version of yourself in terms of strength, fitness and physique within a three-month training cycle.

But then what?

That’s where the bigger goal comes in.

A common question I am asked about the Amazing 12 by those considering it is, ‘What do I do when I’m finished?” or “what comes next?”

You have this great body that you can now do so many things with and you are scratching your head.

I look at them like the world will be their oyster and usually reply something like, “whatever you would like to do.”

The Amazing 12 can be undertaken for a variety of purposes and/or reasons. Are you just trying to get into better shape? Do you want to shift weight? Do you want to improve your athletic performance? Have you been skinny your entire life and want to bulk up, but get stronger and fitter in the process? Are you a competitive athlete looking for an edge? Are you someone who likes and wants a challenge and to explore their limits? Are you someone who just has a desire to improve the way you look? Are you getting married and want to feel and look at your best? Have you been training for years and not seen any changes? Are you someone who thrives on structure and needs something that provides that as well as guidance and motivation? Do you find it difficult to make progress without any accountability? I could go on. The list is endless.

But I understand there is query about the aftermath: what do I do then? It’s an important question. From a dietary perspective, the A12 has that answer covered. With regards to training, the answer is ‘it depends’.

It comes down to the individual and whether they set themselves targets or are motivated to keep improving or have desires to keep learning new skills or further developing the ones they have. But I’d like to think that whoever invests financially and in terms of effort and time and commitment into doing this program will see it as important to make the choice to take care of themselves afterwards and keep building on the foundation that will be in place.

Why work that hard and let it all go? It would be foolish not to capitalise on it and that means continuing with some form of training/exercise or taking up a sport or embarking on another challenge.

Making exercise or training a part of your regime should be a lifetime commitment.

That’s why this program is life-changing: you come out the other side a different person in a different body ready to take on the world with a different attitude, having formed newer and healthier habits.

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Your body has to last you for the duration of your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take care of it and have a lifetime plan in place?

What the Amazing 12 CAN’T guarantee is you will remain in the best shape of your life. It can’t do that any more than a dentist after a check-up can ensure your teeth will forever remain free of cavities or a surgeon who repairs an injury can insist the troublesome area will never flare up again.

But it is in your hands, just as it would be your responsibility to keep brushing your teeth or adjusting your lifestyle and training in such a way as to avoid the same injury occurring.

The Amazing 12 CAN be a launching pad to further challenges and it can serve as a program that satisfies physical, emotional and dietary needs and provides the type of learning that enables a graduate to become more athletically self-sufficient for the future and it can be just the ticket for someone who knows they have potential but by themselves can’t or don’t now how to fulfil it.

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“It is a shame to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which your body is capable.”

There are now hundreds of graduates from around the world testifying to the effectiveness of the Amazing 12 and here are some examples of those who have used the program to great effect.

Ben Mattingly, who runs The Forge in Cork, Ireland and has had dozens of Amazing 12 graduates walk out of his doors, picks out one of his outstanding clients who has been through the program now three times.

“She’s a machine,” is how he described her. “You name it and she can do it.”

This machine is a lady who came to him with an eating disorder and, by getting fitter and stronger, has moved to a healthier place.

Stephen Kiely, who runs Be Strong Training in Penrith, just outside of Sydney, Australia, points out how he’s had two of his A12 female graduates go on and compete in powerlifting and one man enter into strongman competition. Another of his graduates went on to be victorious in an international Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament.

“Whatever you want to happen after the A12 can happen,” he said. “You have set yourself a great baseline in strength and conditioning to prepare you for almost any endeavour.”

Shanna Jo Martinez, based out of Ramona, California with an extensive training background in kettlebells, strength training, nutrition and sports medicine, offered her perspective.

“I have a client named Gary. He is 62 and feels like he’s had a completely new lease of life. He’s not unfamiliar with training, but prior to the A12 had only met with his trainer once per week.

“On the A12 he gained so much strength and is now in his second round. He understands that training for life is key and that a body in motion will stay in motion. He is believing it because he is living it. He golfs better, sleeps better and feels better overall. His confidence and ability to stay on track with nutrition, which was a huge stumbling block for him in the past, is very high. He feels like he can continue to do this for a lifetime whether he is in a coaching program or not.”

Michal Radar Vratny became an Amazing 12 coach the same time as I did. He runs several successful gyms in the Czech Republic.

