Gareth's Transformation Journey
It’s commonly thought that after 40 you will struggle to get into great shape. With your body not what it once was and without the free time to train and prep food, it might seem that the odds seemed are stacked against you. Gareth (45) faced all of these challenges when he decided to take on his 12-week transformation.
“I have been weight training for a few years before I decided to give a transformation a go. Coming from a Rugby background my training has always been tailored towards getting stronger and more explosive, slightly different from training for a body composition result. My trainer Aidan from ONE PT fully mapped out my training and diet plan. Having the journey laid out in front of me gave me the motivation to give it a good crack”
Training
Gareth’s training consisted of 3 PT session per week with Aidan Liu at ONE PT. These sessions focused on high intensity weight training. In addition to this, a cardio schedule over the 12 weeks was scheduled which Gareth did in his own time.
See a sample workout of one of Gareth’s sessions with Aidan below
A word from Aidan:
“When Gareth started this 12-week process we were in a strong position to push on. He had been training with me for a short while and we had nailed down exercise execution of all the key lifts that I included in his training plan. The key lifts are your biggest bang for your buck movements – squats, deadlifts, bb bench presses etc. With perfect technique we were able to push Gareth to his limits every session, focusing on progressing with each session, whether that was adding more weight or increasing more reps into the set… the goal was progression every session. We always finished our sessions with a metabolic finisher. My favourite and Gareth's least favourite finisher was the assault bike, so we always found a place for it.
Gareth has been a real pleasure to work with. All we ask from clients is to give us commitment and he certainly gave that.
Activity levels
With Gareth’s primary goal being fat loss, Aidan took his measurements and ensured the Nutrition Kitchen plan he prescribed was under his activity adjusted BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), ensuring steady weight/fat loss. With Gareth only being able to exercise 4-5 hours per week it was important he increased his calorie output during the day outside of training. Gareth’s job is in the corporate sector and he is stationed at his desk for the vast majority of the day. By simply aiming for 10,000-12,000 steps per day, Gareth’s calorie output was significantly higher than if he were sitting at his desk all day at work. This, in turn, meant he did not have to cut calories from his diet too fast as he was expending more outside of the gym.
“Before this process, I would get into a horrible habit of getting cabs into work and sitting there all day. Since day one of this transformation I have commuted on foot and I go for 20-minute walks during my lunch break every day. It’s something I definitely will not stop doing going forward.”
Nutrition
We were happy to fuel Gareth through all 12-weeks of his transformation. Being a big guy, Gareth started with the highest calorie option we had – Regular Balanced. Our meals have been made with result driven clients like Gareth in mind – whole foods, high in protein, packed with veggies. Starting with a balanced meal plan ensured that Gareth had the carbohydrates to support the tough training sessions he was subjected to and could recover adequately.
Throughout the weeks Aidan pulled calories from Gareth's diet and transitioned him onto our Regular Low Carb option for the final 6 weeks. As you can see from his amazing transformation, this sensible approach worked wonders for Gareth, allowing him to shed his fat and retain his mass.
My coach Aidan got me on Nutrition Kitchen. I had not used the service before and I’m extremely happy to have been introduced to it. Hong Kong is a tough place to find good quality (or affordable) groceries. My kitchen at home is very basic, so the food I do make is very limited.
A sample day on Gareths Nutrition Kitchen menu is below:
NK not only provided amazing variety within my calorie needs but also freed up time for me to relax at home after work or to get my training in. The convenience of it was the real highlight for me. I can’t see myself going back to wandering the streets at lunch looking for a ‘healthy option’.
The stats above show much Gareth has progressed over the last 12 weeks. Body fat measurements and weight, we’re taken regularly but we made sure we tracked using progress photos. Not only did pictures show clear evidence the process was working, but also gave Gareth that hit of achievement that kept him motivated.
