A WORK IN PROGRESS: end of the program, but the beginning of the road
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.
LEANED OUT: now it’s about keeping the momentum going
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.
STRONGER: but Ian hasn’t reached his physical potential
“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.”
HARD AT IT: those early-morning sessions
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.
IN THE BAG: Ian was never out of his depth
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.
CONFIDENT: a new man, father and husband
“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.”
BACK IN CHARGE: now Ian knows he has better control over his physical future
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.”
JUST BEGINNING: the first stage of Reg’s transformation (Photos: Sue Saunders Photography)
TO make a significant and lasting change, you have to be a willing participant in the process. If you need to lose weight or body fat or have a desire to get fitter or want to overcome some form of addiction, no-one else can do the work for you.
Screaming at and pestering and forcing someone to change doesn’t work. At least not in the long term.
So when Reg first came to see me, it was with the full understanding of what he was taking on. His wife had bumped into Stacey Satta shortly after she’d completed the Amazing 12. They’d previously worked together and chatted about Stacey’s experience. Stacey passed on my details. Reg’s wife and I then began a conversation.
It was clear from the beginning this wasn’t going to be a typical Amazing 12 transformation. Reg, at 6ft 1in, is a big man. Lifestyle had directly contributed to him piling on the pounds. He had reached a whopping 25st.
EARLY DAYS: Reg working hard
Drinking and eating the wrong stuff had taken its toll. As a dentist of 24 years, Reg admitted he didn’t move a great deal during his working day. He was consuming two litres of Pepsi Max daily, drinking wine, eating large portions of food. Combine that with a lack of movement and, before you know it, your body changes shape and composition and begins to strain under the increased load.
Reg had a problem with his heel and, periodically, his knees. He had to miss a few sessions early on because of the pain, but Reg could feel how the addition of movement, training, healthier eating and drinking water to his daily routine was making him feel much better. From 40 training sessions, Reg missed five.
He admitted before starting: “The image I had of myself was not the true me. At home we don’t have any mirrors. They are only from the neck upwards.”
Basically, Reg thought he was slimmer than he actually was.
But one day Reg was out shopping, saw a full-length reflection of himself and was shocked. “I know I am overweight,” he conceded.
PROGRESSING: every session he gets better
When we first talked, I made it clear this was going to be a long-term project. Although Reg wanted to sign up for the eight-week program, I knew he’d need more. So did Reg.
But he had a family holiday planned and we went into the eight-week program with the mindset of it being just the beginning of a grander transformation. This was the first phase.
Reg, 49 and the father of three children, was unhappy with his physical appearance. Moving was difficult. Breathing was even challenging at times. Going up steps was taxing. Yet he was up for the job.
DETERMINED: Reg has the drive to succeed
Reversing years of neglect doesn’t happen in a few weeks, though. You take it a day at a time. Slowly, you replace unhealthy practices with healthier ones. It took a lot of courage for Reg to enter a gym from scratch, expose the truth of his condition and even take off his shirt to be photographed.
It shows, though, how committed Reg was. As someone who comes from a family five generations deep in the medical profession, he knew his health had to improve. “Getting fit [again] will allow me to do more things,” he said.
Reg hadn’t even returned to his native Ghana for years – decades – because of his weight! The last time he saw his mother, Reg weighed 17st. “She was so aghast when she saw a picture of me recently,” he said.
When he came to England in 1990, Reg weighed about 13-14st. He was 18st when he got married in 1997.
REPETITION: perfect practice makes perfect
Prior to the Amazing 12 (8), Reg hadn’t trained for three years. He played golf regularly – and to a good standard – but hadn’t done any other kind of exercise.
He wanted to lose weight, get fitter and gain leaner muscle mass. But there were obviously concerns.
Would he be able to stick to the diet, find the time to train each day, be consistent in his training, be fit enough, handle training with other people?
BENCHING: Reg on the final day of the program
We did a week of training before we officially started. I wanted to show Reg the movements and see how well he could move his body.
Reg trained mostly evenings – at a time when he’d usually be reaching for food – although several times we started early in the morning; whatever was needed to get the job done.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Reg’s grip is wider than recommended, but as he loses weight his form will get better
Reg was obviously strong and powerful. But he was panting hard from any kind of prolonged exercise of a slightly higher intensity. He’d bide his time going from one movement to another, doing what he could to manufacture extra recovery.
Steadily, though, we progressed. Reg was always in good spirits and great company for those he trained alongside. You couldn’t meet a more likeable man. He tried hard, always.
HIS NEMESIS: Reg’s love and hate affair with crawling
I got him doing things he hadn’t done since he was probably a baby – like crawling. This he found harder than anything else – and it was only the warm-up!
The first time we tried, I had him crawl forwards about six feet and then backwards. He just about made it forwards and couldn’t reverse at all!
Fast forward eight weeks and Reg progressed to a 30m crawl without stopping. The look of amazement on his face was priceless. He made it back about a quarter of the way before needing to stop.
He lost about 2st in weight overall, but most of it fell off his lower body which is why the comparison photos don’t look dramatically different. His trousers were all hanging loose. His legs no longer fill his jeans.
But this eight-week stint wasn’t so much about a transformation of body shape. Reg’s transformation was more about what you CANNOT see in the photos. It was about starting a man on a journey to get himself healthier, stronger, fitter and leaner.
POWERHOUSE: lots of raw strength in this man (Photo: Sue Saunders Photography)
Body fat will disappear over time – with commitment and consistency to training, diet and improved lifestyle. The loss of two stone from the body of a 25st man is less noticeable than on an individual half his weight or less.
But beneath the cloak of excess fat is a strong body waiting to come out. If Reg keeps going, as he says he will, his full transformation will be revealed.
SKY IS THE LIMIT: Reg keeps working towards his goal
The greatest pride I have from watching and training Reg is in how he now moves so much easier, how he recovers from prolonged bouts of more intense exercise far better and the weights that he found to be a struggle to move about four weeks into the program are significantly lighter than what he was lifting relatively effortlessly at the finish.
In the first weeks, he had trouble bench-pressing 32.5kg for multiple reps, yet finished with nearly 70kg, which was nowhere near his limit. He also had difficulty strictly shoulder-pressing 15kg for reps in the beginning, yet increased his working weight to nearly 40kg in two months.
THE PROWLER: Reg starts to move with more bounce
Fitness-wise, I had him push the prowler up and down the gym 10 times as fast he could at week 1 and then again in week 7. His time dropped from 4 mins 32 seconds to 2 mins 51 seconds and, if I’m honest, there was more in the tank. A week later he even started jogging with it!
Those are just a few examples, but Reg’s transformation was, for me, a dramatic and inspiring one for more reasons than I have already stated.
This is a story of a man with the odds stacked against him. A man who could very easily look at the task before him and be overwhelmed by the enormity of the mission, but instead chose to take it on with the mindset of ‘I’ll get it done no matter how long it takes’ and ‘I have to do this because the alternative is much worse’.
Reg’s attitude was excellent, his spirit strong, his laugh infectious, his commitment first class and, with us both being sports nuts and Liverpool FC supporters, his company super-enjoyable.
The intention now is for Reg to resume the program in September, this time for 10 weeks, but he will have the experience of knowing the movements, recognising his abilities, understanding the diet and his body will be better conditioned.
If you are seeking results, need guidance on lifting, training and nutrition and ready to make the commitment to make that happen, send a message to Claude@intelligentstrength.co.uk for further details on the Amazing 12. The next wave begins on September 18. Places will be limited.
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