He told me in particular about one student he had, named Lucie. “Before the A12 she was interested only in wine, food, parties and books,” said Michal. “She did scam diets when she felt she got too fat, lost a lot of kilos, but also a lot of hair and muscle [she ate approximately 750kcal a day]. She thought she should do Jillian Michaels and eat low fat food.

“Prior to A12 she never did ANY sports and thought weights were for idiots. She could not hold herself on the pull-up bar. She was one of the weakest people I ever met.”

But then the transformation happened and you should see her now.

“After the first round of the A12 she managed 3 pull-ups, deadlifted 100kg at 60kg bodyweight, benched 65kg and was in great shape,” said Michal. “She told me she ate the highest amount of food ever and still lost fat!

“Fast forward one year – she can do pull-ups for sets and reps, trains handstands and on gymnastics rings. She knows very well what to eat and when and even writes a blog about training. She drinks only on very rare occasions, is in the best shape ever and enjoys eating [before, she would feel guilty anytime she ate something]. She created a habit and stuck with it.”

More recently there was Kristin (above), a mother of four on her second round of the Amazing 12. She trained with Gan Power, who has been prolific in delivering superb transformations at his gym in Waterford, Ireland.

Why did Kristin do it again? In her words: “Having done the Amazing 12 last year I knew exactly the results this program gets, so the decision to do it again was an easy one.”

A second round isn’t going to be everybody’s option or choice. But at the end of the Amazing 12 you should be not only be more confident in your ability to train, but also significantly more physically capable and that opens the door to so many possibilities.

Set yourself a challenge and, with your new body, go for it.

*Want to be a part of the next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester beginning September 5? A few places are remaining for someone who is driven, wants results, has a positive mindset and an open mind. Message me if you would like to be considered.

Week 12: It’s not the gold medal that matters most

AND so it ends. Sue (above) and Kari have crossed the finish line. Photo shoot done. My work is done (for now). What an experience. I am delighted with their results. They both looked amazing. They achieved their goals. I’m very proud of their efforts.

The photos are souvenirs, mementos of the journey, the hard work, focus and accomplishment. It’s like a gold medal, a reminder of what you achieved.

Athletes and sportsmen compete for medals, but a medal isn’t won in one race or contest. It’s won each day over months and years by training smartly, often hard, eating the right foods, getting the right amount of recovery, taking care of your body, overcoming obstacles, picking yourself up when you fall and cultivating a successful mindset and making sacrifices.

Training is a process by which the intention is to make progress towards a given objective. In the Amazing 12 I have ONLY 12 weeks to get the best out of those I coach.

Like Sue said a few times this week and before the final few days of the peaking stage, “this [pointing to herself and her body] is what we worked hard for [not the photos].”

It’s true. You can’t remain at your peak. It’s physically impossible. That’s why it is called a peak. But you can, by continuing to train and eating sensibly, maintain a physique and fitness and strength levels within touching distance of optimum. It’s a balancing act. We have other things in life. But I hope I have helped Sue and Kari to realise a few things: the value of health and a strong body; how food affects our systems; how much our thoughts determine our outcomes; that to make advancements doesn’t mean we have to repeatedly hammer ourselves close to the point of no return; that intelligent training needs to be progressive and structured and success comes through discipline, commitment, patience and not giving up.

I know these impressive ladies have been through a lot these past three months – which have passed so quickly – and I hope to share with you what they have learned and experienced. I will post their pictures and full stories in due course.

They are thinking of what comes next. They have the gold medal and gold medals create opportunity. What will they decide to do with it?

Thanks for following their adventure. The next group will commence at Core Results on September 5. Would you like to be a part of that? Would you like to see how far this program can take you in three months? I’m taking applications for the next wave.

Drop me a line at Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk for more details. I’m happy to answer any questions.

Week 10: And then there were two…

TWO weeks and only two students of the Amazing 12 Chichester now remain.

Ross chose to drop out (for personal reasons) at the beginning of the week. Sue and Kari have soldiered on.

We had some hot evenings and gritty challenges this week. But the ladies did incredibly well. Sue’s deadlift has reached 90kg for repetitions. She even sneaks in the occasional pull-up when I’m not looking and then grins at me mischievously because they now feel so easy to her. Kari, too, is deadlifting beyond what she has ever achieved previously and her strength increased in all the other movements.

