Ian Barnett (May 2018)

TWO days after completing the Amazing 12 Chichester, Ian Barnett, 46, headed off to the Greek islands for a well-earned break with his three daughters and wife.

Shortly after returning, I had him in the gym again. Though he was refreshed, Ian admitted he was a little overstuffed with Greek bread.

I was about to put him through his paces at Core Results as I had done a week before he started the Amazing 12 – to see what strength gains, if any, had been achieved.

The obvious difference is that prior to the Amazing 12, Ian had been inactive for a number of years. Post-Amazing 12, he’d just completed three months training, turning up at the gym with me five days each week and doing some additional work by himself.

He did some calisthenic-type training while away on holiday, but hadn’t touched a weight in over a week.

Still, I was pretty confident he’d shine a positive light on his Amazing 12 efforts.

I wasn’t to be disappointed.

For example, his back squat went from a wobbly 70kg for two reps to 95kg. His deadlift best for two reps upped from 95kg to 120kg. His bench press improved from 62.5kg to 85kg. He could complete two chin-ups before he started, but now was able to do seven.

As a measure of his fitness, I had him run the prowler, a sort of heavy metal pushing device, up and down the gym 10 times without stopping. This we did in week 1 (2:52), again at week 6 (2:15) and then afterwards (2:01). That’s nearly a one-minute improvement in three months!

Those are the athletic achievements. But weighing in at 101.3kg (223lbs or 15st 12 3/4lbs) back in February, Ian wanted to shift some weight and, more specifically, the excess body fat that had accumulated from years of inactivity and a desk job lifestyle.

By the start of the final week that weight had dropped to 97.2kg (213 3/4lbs or 15st 3 3/4lbs). On the finishing session, Ian was down to 93kg (206lbs or 14st 10lbs), which is what he weighed on his wedding day over five years ago, but his body composition is now more muscular. 

His body fat percentage had gone from 25.4% to 22.4% (week 8) to 20.7%. His body fat mass dropped from 4st to 3st 2 1/4lbs.

Ian’s metabolic age started at 51, went down to 41 at week 8 and then 36 by completion. Visceral fat went from 12 to 10 to 9, which is just below what is regarded as safe.

“My results are incredible,” he admitted. “I may not have an Olympic swimmer’s physique – and, to be honest, from my starting point that was probably a bit ambitious – but I look more athletic.

“I feel so much more energised and want to improve from here. The internal results of visceral fat, body fat percentage and the changes in metabolic age were the best improvements.”

Even from week 1, Ian was revelling in the fact that this (doing the Amazing 12) was even possible. When we first discussed it and Ian saw the two advertised training times, he dismissed his participation. But I went back to him. We met for a cup of tea one chilly morning with no strings attached to see if there was a way to just find an opening for some training.

It was very clear to me that Ian wanted a change. But, being a father and business owner, it didn’t feel straightforward. However, where there’s a will there is a way. Ian proved that.

“I wanted to do the Amazing 12 to get back into shape,” he said. “It had been lingering for a while that I needed to do something.

“I’d looked at other personal training locally. But I felt your approach and the results I had seen, gave me the best chance of making the change I needed.”

His journey was remarkably smooth sailing. There were some minor hitches. Ian had already committed, pre-A12, to a number of work-related courses that resulted in him missing some sessions, but, like Sue Crabtree, he wanted to make up for it and signed up for an extra week.

In total, Ian attended 89% of the gym sessions, which was even more impressive given we usually started at 6am and trained during what was a rather bitter British winter.

Commitment wasn’t a problem.

“Turning up for the training was easy,” he said. “We had structure, which suited home and work lives, and it was easy to stick to.”

As early as week 3, Ian was noticing the difference the program was making to his fitness. He would go cycling with friends some weekends and his body was excelling where usually he would struggle.

Most mornings he’d walk in with a smile on his face. On the few days he didn’t – usually because he hadn’t slept enough – Ian would still walk out feeling better in himself.

There were so many times I noted at the end of training in my scribbled pencil “good session”.

Ian gave everything of himself. He had the support of his wife, which is always a fantastic help.

As Ian said to me at the start of week 9, “My wife’s happier, kids are happier. I’m getting a real buzz. I’m happier. And my clothes are fitting differently!”

I challenged Ian little by little with every session and he consistently rose to it.

“I really enjoyed the training,” he admitted. “Even, in retrospect, leg days [which he dreaded at the time]. We were also able to incorporate the [punch]bag work and chin-ups as a slight change. But I never found the training boring – it is what it needs to be. I like that anyway.

“The feeling of lifting weights, of feeling stronger and fitter was great.”

Typically, at some point there is a blip or a setback. But Ian continued to grow in strength and fitness.

Even the nutrition side of things were embraced wholeheartedly, impressive considering Ian doesn’t like vegetables!

“The diet was good and obviously integral to the process,” he said. “It articulated probably what I already knew, but the portion sizing and staying away from processed food was the message that resonated the most.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are three phases to the Amazing 12 diet and Ian found the final part, which lasted only a week, the toughest. For phase 2, he managed it by being organised.

At the end of 12 weeks I got him as fit and strong as I could for that period of time without breaking him. But he still has more to come.

That’s why he wants to continue training and he’s also bought into the understanding that lifting weights and training smartly is a vital part of growing older and remaining healthy.

“I enjoy feeling strong and looking stronger,” he said to me in week 10. By the final week he admitted he was fitter and stronger than he was on his wedding day 14 years ago. “And I wasn’t expecting to get as fit as I did,” he added.

And then I unleashed him on some chin-ups, which Ian was eager to try, and he knocked them out without much bother, nailing 42 in 15 minutes the first time we tried and then nearly 50 the time after. Given that before we started the A12, Ian managed only two -maximum! – that was pretty good going.

“I felt more confident and recognise my ability to work towards a goal,” he said. “That’s much more fun [for me] when applied to working the body. I am now trying to apply it to my work, too – organisation, structure, goals etc.

“To anyone thinking of doing it, I’d say ‘go for it!’ It was a brilliant experience all-round.”