Mindset Archives - Page 4 of 7 -

Week 9: Adversity is our teacher

Sometimes – but not always – an all-out effort is required

HOW many times have you wanted to try something but decided not to because you are afraid to fail?

The nine-week mark of the Amazing 12 Chichester is the point at which I notice most drop-outs on this transformation program occur (although it is a very small percentage). I can’t really imagine why you’d go this far and not finish, but one reason is the fear of failing.

Sometimes that fear of failure can be a tremendous motivator, but often it can also provide crippling pressure.

But let me say this – failure is a state of mind. And in the right state of mind, failure does not exist.

That my group of four training at the Core Results Gym have advanced to the three-quarter mark in tact speaks volumes for their sticking power and physical resilience.

I must admit one or two have wavered at various times. The Amazing 12 asks searching questions. But they can all be proud for getting this far. They should recognise in themselves the fortitude that’s required to be this dedicated.

Untapped potential, Ben just needs to sort out his diet

Ben has had a few shaky days and Jo’s faced her demons. But they have come through the other side. They are still in contention. They are still working hard and giving everything I ask of them when in the gym.

This week was a tough one and has left them all flat out a few times. But, from my experience, these are the weeks when the greatest changes happen.

Ben showing his hand speed on the battle ropes

Now, with only three weeks to go, it’s about buckling down and maximising what can be achieved. Tunnel vision is needed.

It’s much easier to hold that focus for three weeks instead of 12. But those who are able to stay organised, disciplined and mentally strong for the full three months get the best results. It’s a simple fact.

As I’ve said before, you get from the Amazing 12 what you put in. The magic is in the detail. Progress, like change, is so incremental the participant sometimes doesn’t notice. Often they will say they don’t feel as if they have changed much, but when they get to the finish they are blown away by the results. It’s easy to forget how they were at the starting point.

Even if visually there isn’t much to shout about, I can assure them all that the gains in strength and physical performance are already quite staggering and that’s what is worth reflecting on.

Ben may be rueing the fact he’s not got his head around the diet and Jo’s been brilliant when she’s been consistent, but overall has missed a lot of sessions.

Jo’s a good lifter who just needs to be consistent

Then, just when she was on a roll this week, Jo dropped her purse getting out of her car and pulled a muscle in her back, causing her to miss one session and move a little uneasily in the others. The positive outcome is that Jo didn’t allow it to set her back. Similarly, Ben, after his chest injury, appears to be where he was before he suffered the freak damage a few weeks ago.

I’ve written out a diet plan for Ben for the final three weeks which, if he follows it to the letter, may help him shed some excess pounds that haven’t yet come off. There’s no question he’s become stronger and fitter and everyone has noticed. For someone who hasn’t ever been in a gym or taken much care of himself, Ben’s displayed impressive potential.

“I’m quite shocked, really, at what I’ve been able to do,” he said on reflection.

The Amazing 12 experience has shown him that when it comes to getting into shape, the diet has to be addressed first and foremost. That’s his weakest link.

Highlighting areas that need attention the most is also what the Amazing 12 is about. It’s easy for us to stick to what we are good at, because it makes us feel good and we’re not intimidated by it. But to neglect what we don’t find so easy not only can cause physical imbalances, but also be the result of us being fearful of not looking or being good at something.

If Ben – or any of the others – gets to the end of 12 weeks and isn’t in great shape it doesn’t mean he has failed, however.

As martial arts supremo Bruce Lee used to say, “Defeat [or failure] is an education”.

Pushing hard, Stacey can still smile her way through it

When we falter or fall or fail or struggle, we have a choice – to be upset and resigned OR take from it important information to enable us to become stronger, wiser and better. It’s YOUR decision. You have to listen to the experience and by that I mean open your mind to what you have learned about yourself. The information is valuable only if we use it and are completely honest with ourselves.

That’s why the ‘don’t be afraid to fail’ mantra is so important. We need to progress without an ego. Fear keeps us from moving forwards, from doing, from challenging ourselves.

It’s in the adversity that we make the most progress. It’s in the process of practicing over and over with sufficient resistance and without harsh judgement that the body adapts and develops and becomes resilient and refined.

That’s not to say I push my group to their limitations. The idea is to challenge them in a safe way – to lift their confidence and to empower them, physically and mentally, to see what they are capable of.

I can’t recall precisely the number of times Stacey has said to me “I don’t feel very strong today” and then had an outstanding session. She did it to me again at the start of this week when she turned up with a stuffy nose and having had little sleep after her son kept her awake all night and I then revealed to her after she had finished that she was lifting comfortably a weight she had struggled with on the previous session.

Adriano, her husband, has been consistent also. The experience of having done it before (2015) has held him in good stead. He’s much more in command of the diet and understands the process of the training. All being well, I’m hoping to take him further than he was able to go two years ago.

Working on his form, Adriano has had a shift in focus

What’s particularly satisfying about Adriano is how he has shifted his attention to why training needs to be a continual process and quality of movement trumps work capacity.

Ben’s much newer to the business of training and was a little gung-ho in the beginning, eager to see what he could do, but has learned this lesson through the injury he sustained.

So the message from this week is to soldier on and understand, as the saying goes, “we either win or we learn”. The only way to lose, I suppose, is to fail to learn anything.

The process of strength and fitness training, done correctly and with the right mindset, should promote health, confidence and physical ability. That’s why I’m passionate about what I do. If you want to experience the Amazing 12, but in a shorter version – over eight weeks – send me a message. I am taking applications for a two-month journey beginning in May. Contact me at Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 8: What’s your driving force?

Goggins running through Death Valley to cover 135 miles. Photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Brandon Rogers

MAYBE you have never heard of David Goggins, but he has an incredible story.

He may seem like a superhuman, because he’s the only man ever in United States armed service history to complete training for the Navy Seals, Army Ranger school and Air Force tactical air controller. If that were not enough, he set about taking on the challenge of completing the 10 toughest endurance events known to man, often placing highly. And if that’s not impressive enough, he set a world record in 2013 for the most pull-ups (4,030) in 24 hours.

Doesn’t sound like an ordinary man, does he?

But he built himself up from practically nothing. Consider this. Goggins was abused as a child, obese, a self-confessed coward with no self-esteem, subjected to racism, full of insecurity, has a hole in his heart, suffers from sickle-cell anemia, is scared of heights and deep water and hates running!

So how on earth did he do it?

His answer is plain and simple: he wanted it badly enough.

Usually, when I have people sign up for the Amazing 12 Chichester, it’s because they want change or to discover how far they can go. They are like Goggins. The desire is strong. There’s a driving force.

But can they – Jo, Stacey, Adriano and Ben – stay the course? Can they keep the driving force alive with only four weeks to go? The Amazing 12 will challenge them. It’s not just the training, but also the discipline, commitment and change to their normal routines.