I’m turning the screw a little more, not because it’s necessary, but more because they are now ready.

These final two weeks will, much like week 10, skip by quickly. From my experience, this stage is what brings about the most significant results.

With the end in sight, thoughts inevitably turn to ‘what’s next?’ In reality, it’s a question that should have been asked (and answered) long ago.

If you run a business, you’d want it to grow. You would need to know your projections for years to come. Try to view your body in the same way. How do you want it to perform and look one, three, five and 10 years or more from today?

As with any business, neglect your body, too, and it will crumble. Feed it, invest in it and strategically create ways to nurture and challenge it and it will grow and provide healthy returns.

So for Sue and Kari this is really just the beginning and not the end.

“I have loved and am loving every second,” said Kari. “I will say this again and again…I don’t want this to end.”

It’s been a rewarding process for me to see these two ladies genuinely thrive.

“The Amazing 12 is getting tough now,” admitted Kari. “But I’m still loving it and amazed by how far I can push my body. Lifting could potentially become my drug, thanks to you.”

But I asked them both to think ahead to what could become their next challenge or to what they’d like to achieve down the road.

“If money and time were no object, I would love to do another Amazing 12,” said Sue.

“It wouldn’t be for a while, but certainly soon enough to capitalise on the progress I have already made. I’d also love to learn to box. I have always fancied that.

“I’d like to train for and get a kettlebell certification and take up yoga or pilates to sort out my mobility issues.

“And then, when I’ve done all that, I’ll enter Ninja Warriors UK!”

Kari, who’s always been more of an endurance-based athlete, said she’d like to get to Base Camp Everest, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, complete the Marathon des Sables, do the Big 5 Marathon in South Africa.

“I’d also like to spend a month in Kenya with a Kenyan athlete and learn how to run properly,” she said.

“And now, having nearly completed the Amazing 12, I’d like to compete in a Body Fitness competition (in my wildest dreams still).”

In the week that Muhammad Ali, one of my heroes, died and was buried, I think it’s only fitting to think big, as Ali would have done, and to be fearless in your approach, as he always was. For if a young, skinny black kid from Kentucky could grow up in racially oppressive times to become the most famous sports figure in history, doesn’t it make all our dreams seem more achievable?

My parting note for the week comes not from Ali, but John Maxwell, a leadership guru, who said: “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

Sounds almost exactly what the Amazing 12 is all about. But it can be applied to practically everything. The underlying message is that to make a difference you first need to get started, don’t give up and realise something is better than nothing.

*The Amazing 12 Chichester wave starts next on September 5 at Core Results Gym. Send an email to Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk for more details or to arrange a free assessment. Spaces are limited, so make contact early to avoid disappointment.

The Amazing 12 – why anyone can do it (Part 2, the girls)

COLLETTE, a 36-year-old from a little coastal village called Amble in the north-east of England, commuted over 60 miles daily to train with Phil Earley at ITS Fitness in Newcastle five days per week.

Not only is the distance demanding enough, the route was awful and Phil says she spent probably more time in her car than the gym being put through her paces on the Amazing 12. And on top of that, Collette runs her own beauty business and works long hours!

Collette did it with a long-term (10 years) back problem that prevented her from performing any kind of hinge pattern (deadlifting, for instance, wasn’t possible) and hadn’t trained in five years going into the Amazing 12! That makes her results hugely impressive.

There’s more to her story that I can’t even divulge that would add to the enormity of her effort and drive to transform herself. She also got her results in eight weeks rather than the usual 12.

HOW about Lauren, only 4ft 11in, stubborn about her diet, inconsistent in her training and disappointed in her results and strength from previous training regimens? She’d had digestive issues, but didn’t want to make the necessary changes…until she did the Amazing 12 with Alydia Rose Bryant at Torque Strong in the US.

Lauren got leaner and stronger. Her digestive issues disappeared, her sleep became more normal, energy increased and her reliance on caffeine reduced.

“Seriously, ask anyone, I want the world to feel as great as I do,” she said at the end. “I exceeded my expectations and my mind and body are singing.”

Lauren lost 16lbs in bodyweight and 13.5in overall.

KRISTIN is a mother of four with a full-time job. She has now done the Amazing 12 twice with Gan Power in Ireland. Why twice? She enjoyed it so much that she came back for more. As you can see, Kristin achieved incredible physical results. Her strength more than matched her physique.

