Hey!
I’ve just had a top indoor bootcamp session, and the effort, the music and intensity was all super high! It always makes me smile when a woman says ” I didn’t know you could get such a sweat on with JUST WEIGHTS.’ (The intervals at the end were the icing on the cake). I think we all know by now that to shape your body – you have got to incorporate some weights – even if just once per week. 🙂
Todays Blog
Darren has been coming to my bootcamp at Your Next Level Fitness in Hessle for a while now. Not long after I started with my Bootcamp classes way back in 2009!
This is pretty much the ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP in Hull (Have you noticed that they seem to be everywhere now?! Often, they are just the same crappy old classes called something else……I remember predicting this in prediction 3 of my post back in December of Last year —> http://www.yournextlevelfitness.co.uk/?p=1929 ) In that post, you ll also find that I predicted gym prices getting cheaper – which they have, and with some gyms this has become a problem.
Anyway, enough digressing! On with Darren’s story!
Darren has made decent progress, but here’s the thing. Darren LOVES to cook and eat…….like we all do! We share a love for olives with caramelised onions! 🙂
It was often the meals here and there….and the odd night out with a few drinks that stopped him seeing that big change.
So This Lent……he decided to do something different. Here are Darren’s own words and photos………….
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I have been training on a semi regular basis for the last two years and, while my weight hasn’t changed dramatically I have been pleased with my increase in overall fitness. However, I was still disappointed with my ‘midriff obesity’ as I liked to call it. John, my trainer, had continually mentioned / suggested it was down to my alcohol intake so eventually I decided to prove him wrong!
For Lent this years I decided to enrol on a ‘gut buster’ – 45 days of no alcohol, bread, potatoes, takeaways – along with a workout a day. My workouts had to be a minimum of 20 mins if I classified it as a recovery session or 15 mins in it was more intense, interval sessions for example.
Here is my first pic:
It seemed a tall order at first but as I got into a routine of runs, rows,
bootcamps and little Swiss circuits I actually started to enjoy it.
There were only possibly two tough days and both were when i decided to leave my workout until after tea – sitting in front of the TV and dosing knowing that you still have a session to do is not a great feeling……!
The no drinking wasn’t a problem apart from on a few occasions…..but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs!
My ‘Before and After’ pic:
I am pleased with the end result but the effects are so much deeper than that. I have actually started to enjoy exercise and my new increased level of fitness.
I have also realised that :
1) If you want to you can always find the time to train – my shortest workout was 12 x 30 sec intervals on the rower – 15 mins in total – but just as effective as a 60 min routine.
2) You need to have different workouts available so if you don’t have time to complete your planned 60 min session you can do a shorter more increased intensity routine in a limited amount of time.
3) You need to make a declaration of intention – share your goals/targets. I put all of my workouts on Facebook not to annoy or show off but so that if I stopped / gave up everyone would know ! If I hadn’t have done that I would have possibly missed at least two sessions!
4) That if you do something enough it becomes both a habit and enjoyable ! – trust me!
5) That to achieve your goals you need the support of your friends and family
6) That you need to plan your meals a week ahead – if you don’t shop, defrost or prepare your meals in advance it is so easy to have something that you shouldn’t !
7) That you should do your workout as soon as possible in the day –
don’t put if off to later – there is nothing better than finishing your
Saturday morning bootcamp is there ? Knowing that it’s only 9 or 10 o clock and your done!
For all those bootcampers who toil on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday and think that they are not getting anywhere – you are fitter than you think ! – try bringing a friend or family member along and see how they get on!
Thanks to:
John C – for your enthusiasm, guidance and support.
Matt – for flogging me around little Swiss.
Fellow bootcampers – for your support and positive feedback !
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Darren continues to work hard……….and the difference is really noticeable. From his face/neck to his stomach – you can really tell. He actually did not lose much weight, but you can literally SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
What I found interesting, was that I didn’t see it happening that quickly – and then BAM! The day we met up for a PT session, and the photos were there to see……..it was like night and day!
Darren is now in a place that he can find it much more easy to enjoy his foods an drinks that he missed for a short while – but the main thing is that he did the hard work first.
He said this to me a while back:
“You pay the price………..And then you enjoy the price.”
Much like anything, the work has to come first 🙂
Well done Darren.
John
PS If you haven’t seen the other ‘before and after’ successes of many others – you may want to CLICK HERE!
http://www.yournextlevelfitness.co.uk/