Some of my current group have had to answer and deal with searching questions. This week in particular was tough for Ben and Jo.

Ben is all smiles here, but it’s been a frustrating week

Jo missed most of the week and Ben has been nursing an injury that has left him feeling frustrated. But he admits, “it was a wake-up call.” He understands better now the need for good technique and breathing.

It is all a part of the journey as far as I am concerned. The value of any experience is what you want to take from it.

And if you adhere to Goggins’ philosophy, “failure is information on how to succeed”. There is no downside – as long as you keep going and learning.

What really separates Goggins from most others, though, is his mindset. While many of us don’t pay attention to how we think, Goggins has trained himself to think his way out of any sticky situation that comes his way. And anyone can do it.

Stacey staying strong during her back squat routine

Where many will say “I quit”, Goggins says “I’m not stopping”. Where some say “this hurts”, he says “it’s making me stronger”.

Goggins converted himself – over many years – from that shy, meek, overweight, frightened boy into a man of steel who now proclaims with confidence that there is nothing he cannot achieve.

I believe most of us would like a piece of that, but how many of us want it badly enough? And where Goggins says we need to focus our energy (and I’ve touched on this in previous blogs) is in our thinking.

“We change everything in our lives from our cars to our underwear to our shoes to what we decide to eat,” he says. “But the one thing many of us never change is our thinking.”

Therein lies the secret. Really, it’s no secret. It’s common sense. But it doesn’t happen by accident. It took Goggins years of failure and setbacks and trying and persevering. He is not afraid to fail and never gives up!

The more you focus, the more you benefit

When people think of training in the gym, though, they often think of just lifting weights and doing exercises. Some turn up and merely go through the motions, as though they just want to get it done and then move on with life.

They are not getting the full package. They don’t realise how training allows for so much more. We’re not just training movement patterns or developing strength or increasing mobility and stability or working our cardiovascular system. Every training session and challenging situation affords the opportunity to work on our thinking and breathing as well. You just need to think of it as practice.

Deadlift day is not just about picking up a weight, but also practicing the technique

You have probably heard the expression “practice makes perfect”, which is not really spot-on in my opinion, because if you practice something poorly, it is unlikely you will become perfect.

A better version is “perfect practice makes perfect”, which shifts the onus of practicing to doing it properly, mindfully and with patience instead of just doing it for the sake of it or with our focus elsewhere.

Perfection may not even be attainable in most circumstances, especially when it comes to movement and weight-lifting, because there’s always something that can be improved upon. This is what makes it challenging and enjoyable, yet also frustrating. Perfection is the distant – and perhaps impossible – goal that keeps us going.

But the only way to make progress is to put the time in. Show up (see week 3 blog). Make the effort. Keep going – no matter what.

Ben’s new to training, so was entitled to question one evening why the training was “repetitive”.

The answer is that good, purposeful and beneficial training is repetitive. It has to be. You don’t get good at something by doing it only once.

Adriano’s squat has improved in leaps and bounds from when he first did the Amazing 12

It’s all about the practice and I express this daily to my two young children – probably much to their dismay – in the hope they, too, get the message one day.

To create change, we have to do movements over and over to hardwire the patterns until it becomes easier and our bodies adapt faster and better. Initially, it may be difficult. But don’t give up.

When my children achieve something they had earlier said was impossible or too hard, I try to make them see how the magic of practice and perseverance made the difference.

They are growing in a world where everyone seems so impatient for results. Because of this, we struggle more with the art of practice.

So much is available to us at the click of a button and life is generally more comfortable that I suspect we’ve lost the ability to be ‘up’ for the fight when success doesn’t arrive easily.

One of my favourite boxers, former world middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, once famously said: “It’s hard to get up to run at 5am when you wear silk pyjamas.”

Quality of movement should always reign supreme

It was when I started to look at training more as practice than exercise or a workout (ie changed my thinking) that I saw changes, both physically and mentally. That’s when training stopped being about how gassed or fatigued I could get and shifted towards quality of movement.

When it comes to longevity, well-being, injury prevention and quality of life, how well I move wins every time.

I also stopped seeing training as a short-term fix and took a long-term and lifelong approach, because, as I’ve touched upon in previous weeks, the older we get the greater we need to consider how we move and live and what we eat in order to apply the brakes to the process of ageing and deterioration.

The Amazing 12 lasts only for three months, but I can only take my A12 Chichester group as far as they allow me to. I do my bit and turn up every day (unless, like next week, when I have to attend a funeral). But my students must still put in all the leg work. This is why I’ve never offered a guarantee on this program, even though I know it works.

I supervise and guide the training and manage the process of the Amazing 12. But I can’t know for certain if my candidates are doing EVERYTHING I ask them to do when not in the gym.

It again comes down to what Goggins says – wanting it badly enough. Develop a strong mindset. Surround yourself with positivity.

Focus on what motivates you, not what demotivates you.

Is it better to focus on how tough it is or what’s to be gained from completing the task?

Here’s a simple example of that: each week I put my group through a short but intense workout (they know what it is). Some dread it (demotivating), while others may instead choose to think of the benefits of doing it (motivating).

Master your thoughts and your world will change. Isn’t that worth working hard for? The Amazing 12 gives you an opportunity every day to practice it.

Think you have what it takes to complete the Amazing 12? Do you have that driving force to achieve your goals and transform yourself through intelligent training and eating? Contact me at Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 7: Hormones, fat loss and cholesterol

I’VE heard it said by women hundreds of times in relation to lifting weights that they don’t want to get “too bulky” or “develop big muscles”.

In my week 2 blog update I went into some detail about the importance – for women and men – of having muscles.

And when you consider that from the age of 30, when testosterone levels begin to drop, most of us will find it more difficult to retain muscle mass (on average we lose about 10% every 10 years as we age) and the importance of lifting weights as part of our lifestyle becomes even more critical.

The fact is – no matter what you’ve been led to believe – that for women to become “too bulky” or “develop big muscles” is incredibly difficult and, in many cases, impossible unless they take growth hormone or are genetically advantaged.

Resistance training, for men and women, is essential for healthy muscles and bones

Why that is so comes down to one hormone in particular, testosterone. This hormone not only determines, pre-birth, whether we are female or male (we all start out as females, hence the nipples), but it’s the hormone which boosts metabolism and keeps us leaner.

Adult males have about seven-eight times as much testosterone as adult females. It’s a steroid hormone that in men is naturally secreted from the testicles and in women the ovaries. A small quantity comes from the adrenal glands.

Ben, one of my crew on the Amazing 12 Chichester program out of Core Results Gym, asked me the other week what testosterone does and so I’ve put together a chart (above) highlighting its many functions.