At the beginning, she was strong enough to do five chin-ups. By the finish she could do 11 strictly. Her strength in other lifts, like the back squat, deadlift, bench press and military press, all went up, too.

As Gan says, “She built a physique that would probably place her on the podium of a ladies physique content. Her hard work and dedication is reflected in her photos.”

Kristin said, “Having done the Amazing 12 last year, I knew exactly the results this program gets, so the decision to do it again was an easy one. While I never stopped going to the gym, I found myself going through the motions. Getting involved in the Amazing 12 group again brought back the fun, motivation and incentive I needed to work as hard as I could. I defy anyone to find another gym where you can reap so many rewards.”

CLAIRE is another of Gan Power’s female graduates. She admitted that the first time she turned up at the gym she was intimidated before she stepped in.

“I could see the hooks from the ceiling, music thumping and people focused, in the zone and everyone lifting weights,” she recalled.

Claire, a keen walker, runner and member of what we’d called a standard gym with treadmills and rowers, was out that night to enquire about the Amazing 12. She’d never lifted weights before – a complete novice, therefore.

“To say I was intimidated and petrified is an understatement,” she said.

Gan put her at ease and explained to her what was required on the Amazing 12. “I knew this was going to be serious,” she said. “I wanted results. I’d had enough of being the shape I was, not fitting into clothes or being able to buy particular styles because it didn’t suit me. I’d also been suffering with sciatica due to a slipped disc. I wanted to strengthen my core.

“I felt the A12 was the way to do it. It was time for change and once I had made that decision I knew my stubbornness would win out.”

Claire admitted she was a hopeless vegetable eater, so knew the diet would be a struggle. “I made every effort, though. The program was easy to get used to. Gan was picky about technique [as all A12 coaches should be]. Gan selected the weights and all I had to do was lift.”

Soon enough Claire started to enjoy it. By the halfway stage she had shifted a stone and felt as if she was gaining muscle.

Then Claire injured herself and got pains in her back. To cut a long story short, she was referred for surgery because her troublesome disc was sitting on a nerve. She felt devastated.

“I’m not a quitter,” she said. “Gan was so understanding and kept reassuring me I could finish the program another time.”

Determined not to put weight back on, Claire joined Slimming World while she couldn’t train. Gan stayed in contact with her. Eventually, Claire was given the green light to begin any training program she was doing prior to the injury.

So four months after surgery, Claire was back in the gym. Gan tinkered with the program to allow for her back injury. Claire was more focused than ever. She knew what she was up against. As food was her greatest worry, she got herself organised and batch-cooked everything she needed ahead of time. “This made life so much easier,” she said.

From start to finish (including the break due to surgery and recovery), Claire shed more than 3st (42lbs). “My body shape has changed. I eat some vegetables. I am way more conscious now of the food I consume. I am leaner, stronger and can even do a chin-up!”

Training on the A12 and at GP Fitness was as much a psychological as physical experience. “I had so many doubts, fears and much trepidation,” she admitted. “It was a long and winding road, but one that made me undoubtedly a stronger person both mentally and physically.”

Claire admits her back still gives her the odd twinge, but that her physio told her recently her back is in the best condition he had seen it in the two-and-a-half years he had known her. “That, in itself, made the journey worthwhile,” she said. “I can’t believe how far I have come. Now I feel amazing.”

ANN decided to take the Amazing 12 journey after winning a battle with cancer. At 57, she admitted, “I needed to get in shape and become strong and healthy.”

Having worked with Amazing 12 coach Amanda Hudson previously at the Pure Strength Studio in Mississippi, USA, Ann knew she was in good hands. “Ann was always dedicated,” said Amanda. “I knew what she was capable of.”

Over the three months of training, Ann dropped 20lbs in weight and two sizes around the waist (18in overall). Although her strength had been compromised from her cancer treatment, Ann soon overcame that. She more than doubled the weights she could lift in the bench press and shoulder press. She made big leaps in her back squat and deadlift also.

“The Amazing 12 was all about me,” she said. “It offered me all the things I needed to accomplish my goals [strength, health and shape]. I dedicated myself and received great rewards. It’s a way of life now. I achieved my goals without ever starving myself and one day each week I could eat whatever I wanted.

