Robert reed
XSport Get Fit Challenge 2009 Participant"The staff at the State Street XSPORT is a very encouraging and motivating staff. They were interested in my story and willing to help in any way possible. "
I wanted to participate in the Get Fit Challenge 2009 because I was out of shape and this was the perfect opportunity to motivate me to work hard to get healthy again. I am a very competitive person. Putting me in an environment that I would compete against others in a fitness challenge is a surefire way for me to stay dedicated and focused. The potential prize money was the initial motivator, but when it became tough, the failure of being defeated by others is what re-ignites my desire to succeed.
My trainer Bryce, Megan, Andy, and others at XSPORT were huge supporters of what I was accomplishing. Bryce's continual interest and support helped erase the pain and difficulty I experienced from many of his workouts. The staff at the State Street XSPORT is a very encouraging and motivating staff. The staff was interested in my story and willing to help in any way possible.
The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was portion control with my food consumption. I like to eat and have been called a big eater. After this competition portion control with meals will continue to be the biggest obstacle. However, I've noticed a new discipline about me regarding what I consume and how much. Even family and friends have commented on the change in my eating habits.
Another tough obstacle was the frequency of workouts. I love to work out so doing the personally designed workouts was not difficult, but doing it day in and day out sometimes took some self motivation.
The first couple of weeks were the most difficult. I was changing my eating habits and changing the amount of exercise my body was getting. It took about two weeks for me to notice some changes that helped motivate me throughout the competition. In those first few weeks my trainer Bryce continually motivated me and kept telling me get through this workout and things will get easier. Little did I know he kept upping the intensity with each workout, and each workout became more fun. This is when I realized Bryce was getting me back in shape.
Other moments that were difficult was when I was at summer gatherings with friends or family and they were eating delicious but unhealthy food. I felt like giving in just for a little bit, but I remembered how much work I had already put into this, which made staying disciplined less difficult. I kept reminding myself it is time for a change and some sacrifice is necessary to be worth it.
The most important measurement of success for me is overall fitness and well being. At the beginning I wanted to feel healthy and good about physical appearance. I did not feel comfortable with my health and physical appearance when I started this Challenge.
To me the second most important measurement of success was body fat percentage loss. I wanted to lean out so that I could see that I have some definition. I have always been strong but I have never been lean and strong. I wanted to prove to myself it was possible with my body frame.
I used XSPORT glutamine and protein during the Challenge. They both played equally important roles. The protein allowed me to get an efficient amount of protein in my diet without consuming an enormous amount of calories. The glutamine helped in my recovery, so that I was able to do many workouts in a week's time without severely breaking down my muscles. I found that XSPORT supplements were of high quality, just as good as others on the market, but the price point beats all competitors. It is a no brainer to use XSPORT supplements.
Bryce's (XSPORT FITNESS Personal Trainer) knowledge helped me out 80% in achieving my goals during the 12 week challenge. I can only take 20% of the credit, because I just did what he suggested. His vast knowledge of exercises and creativity with movements made every workout challenging and fun. I did not have a single workout that was the same and I had 20 different sessions with Bryce. He continually checked up on me to make sure I was healthy and if I had any questions regarding fitness, nutrition, and recovery.
My workout Program consisted of multiple workouts a day provided I was feeling healthy enough. Everyday consisted of a low intensity cardio workout to generate an efficient fat burn while also acting as an active rest to the more intense workouts. The more intense workouts consisted of compound movements. In the high intense workouts we strived for a high heart rate for a short period of time with a recovery until my heart rate reached the fat burning zone (around zone 1). This was repeated multiple times in a training session. It was common for me to burn 650-850 calories (per Polar watch) each hour long training session with Bryce.
For nutrition, the focus was on small meals 4-6 times a day. With 2-3 hours between each meal to keep the metabolism burning on all cylinders. The food content consisted of fish, chicken, nuts, fruits, veggies, and lots of water. Also recommended was ample amounts of sleep every night as my body would need it to recover with the drastic increase in exercise. 10. How did that individually designed Program get you better results than training on your own or training without a personally designed Program, like you've done in the past? I like to think I am well educated about fitness and nutrition. This opinion changed when I met with the professionals at XSPORT. We had multiple discussions on theories and beliefs as to the proper exercises and nutrition to be used during the Challenge. I like the personalized Program we designed. In fact, I do and will continue to use it to sustain a healthy lifestyle. One benefit is that it was nothing like the workouts I have done in the past. I provided variety, which I learned through experience is very efficient in getting results.
Many family and friends have commented on the success I have had with my weight loss and the improvement in my physical appearance since joining this Challenge. I have been asked what works, been told my success has inspired them, and asked if they could workout with me. My relatives cannot stop talking about how much I have changed or how it has inspired them to rededicate themselves to their physical wellness.
The person that needs the most change in their diet and exercise is my father. He has seen me change since the beginning and end of the Challenge. He believes I will have no trouble in keeping off the weight, but more importantly he sees that you can do virtually anything if you are willing to commit yourself and stay dedicated. I can tell this from the excitement he gets when seeing me. For this he is more motivated to stay active. I would tell him I am proof that hard work and dedication is all that is needed to accomplish any fitness goal. He has heard about changes people made in their lives through exercise, but I believe it was usually listened to with skepticism. Now he has living proof that fitness goals can become a reality, it is a matter of whether you have enough will power.
Robert Reed
State Street Gym