I’ve also created a second diagram (below) which shows what can cause our testosterone levels to fall, what are the possible consequences of low testosterone and the many natural ways in which we can increase testosterone.

What causes low testosterone and ways to boost it

I wouldn’t recommend taking testosterone (steroid) supplements unless medically advised to do so. It can cause health complications and a list of side-effects. Testosterone is one of many hormones in our bodies and these hormones – estrogen, insulin, cortisol, leptin, testosterone, thyroid and growth hormone – all work together.

If one set of hormones is unbalanced it will affect all the others.

Take even more seriously that everything – from how we perform physically, our moods, our strength, our thinking, our health, our digestion – comes from optimal, balanced hormonal function.

So if you think hormones don’t matter, think again. They are in charge!

For those of us who overeat or have weight and excessive body fat issues, it is not because we can’t stop ourselves eating, but more a case of the hormones which regulate that decision-making being out of balance.

As doctor Mark Hyman says, “Our hormones have been hijacked by Big Food – the giant food corporations.”

Hormone expert Sara Gottfried, a doctor and author who overcame her own weight issues and is an expert on the subject, adds, “hormones dictate what your body does with food.”

So if you can’t get leaner or crave sugar or lack sleep or have fluctuating moods or often feel overwhelmed, the chances are that your hormones are out of whack.

Stacey has a sweet tooth and for years has struggled with sleep

Extra belly fat can be an indication that one or more of hormones is out of balance. These hormones regulate our metabolism. When the metabolism is broken, our bodies go into fat-storage mode as the food we eat is stored instead of used for energy.

Sleep plays an important role here, too, because when we sleep well it influences positively the hormones which control our appetites and increase metabolism. No hormone is more adversely affected by poor sleep than testosterone.

Another reason for lowered testosterone is the massive exposure in today’s world to estrogenic compounds. Many of these comes from plastics and pesticides and chemicals found in our food sources (particularly meat and non-fermented, genetically modified soya), the water we drink and pollution.

The trouble with meat that isn’t from grass-fed animals or animals consuming a natural diet is that the toxins in their diets enter ours. Our livers don’t know what to do with these toxins and put it aside as fat.

The more abdominal fat we have the faster we are likely to age and the greater we are at risk of heart disease and diabetes. Tummy fat can indicate that we have either high estrogen or low testosterone or low DHEA (adrenal gland hormone) or high insulin or high cortisol (the stress-induced hormone).

Estrogen dominance makes overweight women store more fat instead of burning it. It does this because our microbiome, the collective DNA of the microbes living in our gut, begins to extract energy for storage instead of fuel.

Also, the higher our insulin levels, the more fat we store and the more inflammation in our body.

Cooking and then consuming industrial seed oils, for example, is incredibly inflammatory. What this means in relation to testosterone is that we end up producing more of what are called aromatase enzymes that in men cause testosterone to be upgraded to estrogen and the opposite in women.

What’s also interesting is that testosterone is produced from cholesterol, which is manufactured naturally in the body but also derived from eating healthy fats (like coconut oil, avocados, unheated olive oil, ghee, nuts and seeds etc. As said already, avoid vegetable oils like soy, canola, safflower, cottonseed and corn).

The real enemy is inflammation although there is still mass contention in the science and nutrition world on the subject of what causes it.

Interesting story in this week’s edition

For example, the cover story on this week’s New Scientist magazine is all about cholesterol and whether the war on cholesterol has been in vain.

The article talks about how for “30 years, cholesterol-reducing statins have become some of the most widely prescribed drugs” after the connection between cholesterol and heart disease became widely accepted in 1984.

However, one independent Danish researcher claims, “the cholesterol campaign is the greatest medical scandal in modern time.”

What’s clear is IF cholesterol is associated with heart disease, it’s not the sole contributor. Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur amongst apparently healthy people with normal or low levels of ‘bad’ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.”

Studies have also shown that the side effects of taking statins have caused patients to become more sedentary and adopt less healthy diets, mainly because, thinking they are cured, they become complacent.

Complacency can, of course, affect us all. It’s the beginning of the slippery slope.

There is no way around it. Mistreat or neglect your body and, eventually, it will hit you back.

Practice makes perfect…Adriano is hyper-extending here, whereas Jo’s form is solid

Adriano is determined to not allow that to happen when he finishes the Amazing 12 this time (he did it first in 2015). He’s driven towards staying fit so he can keep up with his young son. So we’ve been devising a plan for a continued training and nutritional program after the A12 has finished.

Ben, too, is eager not to see his hard work go to waste. He has aspirations to take up boxing. But Ben’s biggest challenge is getting to grips with eating and diet. So far he’s struggled with the A12 guidelines and preparing food as it is not something he has ever had to do.

A lack of understanding of what foods do, where they come from and what to do with them is at the root of why we make poor food choices.

This week has been Ben’s toughest by far. He’s felt tired and that’s most likely down to (a) not eating enough and (b) not eating enough of the right foods. Ben also struggles with sleep.

Don’t try this at home…Ben showing his strength

Unquestionably, he’s getting stronger, but not eating according to the A12 guidelines will not only limit the effectiveness of the program and losing fat, but he’ll end up burning muscle, too, and his recovery between sessions will suffer.

“I’m just not feeling it,” he said earlier this week. “I feel weak.”

As off-colour as he felt, Ben still performed well. The reality is that the Amazing 12 program doesn’t get easier as it goes on, but you get stronger. That’s how most good training programs work.

To cap his week, Ben ended up pulling a muscle in his chest, which I am hoping is not serious. I prescribed rest until it was assessed. He missed his first session and was gutted.

Jo, too, had an up-and-down week. At the end of week six, however, she had lost 11lbs in weight, 4% body fat and told me she could fit into a pair of jeans she hadn’t been able to wear in ages.

Stacey had lost another 3lbs and was only 2lbs short of having lost a stone from the start of the program. “I’m one happy lady,” she told me.

To stay happy and healthy, we need to be like our hormones and work together on all fronts and not just those we prefer. It means, for starters, consuming the right foods and in the right proportions and quantities, moving our bodies often, doing some form of resistance training and drinking lots of clean water.

The Amazing 12 Chichester offers more than just a training program to enable you to uncover your true self and physical potential. It’s a journey of learning not only what you are made of, but also about the importance of progressive resistance training and a healthy lifestyle. The next Amazing 12 Chichester wave will be in April/May. Want to know more or book your place, contact me at Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 6: Get off your phones!

I HAVE conversations with my 10-year-old son about what life was like growing up without electronic devices and he looks at me in disbelief, like “how could you have existed like that?”