“Amanda has given me the improvements to my self-confidence and self-esteem to keep charging on and facing the challenges of life.”

Next step for Ann is another six weeks on the program. “It’s become a way of life now. I will do the six-week program and become more grounded in what I have learned.”

THE next round of the Amazing 12 Chichester begins at Core Results Gym on January 9, 2017. Do you have what it takes? Want to find out more details? Want to book your place? Send me a message at Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

The Amazing 12 – you THINK it’s beyond you? Think again (Part 1, the boys)

SO you think the Amazing 12 is beyond you? You don’t have the time or lack the discipline or willpower or you live too far away from the nearest coach or you believe with a family it’s just not possible or you’re just intimidated by going into gyms or you have a history of starting but not finishing things and it’s not worth beginning?

You’d be surprised. And while the above are all legitimate reasons why participating in and completing the Amazing 12 could be made more challenging, it doesn’t mean it cannot be done.

Firstly, you have to want it and be prepared to do what it takes. Change doesn’t often come easily and why should it? And you certainly don’t want to reach the point where something goes dreadfully wrong with your body before deciding it’s time to take effective action for greater health and well-being.

There is something deeply satisfying to be had from digging deep, testing your metal and discovering your untapped potential. I don’t know about you, but often when I hear people recount events in their lives, they talk with the most pride about and best remember the moments that took them closest to the edge of their comfort zone and maybe even beyond it or where they were challenged.

There is more satisfaction to be had from overcoming something that seems impossible or difficult than completing a task that is easy or you know you are capable of.

Still not convinced you have it in you?

Here are just two men who have, by sheer desire for change, overcome obstacles or limitations that would have deterred most people. It’s often the determined, driven and motivated who are most likely to create changes and then stick with or build upon them. Before you say ‘that’s not me’, understand we ALL have the capability for that mindset.

It just means you need to find a legitimate reason to take action – a driving force inside you – and keep that in mind during those times when things get testing, when you may find yourself questioning what you are made of.

Remember giving up never gets results or creates lasting change. It’s the starting, being brave, believing and persevering that does.

MOTIVATIONAL stories don’t get more powerful than Keith’s. Only days before deciding to do the Amazing 12, Keith was feeling as if he couldn’t go on with life. He was at rock bottom. His wife of 17 years, five months pregnant with their daughter, had passed away suddenly, without warning, from a brain haemorrhage.

In his own words, Keith said, “I was a totally broken man.”

With two daughters to raise, he could see no light at the end of the tunnel.

He recalled one particular visit to his wife’s grave. “I said to Lorraine, ‘wherever you are, I need help. Work your magic’.”

Keith realised he had two choices: to waste away or pull himself together. He remembered how at the entrance to the graveyard where his wife was buried he could see a gym. It was a gym (GP Fitness) belonging to Gan Power, who runs the Amazing 12 program in Waterford, Ireland.

“I walked in, chatted to Gan and he signed me up,” remembers Keith, who had never done any weight-training previously.

Keith’s lifestyle was poor: drinking; smoking; on prescription medicine; strength levels low.

“What happened to Keith was a nightmare,” said Gan. “I can’t comprehend something like that happening. Keith just went through the motions the first few sessions he came in here. But as the weeks went by I could see his personality and focus change. His life became structured. It gave him routine.”

“I was coming to the gym with the weight of the world on my shoulders and dumping it on the floor through exercise,” recalls Keith of his A12 experience. Soon enough changes began happening, not just physically.

“I could walk out of the gym and juggle the world a lot better,” he said.

When he started the program, Keith recalls how he couldn’t do a single chin-up. By the end he was doing multiple chin-ups with 20k attached to his body.

“I became a different man, physically and mentally. This program gave me the foundations to move on in life. My physical appearance, confidence and self-esteem shot up. My thinking became positive.”

There’s a great follow-on to Keith’s story. He decided to go back to college and study sports psychology (a four-year course). “I want to make something of my life and, at the same time, help others.

“I look at what I achieved in 12 weeks on the Amazing 12 and think what I can do in four years. I’m doing it for myself and the kids.”

GARY was told by doctors at the age of 22 that his injured back was never going to get better – that he’d have to learn to live with the pain and pain-relief. Consequently, he was forced to retire from his sports, hurling and football.

Surgery was an option, but he was warned against it. Too risky, the doctors advised. And they couldn’t guarantee it would help.

