Do you ever look at other people’s progress and wonder how it is even possible? Why some people achieve their goals and others miss them?
For me starting out in personal training this was my biggest fascination. I had come from an endurance sports background and often found it hard to comprehend why some people were better than me.
I always worked hard.
Harder than almost everyone I reckon.
The truth is I was generally working hard on the wrong things.
I was working hard when I should have been resting.
I was working hard on the wrong sessions at the wrong times and with the wrong focus.
Hard work only gets you so far.
But when you channel this effort in the right direction amazing things happen.
The challenge is often being honest with yourself on the direction you need to focus and working hard on the areas that really matter, even if it isn’t the fun shit.
For me as an endurance cyclist I used to work hard at the steady miles. I didn’t work at the right intensity levels. I didn’t rest when I needed to. I didn’t work hard on my nutrition, race prep, tapering for racing, then end result always being less than my potential.
This blog isn’t about me however, I simply use myself as an example to showcase how with the right focus on the right things you can reach your potential.
Now let’s meet Evan whom this is all about.
Evan came to me to help him realise his goals of getting back in shape after a number of years disregarding his health and fitness to some extent. I remember when we first spoke and from the first moment I knew he would do well.
I wanted to share a Q&A I did with Evan that really gets into the details of what he did and how he achieved these amazing results.
You can see what mindset is required, where the focus needs to be and hopefully see just what is possible for you if you put your mind to it.
What was the main driving force for you to take action and sign up for?
I was tired of failing. I didn’t like the way I looked. I was constantly exhausted and I wanted to be a better example for my family. These desires happened to align with a transformation contest that was being held by Bodybuilding.com. The contest gave me deadline and something else to work towards. It gave another reason why I should change and created a venue where I was held accountable and supported by more people than myself.
Tell us about your health and fitness before taking the first step towards the Beyond Plan.
I used to be really fit. My typical day involved at least one gym session a day, 2 hours of competitive sports and an active job as a personal trainer and waiter. During this stage of my life, I would consume a pizza, breadsticks and a two litre of Pepsi every day with experiencing the negative consequences of weight gain. Unfortunately, as my activity levels changed over the years, my eating habits didn’t. I put on 40+ pounds of fat without almost noticing it until I saw a picture of myself and thought… What happened?
I was unmotivated and had low energy.
Why did you specifically choose to train with David and teamkingsbury?
I was amazed at the progress Hugh Jackman made in becoming the Wolverine and I researched a lot to find out who his trainer was. When I did, I knew I wanted to train with him. I’m in Utah and David is in the UK but luckily the innovations of technology gave me access to guy who makes real life superheroes. It really was a no brainer for the price.
What positive surprises did you find during your programme?
The biggest surprise to me was how little I actually had to train and how good the food recipes were. I started craving healthy meals and I didn’t overtrain unnecessarily and burn myself out.
During the transformation stage where was the point when you could really start to feel and see the changes?
After week 6. I noticed little changes here and there before then, but I distinctly remember the sixth week as a turning point where David helped dial my program in even more. The weight began to fly off.
What was it that kept you motivated and focused throughout the process?
Results and a clear goal. It was about 6 weeks before I really started to see progress that I personally felt was significant. But when I did and people noticed, I was hooked. I pushed harder and harder. It’s hard because those first 5 weeks took grit and a whole of faith because I didn’t see instant results. My goal/my why is what got me through those first 5 weeks.
What did family and friends notice about you during your transformation?
It really opened their eyes. Sometimes you see these transformations and you instantly think… that’s fake. But they lived it and it was really inspiring to them. Many have since undergone their own transformations and it’s amazing to see.
Thinking back to when you finished your programme and hit your goal how were you feeling at that moment in time?
I remember thinking… Is this really me? I would stand relaxed in front of the mirror staring at my six pack and say to myself… “This is crazy.” It wasn’t really a vanity thing. It was pride in a job well done.
What was the most interesting or surprising thing you felt about the programme?
How important nutrition is. As a foodie with a large appetite… Abs are made in the kitchen. That was tough pill to swallow because when I was younger… experience told me otherwise. Circumstances change and so does your body.
Where will your journey take you now?
I want to make this a lifestyle that is easy to maintain while helping others learn how to do the same.
Think back to your journey, what’s the biggest breakthrough moment?
The first day I woke up and saw the separating line in my lower abs… It was an amazing feeling.
How fast did you start seeing changes in your appearance?
I saw some minor results after about 2-3 weeks and it was the biggest challenge I faced. Results take time and it’s hard to change your body. Those first few weeks you are literally operating on faith that all the hard work will pay off. It got discouraging sometimes but I kept reminding myself of reason why I was committing change. I trusted the process and eventually I had some small breakthroughs that help me overcome the doubt.
Please could you sum up the whole journey in a few words for us?
Trust the process. Be 100% and go all in. If you’re going 100% it makes it easy to know what’s working and what’s not. Push through the first 6 weeks with grit. You don’t always need to be motivated but you can be disciplined. Results will come. Nutrition was the game changer for me.
Whilst achieving a 6 pack isn’t everyone’s goal and there isn’t anything magical about a 12 week time frame this Q&A with Evan is show you can achieve your goals whatever they are. It could be dropping 20kg of fat and feeling healthy and happy or adding 10kg of muscle to feel stronger and more confident.
As a trainer I am not here to say what is right and wrong in terms of goals. For years I spent my time pursuing my endurance goals at the drastic cost of my aesthetics to the confusion of a lot of people I know or that followed me online.
But regardless of what you want, just know, that you can achieve it if you work hard and work smart on the things really matter.