The phone-dependency in the gym is somewhat similar. Yes, believe it or not, there were days when people went to the gym without a phone and you never saw one for the duration of a class or training session and our accomplishments were not broadcast all over social media.

This week in my Amazing 12 Chichester class at Core Results gym, I had to impose a restriction on mobile phones.

In truth, I saw it coming a long time ago. I should have insisted on it from the beginning. For any other coaches out there reading this, I’d strongly suggest you do so.

Paying the price for breaking the phone restriction

Also, it’s mainly the men – Adriano and Ben – rather than the ladies, Stacey and Jo, who are the culprits.

When I saw the use of phones getting in the way of training and maximising performance, it was time to clamp down. I could see concentration slipping.

With six weeks gone and my group making progress, I don’t want anything to get in the way.

In the gym they are all doing very well. Outside of it there are tweaks here and there still needed – mainly with regards to following the food guidelines. But, slowly, we are getting there.

As of the end of week 5, Stacey had lost 9lbs (from the beginning) and is steadily dropping body fat. She was only 3lbs more than what she weighed pre-pregnancy – close to achieving one of her goals and we’re only halfway. Jo, too, has dropped body fat, is changing shape and was down 11lbs in weight from day 1.

Working hard, Ben digs deep towards the end of the week

Weight isn’t so much the issue, though – as I explained in my Week 4 blog. For the guys, most noticeable in Ben has been his strength gains and in Adriano improved fitness.

With that progress in mind, I didn’t want any curve balls. So it was time to tackle the most pressing problem this week – the use of phones.

Instead of talking to one another or focusing on recovery or assessing their form or mentally preparing themselves for the next set or grabbing some water or stretching or just hanging out by yourself to steady your heartrate or thinking, between sets the phones would come out…and then they would be lost in the world of either surfing the web or sending text messages. There’s no place for it in the Amazing 12 or any other program.

If someone comes to me for the best results – and is paying for it – then my job is to deliver. Phones in class get in the way. They hinder focus and, as a result, performance.

I’ve been guilty of it myself, so know exactly how it undermines the quality of training. Now, unless I need my phone for filming (for technique) or as a stopwatch or to monitor my heartrate, I put it away.

Imagine if, as the coach, I spent my time checking messages and texting and scrolling through pages when I should be observing, offering advice and making sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to? My clients would demand their money back.

The addictive nature of phones causes a dopamine (pleasure) rush that means the person on the phone simply can’t put it down. You then lose track of time.

“I understand why you insisted on it [the restriction],” said Ben. “But it’s really hard [to stop]”.

When you are training to set timed intervals and need to be prepared properly for your next rep and/or set – mentally and physically – having phones around simply doesn’t work.

You could also be training really well and then receive a message on your phone that causes stress or concern and your workout instantly takes a nosedive. I’ve seen that happen countless times.

Ben and Adriano both improving in fitness and strength

So, for those of you who lead busy lives and spend all day attached to your phones, you need time to detach yourselves. Make your gym time that time.

I recall reading an article several years ago about the importance of time spent alone in the weight room and how that was a vital quality in strength development. Why? Because lifting well and getting stronger wasn’t just about going heavy, but also making time to recover and being patient, which often meant walking around or sitting down and waiting. Certain personality types (like myself) find that much easier than others. The impatient ones can’t do it.

If you require or have wired yourself to need continual stimulation, it’s going to be tough to ignore the phone. But all the more reason to do it, because it’s probably not happening anywhere else in your life.

Focused on the job, Ben and Adriano side by side

Adriano, who was the first to break the restriction (and everyone got penalised as a result), admitted, “If the phone is there, in front of me, I will pick it up. It’s the temptation.”

Simple solution. Either don’t bring it or put it away before class and look at it afterwards.

With six weeks to go, let’s see what difference it makes. I genuinely believe it will.

Think the Amazing 12 could be for you? Want to know more about what it entails and if you are a suitable candidate? Contact me – Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk – to find out more and for details of the next wave that I am planning in May 2017.

Week 5: It’s all a confidence trick

BESIDES muscles, strength, stability, flexibility, mobility, cardiovascular fitness and health (and I could go on), there’s something incredibly important that the right type of training offers: confidence.

I see it with my four Amazing 12 Chichester candidates every day as we train at Core Results and I notice it each Sunday when I work with the ladies in my two morning weight-lifting groups.

In conversation, I hear it expressed a lot how “when I was younger I never thought twice about…but now…”

As adults, we overthink things and, consequently, feel fearful and doubtful, all of which leads to a lack of confidence. As children, we just got on with it.

But it’s seldom a case of ‘I can’t’. More often, especially when fear kicks in, the reality is ‘I won’t’.

The Amazing 12 is about delivering confidence, enabling you to achieve what you thought you could not.

Sue Saunders, who graduated with me last year, is a classic example. Hindered by a shoulder injury, she had surgery and then wasn’t sure it would withstand the type of training that the Amazing 12 demands. Guess what? It did – for 12 weeks – and she became impressively strong and looked every ounce of it.

Last workout of the week, Adriano is stepping on the gas

When you reach the end of the Amazing 12, which is an accomplishment in itself, there should be a sense of pride from the discipline, motivation and consistency it takes to apply oneself towards a goal and stick with it.

But it requires confidence, too, because along the way there are going to be doubts and you need to find the ‘yes I can’ inside of you…over and over again. Overcoming doubt requires courage. From courage we become stronger.

Our limits often reside in our heads and not our bodies. Paul McIlroy’s philosophy is NOT to keep testing your limits.

Push your limits too frequently and you will find them. Avoid your limits intelligently and you can continue to grow. Most of the great minds in strength training understand this.

Hence the saying, ‘the body achieves what the mind believes’. I know each of my quartet has inside them much more strength than they believe they possess. I can only convince them by enabling them. The Amazing 12 program slowly reveals to them to what they are capable of.

Take Jo, for example. I’ve worked with her on and off for several years. During that time she’s always struggled with push-ups. It’s actually one of her least favourite movements.

Last weekend she was out on the town in Brighton with friends – on a night off from training, of course. A few drinks were shared (and allowed) and, being a little more relaxed I suspect, Jo ended up in a push-up challenge with some guy and, for want of a better expression, whipped his behind.

So there’s an example of when thinking doesn’t interfere with doing. I’m not suggesting we fuel ourselves with alcohol to remove any fears and hit our PRs (much to the disappointment of many, I am sure). But you get the point, I hope.

The reality is we each have within us untapped strength. We just haven’t learned how to skilfully and easefully release it. The Amazing 12 does that.

Stacey (above) is someone else I have worked with for several years. But even in her prime she was unable to do an unassisted pull-up. I’ve set myself the challenge of changing that.

Ben, too, can’t do a pull-up or chin-up but wants to – desperately. He’s never trained before doing the Amazing 12. But I’m confident he will achieve it.