Gary’s pain was constant. He had gone from winning an under-21 championship with his club and having social connections through sport to nothing. With it went his motivation, fitness and network of friends.

This went on for five years. Gary tried everything, but to no avail. He felt as if he had aged 10 years in the process. Then he decided, almost as a last resort, to try surgery. “I always believed this would solve my problem,” he said.

In March 2014 he had the first of two procedures in Dublin that left him with two metal rods the length of his spine that would remain there permanently. He was told to allow for a year before returning to any kind of gym activity or sport.

Then Gary, with little muscle on his frame, limited flexibility and anxiety about how he looked and felt, approached Colm Callanan in Galway, Ireland. Gary was coming off two operations, four weeks in hospital, four months out of work and 18 months of recovery.

“I was in a rut and had no idea where I was going with regards to my fitness and nutrition,” he said. “Colm asked if I’d have a go at the Amazing 12.”

Gary’s first reaction was: “Absolutely not. I’m nowhere near that level.” But after talking to Colm, he decided to give it a go.

“Never in a million years did I think I would be in the gym at 6.30am five days a week and enjoying every minute of it,” he said. “After two weeks I had slipped into the routine of it and flying through it.”

Gary made it work. “It’s like a collection of positive steps,” he said. “You get a discipline you don’t have to force. You have a personal trainer watching and helping you progress. It wasn’t tough considering what I got out of it.

“I’m now looking at the prospect of playing sport again, seven years after being told I would never be able to. I have always been a positive person, but I’ve become even happier, more proactive and motivated since doing the Amazing 12.”

*The next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester starts on January 9, 2017 at Core Results. Book in for a free consultation to find out more. Contact: Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 7: Breaking barriers…with ease

IN her CrossFit days, when Sue completed her heaviest deadlift, she remembers it being a struggle – the type of lift where you are dragging the bar slowly up your leg, shaking and grimacing and groaning at the same time. It wasn’t pretty.

Fast-forward roughly a year and to this week, just beyond the halfway point of the Amazing 12, and Sue managed multiple deadlifts with a weight that was fractionally less than the 1-rep max she achieved 12 months ago. She did a victory dance, of course, to celebrate.

These were not ordinary multiple lifts either. Sue did them all pretty easily, which confirmed to me there is plenty more in the tank. And she executed the lifts with good form.

Later that same day, Kari had a similar experience with the deadlift. And she, too, took the bar to standing multiple times, using sound technique (although there’s a few things I want to still work on with her) and a weight that was only marginally less than the best she had ever lifted. Kari, being tall and lean, isn’t built for the deadlift, which made it even more impressive.

So the progress – measurable and visual – is all becoming evident and being achieved without going close to excessively overloading the body.

That’s not to say the Amazing 12 is easy. Far from it. Ross said this week, “I can feel it’s getting tough now. I feel like this is when the [real] hard work is going to start.”

The more I coach this program, the more I appreciate the beauty of the process. If I had asked Sue and Kari in week 1 to do those deadlifts, the chances are they would have either failed or hurt themselves or struggled or looked at me nervously.

Success with lifting is as much about confidence as it is strength. We all possess the strength, but it’s difficult to manifest it when our heads are filled with doubt or fear and our bodies under-prepared. So to see Sue and Kari lift so effortlessly was satisfying to see. It tells me how much they are beginning to believe in themselves and how far they have come.

“I have learned over the past seven weeks I have more gritty determination and willpower than I thought,” said Kari.

“My engine is stronger than I ever gave it credit for. I am learning to fuel my body with the right foods and regular meals. Food no longer scares me.

“And it’s not only okay for a woman to lift. I think women SHOULD lift. It’s a fantastic sensation and creates fab, toned muscles.”

Ross, whose arms and shoulders are becoming like sandbags, still has plenty in reserve. He really struggled in week 1, but his strength has returned at an astonishing rate and the best part is that his technique gets better the greater the challenges I throw at him.

He joked “I never doubted you for a minute, you know, Claude. I totally believed you from the start.”

Of course, here’s a man who only a few weeks ago was teetering on the edge because things weren’t shifting fast enough for him. He was struggling with aspects of the diet. Everything got on top of him. But you wouldn’t recognise him now.

