Transformation Story: How Adrian helped his client lose 100lbs!
Weight loss is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Basically it boils down to working hard and doing it consistently, but this can be difficult with so much confusing and distracting information out there. But success is still possible, as demonstrated by my awesome client Aiden. He was able to lose over 100 lb over the course of two years, and has kept that weight off. It may have looked easy from the outside but I can assure you he put in the work. Aidan was very self motivated and driven to work hard both in his sessions and on his own. His willingness to push himself and be comfortable with feeling discomfort made his progress an inevitability. This is the story of how my client Aidan lost 100lbs and how you can apply it to yourself, even if you don’t have 100lbs to lose. Over our 2 years working together here are the top two things we focused on;
Emphasizing strength training and…
Doing just a little more than last time
Aidan’s Story
I first met Aidan at an Anytime Fitness in Radford for our initial consultation where we went over his goals. They were common goals that most of us have- he wanted to lose weight and build muscle. The ultimate goal of losing 100lbs had not yet formed. We initially started in one of my core training classes with the intention of building to 1-on-1 personal training. This was great for helping him get into the habit of coming into the gym consistently and working hard, but soon he found himself wanting to push himself more with a regimented program rather than a “generalized” fitness class. At this point Aidan had already lost around 25lb, and he was excited to take things to the next level and build on his success. I told him we would focus on strength training and making very gradual progressions, both with getting stronger and with moving the scale. We’d focus on an average of one pound per week of weight loss. It doesn’t sound like much, but slow and consistent progress is the secret that’s not a secret to sticking to it for the long term. Super exciting, I know,
Emphasis on Strength Training
We worked out together twice a week, eventually building up to giving him 1-2 workouts on his own to do at home after several months together. At first the difficulty of our workouts was getting the technique down. Once Aidan had a solid grasp on form we started to push for steady and gradual progressions. We focused on big compound movements, you know, the ones that use the most muscles using the most weight through the longest range of motion. For upper body we did exercises like bench press, pull-ups, and rows. For lower body we did squats, leg presses, Romanian deadlifts, and Bulgarian split squats. Over time our slow progression method led to massive strength improvements. By the end of our time together, during our final two sessions, we tested his main lifts. Aidan started with a 115lb bench press max and we hit 275 during our last session! He went from not being able to do a single bodyweight pull up to knocking out multiple sets of 10. After initially being unable to squat due to pain from a prior neck surgery, Aidan squatted 365lb! These last sessions ended up being some of the most transformative and rewarding I’ve had as a trainer. Seeing his reaction and how excited he was, combined with everything he accomplished up until now and attributing his success to my help? It was hard not to get emotional. I got into this field to help people, but seeing the direct impact like this was something else. Looking at his progress and how hard he worked for it was something he truly deserved. I’m so grateful to have been a part of that. Strength training is what allowed Aidan not just to “lose weight” but to make sure the weight he lost was body fat while putting on tons of muscle and strength. He would always tell me how excited he was to show his loved ones who he hadn’t seen in a while how much he’s changed.
Doing Just a Little More Than Last Time
Remember when we started we set the expectation that progress was not going to be fast but the opposite, very slow but consistent. A lot of people think exercise has to always be changing in order to progress, or even to just make it more fun. Unfortunately, excitement doesn’t breed results. It is the repetition and getting really, really good at performing the basics over and over again that brings forth the most change over time. Aidan grasped this concept very well. He always aimed to do a little better than last time, whether it came to working out or his nutrition. To most people doing “just one more” or “just a little better” than last time doesn’t seem like enough, big leaps in progress are expected each time, but when it comes to exercise “one more” is everything. Aidan always made it a goal of his to go one more rep, or five more pounds, or 5 more seconds. Hee just wanted to improve himself from last time, and you saw how that impacted the progress he made in the weight room.
In regards to his nutrition he didn’t change it all at once either, but instead gave himself mini goals that then became habits, selecting specifically the habits that would be the easiest to implement. We took the low hanging fruit so to speak, eating more protein here, eliminating this junk food there, limiting consumption of drinks that have calories, etc just doing one thing at a time and not moving on to the next thing until you get that habit down. He would build these habits one by one depending on how his weight was responding. The scale keeps going down week to week? All good no changes need to be made. Has the scale plateaued a couple of weeks? Time to take something else out/add something else in. It doesn’t have to be big, the important thing is that you start with something and then keep building on that versus trying to eliminate or change everything at once from the get go. We focused only on the next step and before you know it that one step becomes two, then three and so on. All of a sudden each workout becomes the goal, and while you’re still aware of the desired end result your focus shifts to just moving forward. Aidan didn’t automatically try to go to a hundred percent right from the get go, perfection is an impossible task either way, but if you look at the difference it made just being one percent better each day, all those little wins accumulated into something great. As I mentioned before, losing 100lb wasn’t even on his radar when we started. If we had started with that it might have seemed like too great of a milestone to reach initially. He just wanted to do a little better and try a little harder than last time. 1lb per week doesn’t seem like a lot to most people, but to Aidan that 1lb per week turned to 4lb per month to 52 per year to 100 over the course of two years. And that’s pretty awesome.
Don’t just take it from me, here’s what Aidan has to say:
How long did you work with Adrian and why did you start working together?
I worked with Adrian for 2 years. I first started to go to his fitness classes and after training with him there I knew my potential of getting fit was greater with him as my personal trainer.
How has your physique, strength, and/or mindset changed since you started?
My physique went from being at 284 lbs to 180lbs and I’m only 5 '6'' (with the right shoes on ) My strength still amazes me, rather I’m benching, or squatting,lifting my body weight and some! My mindset has grown patience, it knows that 1 more rep or 5 lbs added to the weights feels like a great accomplishment, once it happens!
How many days a week did you exercise, with Adrian and on your own?
In total I averaged 4 days a week. 2 personal training sessions with Adrian, and 2 days on my own with workouts given to me by Adrian.
Life gets busy and people miss workouts, what's your strategy to stay on track?
I get 2 off days in a week from work, so I made sure to only schedule my personal days with Adrian then. I’ve been sick, on vacation, or different work arrangements and I have missed sessions with Adrian, but I never changed my mind-set on my health. People just have to want it and trust the process; and do the work that it’s going to take to just be healthier.
What was the biggest difference in your nutrition that got you further toward your goals?
I had to let go of the junk food. My job has a convenient store walking distance from our front doors, so the temptations to buy little Debbie cakes and chips are badly present. So, I started bringing high protein snacks to work. If I go to the store, I usually buy a Gatorade and only one reese’s pack
On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard do you work during your workouts?
10!!! I want to give my all in every workout! Honestly, those are those days when I might not have 10 in the tank to give but Adrian was always that extra 20% or 70% I needed to get the workout done. He was able to manipulate different workouts into the training on the drop of a dime, regardless of the reasonings, 10 is what I felt like I was giving working out with Adrian.
What is your favorite exercise?
Lawnmowers!! Only because I’m able to lift the heaviest dumbbell at my gym,120lbs, for sets of 3 for 12reps! I love the pump, the exhaustion, the focus, and the hell yeah feeling after the last rep of that last set!!!
How does being strong benefit other aspects of your life?
I work in a lumber yard! So, to say the least, lifting lumber all day has gotten lighter and easier for me! At home, lifting my 90 lb dogs in my truck is easier, still a struggle with the youngest one though!
What’s your #1 piece of advice to someone who wants to make significant fitness progress?
Have patience and lots of it. Make a goal for that workout that day, it doesn’t matter if you’re feeling stronger or weaker that day, be honest with yourself and your trainer. So have some patience with your results and adjustments to the different, but beneficial, habits in your life. It’ll be worth every bit of it!!
Thank you Adrian for changing my life to a much healthier and happier one!!