The Amazing 12 has a method. It’s to get you from point A, where you start, to point B, your goal, in the most effective and smartest manner.

Adriano getting stronger in the back squat

What I really enjoy about the Amazing 12 is how strength and confidence creeps up on you. My clients become stronger without even realising by how much (and, in truth, I give away only as much as I need to). Patience is required.

Jo, who has both strength and technique, practising the deadlift

Week after week they are making progress. Ben’s not yet missed a session. Jo’s got more bounce in her step though had to miss one class this week through illness, Adriano’s on par with where he was when he first did it two years ago (in spite of a week off in Africa for work a few weeks back) and in Stacey I can see improvements to her form and overall strength and conditioning as she bids to regain her swagger after having a baby six months ago.

Prior to starting five weeks ago, Stacey hadn’t lifted a weight (in the gym) for more than a year and felt as unfit as she’d ever been.

Jo and Stacey focusing on the task at hand

Confidence is crucial for someone like Jo, who’s had issues with low self-esteem. But I know she likes lifting weights and she’s good at it. Getting her to be consistent – because that will make the most difference – is the challenge.

Back when she was 16, Jo gained a black belt in Kyokushinkai karate, where she had to take a five-hour test that included 60 push-ups and 100 sit-ups.

“I can’t imagine how I did it,” she told me. “But I did. I liked the routine of it.”

I like to think Jo will look back on the Amazing 12 in the same way and use it – and a stronger body and mind – to propel her forwards to take on new challenges.

Need a boost to your training or a lifestyle overhaul? Want to learn about diet and combine it with safe and effective training in order to get the results you’ve always wanted? Why not consider or sign up for the next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester? Send me a message to Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk for more details

Week 4: The numbers game

OUR bodies are incredibly resilient. They are wired for survival. That’s why, in spite of abuse from over and under-eating, poor nutrition, drugs, alcohol, lack of sleep, stress etc, our bodies keep on going…until they can’t.

The truth is we take advantage of our bodies.

Sometimes – actually, probably quite often – we get warning signs telling us something is amiss or that we should perhaps change the path we are on. But we either ignore them or the signals go misinterpreted or we just think we are invincible. And then we end up in a situation where our health and well-being is compromised and the quality of our lives diminishes, which is not a place anyone of sound mind wants to be.

While the body is strong and wants desperately to stay alive and keep soldiering on, our minds can undermine that durability. Out of our minds come thoughts. These thoughts lead to actions. These actions/choices, if harmful or poor, ultimately cause our demise.

But what’s driving our thoughts is our beliefs. Change your beliefs and you can alter your thoughts and then your choices.

That’s why it is said that to change your body you must first change your mind.

Jo pulling a weight that is more than double what she thought was her limit two weeks ago

So why am I raising this subject? At the start of the week during training at the Core Results Gym, Jo had a concern because while she is losing body fat, her scales revealed no change in weight. Should she be worried?

A few days later Ben said he had weighed himself and felt disappointed – even though he hadn’t weighed himself prior to starting the program (so had nothing to compare his current weight to).

Stacey’s been weighing herself daily since her late teens. It’s now just a habit. “I jump on the scales every morning,” she said. “I’m not really bothered by what it says, but I just want to know.”

Stacey back squatting for leg development and overall strength

That all led me to thinking about the whole belief-thought-action connection and, more specifically, numbers. What numbers should we be interested in and are relevant and/or significant?

Body weight tells us how heavy we are and it could, for instance, be an indicator of whether the portion sizes of our meals are too great. But for generations we have been fed the myth that our weight is everything. And, much to our detriment, many of us believe it!

Weighing ourselves regularly doesn’t measure progress unless the aim is to lose or gain weight. But then I would ask the question: is losing or gaining weight a smart goal? (I’ll come back to this later)

I don’t pay much attention either to BMI (Body Mass Index) because it seems flawed to me to determine a person’s health based solely on height and weight. By that criteria Arnold Schwarzenegger (above) in his prime was obese, which he clearly was not.

Knowing our weight would be significant if, for example, you were a combat sportsperson or take part in a competition separated by weight divisions.

Beyond those circumstances, the only reason to be concerned by where the needle falls on the scale is if you believe it matters. Ben was disappointed solely because he had in mind a weight that he thought he should be.

I’m saying your weight is the least valuable number worth tracking.

So what numbers are vital to know?

Let’s start with body fat. It’s more critical to know than weight, but harder to calculate. Too much body fat is harmful to us in many ways. But your body fat can go down while your bodyweight increases, which creates confusion if you are attached to the thought that weight equates to success.

The fact is that in most circumstances having muscle is more essential and healthier than having more body fat. And, as I’ve said, muscle mass is heavier than fat.

Jo has already lost several per cent in body fat which, at four weeks, is a healthy rate of improvement.

So if losing body fat is the goal, here are what I would regard as some sensible targets. For women, 26% would be a good start, 23% above average and 21% getting into great shape. For men, over 22% means you have work to do, 17% is ahead of the game, 14% in shape and 12% lean. Under that and you’re getting towards being ripped.

Measuring the circumference of different parts of the body can be useful and is simple. I’d say the stomach (around the belly button) and hips are the most beneficial for ladies. But it’s important not to over-do it. Take measurements infrequently for it to make sense and for your sanity!

Ben would struggle with light weights when he started, but now can comfortably press heavier dumbbells

Strength can also be measured and it’s a valuable statistic. So pay more attention to the numbers of the weights you can lift and the number of the repetitions of the exercises you are able to do than the needle on your scales.

The weights, reps and times on the Amazing 12 program assist me, as coach, to monitor progress. I can see who’s getting stronger and fitter. Even though it can’t be calculated numerically, more crucial than how much you can lift is how you lift. Never sacrifice form for reps. So when I talk about how well someone is doing in terms of weight and reps, take it as a given that I am always referring to quality repetitions (unless specified).

Adriano demonstrating good form on the bench press

Then there are some more imaginative ways of using data, like the number of times in a day that you consume healthy, fresh vegetables. Or the number of times in the week that you exercised or played sport or went to the gym or took a walk. Or the number of hours you didn’t spend sitting down, either at your desk or in front of the TV. Or the number of litres of water you consumed in a day. Or the number of times you did something that brought you pleasure and helped you to relax. Or the number of hours you managed to go without checking emails and social media. Or the number on the clock when you go to bed. Or the number of squats you completed to negate the hours you spent seated.

I could keep on going. But you should by now have the message: there are more sensible things than weight to keep track of.

Last, but certainly not least, however, make note of the number of quality hours sleep you get each night.

Numbers are just markers. And let’s not lose sight of a key goal – to complete the program as prescribed. Make note of the number of workouts you have attended or the number of times you felt like quitting, but didn’t.