“I have really learned how to listen to my body,” Ross told me. “I rest when I am tired, drink plenty, eat the right foods and stop training when in pain.

“I’ve always had a die-hard attitude to life and this was evident in my CrossFit days. But now I value my body and, at nearly 47, I take greater care of it.

“Much like the care I give others [as a paramedic], I now give to myself. If I need a snooze, I no longer feel guilty, but look at it as my body saying it needs a break.

“So I’ve had a change in mindset which I feel will be better for my long-term health.”

Ross’ outlook becomes more positive with each week. He keeps us all amused with his jovial humour and knowledge of trivia. He’s now exploring what his next challenge will be after the Amazing 12 and talking about doing it again next year.

Sue’s also been assessing how she wants to move forwards – training and living.

“I have learned from doing the A12 I can adapt. Not easily [as I don’t like change], but I can do it if I need to – like drink my coffee black and eat tuna for breakfast. I may not like it, but it can be done.

“Things you thought are never going to change, can change. This makes me feel stronger more than the fact I smashed my PB this week. Now I know I can adapt.”

The A12 has also reinforced what she knew about herself – “for example, how once I focus I’m like a laser beam. I still surprise myself at how dedicated and focused I can be.”

All in all, aside from Sue pulling a muscle in her shoulder, it was a demanding but smooth week. Having injured herself badly previously, Sue obviously feared the worse.

But she was back in training the next day none the worse for wear and declaring with passion, “I’m not missing a session!”

*DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMAZING 12 CHICHESTER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE NEXT WAVE, STARTING SEPTEMBER 5? CONTACT ME AT Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 6: The ‘Everest’ connection

IF climbing Everest were easy, what would be the value in doing it?

Very little beyond admiring the view or using it as a stepping stone to something more demanding, I suspect. When we really challenge ourselves is when we grow or discover sides to ourselves we never knew existed.

Sue said before she started the Amazing 12 that this program was her ‘Everest’. Her late and dear father could relate much more to climbing than he could training in a gym. And when times have been tough on this program, Sue has switched her attention to her father, as though she were calling on superpowers.

Going up Everest is never going to be smooth sailing even for the most esteemed climber. But there is still a tremendous amount to be gained from scaling such a peak, just as there is in completing the Amazing 12.

I am using this analogy in relative terms, of course.

Sticking with the analogy, I am effectively the guide leading my group – Sue, Kari and Ross – up the mountain. Everyone is making great progress and on course as i put them through their paces at Core Results. There are no slackers. But along the way we’ve had questions asked and some difficult moments. All a part of the journey, I say. The goal is to reach the top and learn from overcoming the different obstacles faced along the way.

The hiccups thus far have been few, in fairness. Kari had to take a few days off in week 4 for work, Ross missed a few sessions in week 5 because of sickness and this week he tweaked his back while squatting, admitting he’d failed to check his breathing. These things happen. But it was a wake-up call for Ross.

“I realised what I did,” he said. “It could have been much worse. I’m actually grateful for it. It made me realise how important set-up is on these lifts and just the slightest loss of concentration can result in injury.”

So here we are, at the end of week six. Last week it was Ross who was in the tunnel of doubt, but he has now seen some light and is in a much better place. In fact, he was looking like a powerhouse at the end.

“This week’s been a real turning point for me,” he said. “I’m beginning to believe. I can see things happening. I feel really elitist to be doing this – not in a I’m-better-than-everyone-else sort of way, but more like this is a really special thing to do.”

It was the turn of Sue this week to lose the faith, if only very briefly. Again, metaphorically-speaking, she has had to battle with her thoughts and uncertainty, though never to the point of not continuing. Sue hasn’t missed a day. It was more like she was asking the guide – again and again – are you sure we are heading the right way?

For the guide (me), the answer is always an obvious ‘yes’. But a dark cloud can mean something different to a guide than it does to the inexperienced climber. To the climber, there for the first time and unsure of the terrain and conditions, it’s dicey territory, especially if you don’t relinquish control. It’s that trust thing all over again.

As the guide, I have the knowledge of how to get to the top and in the best and safest way. That’s my job. That’s my objective. I know the pitfalls and I have a method for dealing with them. But to travel with me, you need to have faith in me.

This week we had a small pep talk about mindset because I really believe – and I see it week in, week out – that limits are imposed by the mind rather than the body.