If you’re going to track anything, be sure it helps rather than hinders you. Otherwise don’t do it.

I discuss some of these factors weekly with Jo, Stacey, Adriano and Ben. Why? Because it matters. It’s not just to optimise results on the Amazing 12. Getting into the habit of focusing on the important numbers will help you to stay healthy (in mind and body) and strong and vibrant beyond the Amazing 12 and into old age.

So how did the quartet do in week four? My statistics show steady improvement in strength and fitness. Steady – rather than meteoric – is how I want it.

Jo said to me after a tough day 3, “should I be feeling less fit?” and I explained that when the load is more challenging she’s having to work harder. That’s all.

It’s all a numbers game. Just choose which numbers are worth obsessing over and disregard the rest.

Here are some numbers for you to consider: how many years have passed training without getting the results you desire? How much money have you spent without success trying to get fit and/or strong and in shape? If you are not happy with your investment/result ratio, perhaps it’s time to consider the Amazing 12. If you are serious or curious, drop me a line at Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 3: The key to success

I’M in the business of producing results. That’s what separates something that works from something that does not. In the fitness industry, people want results and more often than not in an unreasonably short time.

The Amazing 12 goes beyond fitness because it develops strength, conditioning, mindset, technique, discipline, confidence and a host of other attributes. However, the main reason the Amazing 12 has a stellar reputation is from the results that have consistently been achieved by its trainers on individuals of all shapes and sizes and athletic backgrounds from around the world.

Aside from the Amazing 12 program itself, what, though, is the key ingredient for success?

I’ll tell you: consistency. And to have consistency, you have to show up. Every day – or however many times the program you are on demands that you attend. In the case of the Amazing 12 it is five times each week on consecutive days.

One of the main reasons I have observed for why fitness goals are not achieved is that people don’t see through to the end whatever program they start and/or that they don’t follow a program precisely as it was written.

Inevitably, there will be days when you simply don’t feel like training. There will be days when it’s cold or raining outside and you have to get up early to run. There will be days when you feel below par. There will be days when you feel run down and stressed. There will be days when you feel emotionally drained. There will be days when you lack confidence, self-worth and strength…

But training – and following a program like the Amazing 12 – is an opportunity to develop the resolute mindset that, come what may, you’ll be there. Don’t let the little voice in your head that’s good at talking you out of things prevail. Showing up is an ability that not only can be learned and cultivated and yields results from training, but it also spills over into all other fields of life.

Being consistent effectively means you never stop trying and it’s through trying – practice – that we improve and make progress. If you keep showing up, no matter what, I know you have a far greater chance of succeeding than if you don’t. That’s a stone-cold fact.

Stacey on one of her more energised days

Every time you summon the strength or drive or courage to overcome the obstacle in your way, you make yourself stronger, more determined and self-driven.

However, there are some instances when it’s better to take a day off training and this can be difficult for many people. You may be exhausted or injured or sleep-deprived. In those circumstances you have to learn to listen to your body – become good at identifying when it’s better to ease off or push on.

Reasons for not showing up are not the same as excuses. Reasons are legitimate. Excuses, though, get in the way of succeeding.

I ask a lot from my clients on the Amazing 12. After all, they want results and I am as invested as they are in achieving them. If they don’t succeed, then neither do I. We are, effectively, a team.

Stacey gets a bit of massage therapy to ease her neck pain

This week, Stacey sent me a message one morning complaining she’d slept awkwardly and hurt her neck. I told her to come in anyway and that I’d get my wife, Jamie, who practices Thai Yoga Massage amongst other things, to work on the tender area. Stacey got through the session without difficulty.

“Normally, I’d have just not come in with something like that,” Stacey told me. “But, actually, it was fine.”

By the end of the week, though, following two nights where she didn’t sleep at all after a week of looking after her six-month-old son by herself, Stacey was completely shattered and understandably so. Reading the situation, she had a day off to recover.

Ben and Jo hard at it, but concentrating on technique

Ben’s had a lot going on in his personal life and admitted there have been some nights he’s felt worn down. But on those evenings he drags himself in for training regardless.

“I know I really enjoy it [the training],” he said. “I’m not the type of person who gives up. I intend to see this through. I can feel the changes. It’s given me a lot of focus when I’ve needed it.”

Getting your food organised…the most important workout of the week!

Jo’s been on-song this week. At the weekend she sent me a photo (above) of her food prep. I was most impressed. She spent a few hours cooking for the week ahead and then divided all her food into containers. Job done.

“It’s made such a difference and saved me so much time,” admitted Jo, who confesses she’s not the cooking type.

Her consistency is working. Her fitness and strength is improving. She is changing shape. Her recovery from strenuous activity is much better. And we are only a quarter of the way through the program.

No time to waste, Adriano flew in for the final session of the week

Adriano was away most of the week working in Africa. It’s not ideal for following the program, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. He fitted in a few training sessions while he was away. He returned to Heathrow airport Friday morning and, though a little tired, was in for training later that evening.

It would have been easy for Adriano to have taken the night off, but instead he was committed. And he did well.

As I said, if you don’t show up, you can’t make progress. It’s that simple.

Think you have in you the commitment to complete the Amazing 12 program and achieve extraordinary physical results? If you do or want to know more about the program and what it entails, send me a message to Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk

Week 2: Why muscles aren’t just for show

WE need muscle. There can be no disputing that. The amount of muscle, however, is more open to debate.

When it comes to losing excess fat, which all of my current Amazing 12 Chichester crew are striving for, developing muscle is king.

We are led to believe is that if we exercise/train more and eat less we will lose weight. And to some extent it is true. But what often happens is that while we may shift some poundage, we also strip away muscle as well as fat and, more importantly, screw up our metabolism in the process (I’ll go into this in more detail later). Long-term, that’s a disaster.

Having muscle is therefore critical in the process of fat-burning. It is also vital for other functions, too.

Muscle enables us to express bodily strength and so much more. We have about 600 skeletal muscles. They help make us functional and efficient, to stay healthy and pull blood into the tissues that need it. Without movement, which requires muscular action, our hearts wind up doing too much work and, over time, become strained. Without movement, our cells starve, affecting our cardiovascular system, and the distribution of oxygen in our body falters.

When muscles are weak and injured and don’t work well, our joints become compromised.

Having too much body fat makes us more physically and mentally tired, releasing inflammatory hormones that cause us to want more food, which is why we get cravings. Fat wants to be fed.

The goal for everyone interested in being healthy should be to have and maintain lean muscle mass for as long as possible. Genetics and age will play a part, but much more so our lifestyle and dietary choices.

Josh Hillis, a respected and experienced nutrition and fitness coach who co-wrote Fat Loss Happens on Monday, said: “People who are lean are in the habit of being lean. They’ve practised eating lean – like a skill.”

We can’t do a great deal about our age and genetics, but we can about how we choose to live and what we eat.

The older we get, the harder it is for our bodies to retain muscle. Therefore, more effort needs to be put into holding on to it. What can we do? Choose to live in a way that helps support that.

Did you know that those who train or exercise for one hour daily but spend the rest of their time sitting and not moving are only 4% better off physically than those who lead a sedentary life?

“The research shows that you can stay younger, longer if you have more lean muscle on your body,” said Shawn Stevenson, an expert on sleep and fitness and author of Sleep Smarter.

Adriano hard at it on his final session of the week

“Lifting weights enables you to express your genetic potential. Your genes expect you to lift heavy things.”

That’s why on the Amazing 12 we do a lot of lifting.

Lifting and moving weights combined with eating the right foods, consuming sufficient protein and, critically, getting enough recovery and quality sleep is the path to success for my dedicated quartet.

Early riser Ben puts in another good evening shift

All of them want to get fitter and stronger – and they already are just two weeks into the program.

However, each of them is facing his or her own challenges. For Ben, Adriano and Stacey it’s sleep. For Jo it’s trying to avoid falling sick.

Jo had to skip several days training. On a few days Adriano and Stacey (who have a young baby) and Ben, who gets up for work each day at 5am, have been tired from not sleeping well enough. Lack of sleep not only makes finding the energy for training harder, but losing the all-important recovery time will reduce the chances of obtaining the best results and weaken the immune system.

There are measures we can take to help improve sleep, but you have to be prepared to implement them. What value is knowledge without application?

Muscle doesn’t repair and grow without quality sleep. Seeing as muscle makes us healthier and it’s opposite is fat, you don’t need to me to spell out what fat does.

What we need to ask ourselves is whether the choices (food, exercise/activity, sleep) we make each day are feeding our muscles or fat?

Willis added, “If you don’t constantly feed fat, you’ll lose it. If you keep feeding it, it will stick around forever.”

Crash diets don’t work! Let me repeat that: CRASH DIETS DON’T WORK! At least not in the long term, which is what matters.

Calorie-restricted diet v Amazing 12, aged 47, several years later

I’ve done crash diets. Actually, I’ve done what might seem an extreme crash diet – fasting for three weeks. I lost weight, but most of it muscle. Let me tell you, I felt as weak as a kitten. But when I started nourishing myself again, almost immediately my strength quickly returned. You can see the difference from the photos above. One is of me not eating or resistance training and the other, several years later, after completing the Amazing 12, aged 47.

Notice I said “nourish” and not “eating”? What we put into our bodies makes a massive difference. So on the Amazing 12, my team are not just training, but following a fitness and strength program that works in tandem with a healthy eating plan. I’m always on at them to eat foods that have nutritional value.

While crash diets nearly all work initially – our bodies inevitably adapt and, consequently, hit a plateau. And what can happen is that our metabolism becomes slower than it was before we started. The weight goes back on and often in excess of what was lost.

As a coach, I am always banging on about how each of us must take ownership of the problem – understand what you are putting into your body and, maybe most importantly, plan your meals ahead of time.

Learning about food and how to prepare it is a skill worth acquiring as it could greatly enhance the quality of your life.

Second time on the Amazing 12, Adriano has learned to prepare his food in advance

Adriano, for instance, travels to London to work a few times each week. He takes with him his food. When he gets hungry, he eats it. If he didn’t have everything organised, he’d be at the mercy of what’s available and that could compromise his results. Next week he has to travel to Africa for his job. If he doesn’t think ahead he will struggle to stick to the eating plan.

Committed Ben dialling in his lifting technique

Luckily for Ben, he has a mother who has his food prepared in advance for him. But, ultimately, Ben needs to take control of his own food. I’m trying to get him to drink more water, too. The more reliant you are on others, the greater the chances of slipping to failure.

As Hillis says, “Until you make the switch in your head that food preparation is the most important workout of the week, you’ll forever be caught in the trap of trying to get your results through workouts.”

Keep reading that paragraph until it sinks in!

So, to recap, muscles aren’t for show. And to develop lean muscle we need to train regularly and smartly, eat a nourishing diet and get sufficient rest.

Battle ropes: not Adriano’s favourite, but effective

Make gaining lean muscle a goal because muscle marshals our metabolism, which is critical in regulating our body weight.

Muscle, however, is high maintenance for our bodies. That means it’s the first thing the body releases whenever we follow eat-less-exercise-more diet plans. It also weighs more than fat, which is why the scales will often tell you lies. Don’t rely on bodyweight numbers as a marker for health, fitness and well-being.

More significant is what you can do with your body. I record the achievements of all the participants each week so I can monitor their progress. There will be some days and weeks that are tougher than others. That’s normal and to be expected. This is a journey that has its share of pot-holes. Reaching the end and learning enough from the experience to venture onwards better equipped is what it should be about.

All four of my prospective graduates were tired by the end of this week. When it’s cold outside – as it has been – and your body feels like it needs a rest it’s easy to want to put your feet up. But they all turned up and put in a brilliant final shift.

Worth remembering is a quote by Jason Lewis, the first man to circumnavigate the planet (over 13 years) by human power (walking, cycling, inline skating, kayaking, rowing and swimming).

He said, “Our bodies are capable of amazing feats if our minds agree to cooperate.”

Doing the Amazing 12 isn’t reserved for the elite. You just have to get your mind to cooperate. If you are interested in being a part of the next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester or would like to know more about it, send me a message – Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk

Sleep…the missing piece of the wellbeing jigsaw

OFTEN when we talk about making changes and improving health, the emphasis is on exercise and diet, both of which are important. But the much overlooked – and critical -ingredient is sleep.

More specifically, I refer to quality and quantity of sleep. The type of sleep that is uninterrupted and not induced by medication.

Few, if any, factors will accelerate ageing more than sleep deprivation.

I’m not a sleep expert by any means. But I’ve done my research and learned from those, like Shawn Stevenson (author of the outstanding book, Sleep Smarter), who know this subject inside out. I’ve struggled with sleep since the birth of my first child, more than 10 years ago. Up until that point I could sleep almost anywhere at any time.

The change to my circumstances makes me more determined to find a solution or, at the very least, stack the odds in my favour so I can make the best of a less-than-optimum situation.

Since I train/workout frequently – which means my body needs to recover in order to heal and grow – how well I sleep may determine whether I am living in a way that causes damage or promotes health.

But that’s not all. Poor sleep will affect your mood, productivity, creativity, movement, concentration, brain function, digestion, eating habits, body weight, hormone production…the list goes on.