I don’t train to discover a limit, because where do you go when the limit is established? Instead, I don’t seek limits and seldom venture close to them. The aim is to continue progressing, because it’s about convincing the mind what is possible.

This week Sue overcame a few challenges, one of which had stumped her last week – and she did it without much difficulty. What Ross can do now compared to the first week, when he struggled, is ridiculous. And Kari, a very steady operator, improves with almost every session though even she had a little roadblock this week.

When this journey is over, however, I’m confident they will feel like they have never felt before. They’ll look back on this experience and to the uneasy and questionable moments and wonder why they ever doubted themselves or me.

It’s normal. How many people who have confronted their ‘Everest’ haven’t faced periods and moments of uncertainty or anxiety? You just need to keep moving towards your goal. Focus on how far you have come, what you have accomplished, what are your strengths, what you CAN do…

No wonder they say your mind fails before your body. The mind gives the orders. Tame the mind. Feed it with information that strengthens and not weakens it. There are many lessons to be learned on this path.

It takes 12 weeks to scale the Amazing 12. You need to be equipped: eat the right foods; bring the right attitude; stick to the plan; stay focused; keep showing up.

I’m not at all worried. Sue, Kari and Ross are all precisely where I want them. Like I said, I know the way ahead. I know they can all make it. I know they can all achieve fantastic results. They now have to trust themselves as we move ever closer to the peak.

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination and belief.”

The last session of the week was another strong one. Ross, with a smile back on his face, turned to me and said, “I feel on top of the world right now.”

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BOOK YOUR PLACE ON THE NEXT WAVE OF THE AMAZING 12 CHICHESTER, STARTING SEPTEMBER 5 AT CORE RESULTS, QUARRY LANE. EMAIL Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

Week 4: The Leap of Faith

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.

Jon (April 2016)

I HAD to debate whether to even include Jon Waites’ second round of the Amazing 12. It’s not because of the results (you can be the judge of that). It’s because he effectively only completed nine weeks. So, if I am honest, it was more like the Amazing 9 than the Amazing 12.

Jon’s a busy man. A father of two who runs his own business, Jon quite often at short notice had to shoot off to London from West Sussex, meaning he skipped quite a few sessions – 14 to be precise! Ouch!

That’s all a bit frustrating. My intention is always to get the best results possible. Luckily for me, Jon always responds well to the program (well, who doesn’t?) He trains hard, too – within the parameters of my instructions.

This second Amazing 12 transformation was definitely different to and more challenging than the first. Jon was training with his girlfriend, Jo (below), rather than by himself and out of his garage as opposed to a gym. We made it work. I brought over dumbbells and kettlebells. Jon had some of his own equipment. It was dusty. Often it was cold, especially at the start of the year and when we rearranged our training sessions for 6am! But you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

So you should look at his photos through the lens that says with three weeks extra training his results would have been more spectacular. Continuity in this program is so important. You miss sessions and you lose momentum and the opportunity to maximise the effects of the training. Jon also skipped quite a few days at a crucial time – week 11 – and I wasn’t sure he was even going to finish because he had so much going on away from the gym.

But he had come so far it would have been deeply disappointing had he not made it across the finish line.

Thankfully, he did.

As you can see, Jon was in fairly good shape to begin with. It shows that this program works on the experienced as well as complete beginners (check out Jo Smith’s transformation for evidence of that). Jon got strong. He was banging out reps on the incline bench with 37kgs dumbbells in each hand and made gains in other areas. But, for obvious reasons, I wouldn’t say I got him as strong as when we first trained. Had we not missed so many days it would have been another story. But he was still strong enough, for example, to hammer out around 50 chin-ups in short time with 7kgs strapped to his waist.

Jon’s Amazing 12 transformations were almost exactly a year apart. He is already hinting at doing a third. Some people can’t get enough of it. And there’s a reason for that. It works: it gets you strong; it gets you fit; it gets you in shape.

Thanks, as ever, to my trusty photographer, Sue Saunders, who is currently going through the program herself.

I should make a point here of mentioning the photos and that we had to use a black backdrop for the finishing pictures as we switched venues. Sue and I work hard to ensure the comparable images are as authentic as possible.

I got a text from Jon the next day expressing his thanks and saying he was very pleased with the results. If my customers are happy then I am happy.

Week 3: Princes, Slugs & Prowlers

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.