It’s so important that it’s mind-boggling, really, how in order of significance sleep has been relegated down the pecking order for most of us.

Perhaps, like breathing, we don’t pay it attention because it is usually something that just happens naturally unless you are one of the relatively small percentage that truly has serious issues with it.

As Stevenson says, “Sleep is the force multiplier. It will magnify the results you get from your food and movement.”

In terms of physical training – and the Amazing 12 transformation program for example – getting a good night’s sleep is of paramount importance. On the Amazing 12, you train five days a week. To be able to do that, you must enable your body to recover in order to adapt. Without enough rest, your body won’t make it. It will break down. Your immune system will crumble also.

What many people don’t realise is that most of the benefits that come from training and exercise are manifested ONLY if we get the necessary sleep and rest.

So how do we start?

Firstly, let’s look at the important relationship between cortisol and melatonin. Then let’s look at another important hormone, serotonin.

Cortisol is what our body produces in response to stress, be it physical or mental. It’s vital for our survival, especially in this modern age. It generally peaks in the morning, when we rise, and diminishes as the day goes on, in readiness for the wind-down.

Our body is supposed to produce cortisol in short bursts, to deal with a stress situation. But when that stress is prolonged is when we can develop chronic illness.

The trouble is that nowadays, what with our busy lifestyles, high demands and electronic devices, we are nearly always ‘switched on’ and in stress mode.

Also, when cortisol levels are high, we eat more, consequently we store more body fat, our thyroid slows down, insulin functions less efficiently and our blood sugar goes up and down.

Conversely, melatonin, a natural hormone and regarded as the most powerful anti-cancer hormone our body can produce, increases later in the day, particularly when darkness sets in, reducing our alertness and helping us to sleep.

But here’s the crux: when cortisol is high, melatonin is low and vice versa.

So if we typically do activities at bed-time that increase stress levels, guess what that does to cortisol and our potential for sleeping well and, consequently, recovery from the demands of our lifestyles?

These ‘activities’ could range from hard exercise to, more commonly, watching television, using computers, being on our phones, eating stimulating foods and doing something that has us on high alert.

Because our bodies like to search for and adopt patterns of behaviour, breaking these habits then often proves challenging.

But a key starting point would be at pre-bedtime to slowly phase out any of these activities and replace them with actions which are less stimulating and/or more relaxing.

Read a book instead of going on social media. Meditate instead of watching television. Take a warm shower or bath. Go to bed earlier. Have sex. Get a massage. Blacken your room.

If you’re still awake at 11pm you have missed the boat that stops once every night delivering the best quality growth hormone – also known as the ‘youth hormone’ – which your body needs to repair and maintain muscle and decrease belly fat.

So where does serotonin come into the equation? Consider this: 95 per cent of serotonin is in our gut and affected by our diet. As serotonin is what helps create melatonin, the connection between diet and good sleep is obvious.

The challenge of becoming healthy and staying healthy is essentially a three-pronged affair.

Avoid: excessive sitting; eating processed foods; using electronic devices at bed-time; alcohol and coffee late in the day.

Increase/introduce: movement/exercise/resistance training; consume more fresh produce, especially vegetables; cultivate better sleep habits; spend time outdoors and try to be in contact with the ground/earth for 10 minutes a day; have regular massages.

Start gradually and make small progress in order to stay on course. Try using a sleep app like Sleep Cycle to keep track of your sleeping patterns. Good luck and remember this quote from sleep researcher, Dr William Dement: “You’re not healthy until your sleep is healthy.”

Braver, freer and stronger

SSP_3326 — The end product…after 12 weeks training

EARLY in 2016 I made the decision to dedicate 12 weeks of my life to getting as fit as I possibly could and in April I embarked on The Amazing 12 program run by Claude Abrams at Core Results by Intelligent Strength, Chichester.

For three months I trained five days per week, sometimes twice a day, adopted a strict eating regime and, under Claude’s careful guidance, built my body into the kind of machine that I’d previously only thought possible of elite athletes.

The incredible results that the Amazing 12 gets from regular people like me is now getting noticed all over the world and, yes, amazing is the only word for it.

But for me, it was what happened afterwards that I’m truly grateful for because the Amazing 12 gave me so much more than muscle.

Before A12 I was grieving. I’d recently lost my dad and felt adrift without him. He was my rock, my safe place and my moral compass. I never made a big decision without consulting him. Without him there, suddenly I was the grown up and it scared the bejesus out of me.

I have always been a worrier. I hate admitting that because it’s the thing I dislike most about myself. I am strong-willed and forthright and don’t mess about, but I worry underneath. I get anxious and fret. My dad used to be my safety net… he’d catch all my worries.

In the past, I’ve primarily used one method to deal with worry – avoidance. I found my comfort zones and stuck to them. I think a lot of people do this, especially when it comes to diet and exercise. We tend to stick to what we know even when it isn’t working.

To undertake my A12 training, I had to completely and utterly trust someone else with my health and fitness. That was a tough one for starters (because, like most worriers, I try to minimise anxiety by retaining control). I then had to unlearn pretty much everything I’d ever learnt about how to how to eat and train.

So 25 years of mental conditioning needed to go. Basically my comfort zones were a dot on the horizon.

To say the A12 tested my metal is the mother of all understatements. I worried, I doubted, I questioned, I stressed and, for good measure, I worried some more.

But after all that, I stepped up to the bar and lifted the damn weight.

Double kettlebell front squats are not for the faint-hearted

Did the worry go away? No, most of the time I was terrified! But I did it anyway. And that’s the single most important thing I learned: that you can be afraid and do it anyway.

You don’t need to be confident in order to try: you grow confident by trying.

I have spent a large chunk of my adult life resisting change but in the months following the completion of my A12 program, I have changed my job, put my house on the market and cut my hair (this may not seem radical but I’ve been growing it for over a decade. Believe me, it’s BIG!)

I have been able to do all this because the A12 taught me that the things that scare me the most are usually the things most worth doing.

To complete the A12 I had to embrace change, put aside my doubts and push myself through a multitude of fears.

The Amazing 12 challenged my perceived limitations on every level and as a result I am braver, freer and stronger, inside as well as out.

Although I am proud of my physical achievements, that is the real A12 legacy for me. I know I can change and I know I can handle it and that feels good.

Sue websize (1) — Sue Saunders, Amazing 12 Chichester graduate

Before A12 I would say that I ‘don’t do change’ because I never felt ready. It took a 100kg deadlift to make me realise I’m as ready as I’ll ever be! I think my dad would be proud.

*If you would like to become an Amazing 12 Chichester graduate, discover your super-human qualities like Sue and experience the transformative benefits of this program, the next wave begins on January 9, 2017. For more information and/or to apply, send an email to Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk