Cesar remond
XSport Get Fit Challenge 2009 Participant"XSPORT can provide you a new lifeline. It can be customized to fit any of your own individual requirements. However, you must take that critical first step and accept physical change as a necessary action."
I participated in the 2009 XSPORT Get Fit Challenge because I saw it as an opportunity to set a new goal and target while also receiving a large cash prize. Having been unemployed since January, I had hoped that this year might mark a chance for me to get back in shape, and the contest's timing and setup afforded me the chance to commit fully.
I was motivated throughout by various factors. The first was my decision to share my decision to compete with various friends and family. Once I took this step, I knew there was no turning back. Secondly, my trainer Matt Roeske was amazing. He constantly changed the workouts for me and would communicate with me almost daily via texts, always re-enforcing my belief that I could do it. Finally, I was motivated by the miraculous news my wife and I found out (6 weeks into the contest) which was her pregnancy with our first child.
I originally decided to participate in the 2009 challenge because I found myself unemployed, and suddenly had an ample amount of time, not available to me since I graduated from college over 12 years ago. But during this time, I was also actively seeking employment. Over the contest's duration I traveled three times out of state for interviews of positions which promised to be life-changing. Each time I was propelled by the promise of each position, but only to be disappointed days and sometimes weeks later. It was during this very emotional and stressful period, that I found it most difficult to stay focused on the contest at hand. At the same time, - with each month that passed, I found myself (like many Americans) having to make unprecedented financial decisions at home as my unemployment lingered on.
I can honestly say that after I made my initial decision to compete and sharing that decision with other loved ones, my commitment never wavered. I also cannot overestimate the support I received from my trainer Matt and really, the whole staff at XSPORT Elston. They really provided me with a support network which was reinforced each and every time I walked through the gyms doors.
I set out a very ambitious goal of 236 as my final weight, which represented a decrease of 46 Ibs in 84 days. Knowing full well that I had not achieved this weight since college, I knew it was a goal of mammoth proportions, and one which would require complete commitment from day 1 to the very end. Also, Matt indicated during our very first workout session that we would be aiming for extensive Body Fat % reductions, utilizing a circuit training workout, with an equally demanding diet relying solely on fish and seafood for the entire contest. As intimidating as each of these goals were, I truly felt it was possible if I simply followed Matt's advice and was fortunate enough to avoid injury during the contest.
XSport Supplements that I used included MultiX, ThermoX & Protein (60g) products. Each was instrumental to my success in different ways. I would say that the MultiX & Protein were vital staples of my nutrition on a daily basis. By using them in conjunction with my rigorous diet, I was able to avert sickness and ensure proper recovery after each workout. The ThermoX product was especially helpful during the final stretch. As I entered the final month, I became very reliant on the power of ThermoX and its ability to help me shed the final 20 lbs.
I would definitely recommend the XSPORT brand of supplements. I found them to be very competitively priced and they helped generate results for me which were unprecedented. I would simply advise any member about the importance of a good diet in conjunction with any supplement, as that will truly deliver optimal results.
Without my trainer, Matt, I truly doubt that I would've come even close to meeting my targets. I feel very fortunate to have met Matt through this process and I hope that I have enriched his life (via this contest) as well. Matt provided me with 2 simple insights during our first week training together: 1) our training sessions would never plateau (in other words each session would get more difficult and my body would react with the necessary strength to handle it. 2) With proper nutrition, I would never stall! As simple as each of these observations may appear, they became the core of my training regimen. As I look back at what I've accomplished over the past 12 weeks and what I'm physically capable of doing presently, I simply would not have believed it possible. But through Matt, we climbed new mountains on a weekly basis, and through his daily efforts I was energized and motivated throughout the entire contest.
My training program (created by Matt) was designed to help me achieve considerable weight loss, while also achieving significant BF% improvement. It was a circuit type training program involving, weights, pushups, medicine balls and other equipment. During each workout we aimed to burn 1000 calories. This became extremely difficult to maintain as my heart and overall physical fitness improved drastically over the 12 weeks. Matt and I trained 2x/week, typically on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 pm. The workout's intensity was felt immediately usually in a cycle of 3 exercises which involved stepping up on a platform with up to 35 lbs for up to 25 reps. We would then follow through a rather intense exercise called a "Burpie" which entailed lifting a 401b barbell overhead (arms straight) then lowering it to the floor and dropping into a pushup position and repeating it 25x. We finished that first cycle by completing side shuffles for 30 ft, immediately followed by sprints. Needless to say, I don't think this was even a faint reality as I started my workout on June 1st weighing 282 lbs. The aforementioned workout would continue on for 3 more exercise cycles consuming the full 60 minutes and resulting in a 1000 calorie burn. I would repeat this workout on my own on Saturdays, and then perform cardio on the other 4 days of the week. My cardio was also designed to burn 1000 calories, and I alternated between the Elston and Logan Square XSPORT facilities as I used Boxing, Elliptical Machines, Running and Swimming to fill out my workouts. This combination of workouts intensified as the weeks went on and through my Polar FT80 Heart Monitor; I was able to calibrate any changes required by my improving health and overall resistance.
I spent the previous four months working out on my own at the two XSPORT facilities. At one point, I came close to losing 25 lbs from my initial weight in February. However, I believe there were 2 critical factors which separated my prior efforts. The first was nutrition. Although, I had made a concerted effort to eat smarter during the first half of the year, I was still consuming a large amount of red meat, chicken and rice. It wasn't until I had my initial meeting with Matt and he explained that my nutritional intake would have to change considerably both from a frequency and quality perspective. As I mentioned before, during this contest period I have abstained from all meat and only consumed egg whites, fish and seafood as my protein sources. I definitely lacked the knowledge and even guidance to perform such a diet on my own. The final result was relative to my overall bodyfat percentage.
I remember vividly sharing with Matt my modest gains in the Spring and my ability to lose over 20 lbs. He asked me how much my bodyfat had changed during this time-span and I answered that it had gone down over 3%. He laughed and stated that I would be able to accomplish that in the first month of training under the new program. I have to admit that I wasn't very pleased to have my gains all-of-a-sudden appear underwhelming, but it really set the tone from Day 1, that this training program would be unlike any other in my life. As I write this (on day 83) I am set to come in with over an 11% BF reduction and I know with absolute certainty that this would never have occurred without Matt and his program.
As I stated previously, I have been blessed with the news of a newborn baby on the way for my wife and I. And I will absolutely strive to provide my child with a positive example both physically and mentally in the years that follow. I also smile at the thought of my child asking me one day of who the (3001b) guy in the picture album is? However, I really hope that my success story can be one which motivates any person living in our country (particularly IL, NY or VA) during these very difficult times. Over the past two years, I toiled relentlessly flying to Phoenix, AZ on alternating weekends to complete an MBA that was supposed to change my life. My life did change but not in the way I had imagined. Two days before my graduation, I lost my job which I had held for over 9 years. As I sat there during my final week of studies, I tried to remind myself that life offers us challenges that we can and must overcome. For the ensuing five months, I traveled to multiple sites for countless interviews each leading to a closed door. And then I saw the listing for the Get Fit Challenge 2009 and I found a new obstacle which I could now tackle. This challenge afforded me a new form of self-validation and more importantly, one in which the benefits far outweighed the stresses and challenges of everyday life as an unemployed member of society. And so I decided to expend my very limited resources (mental, financial & physical) by betting on myself and the potential buried deep in my 280+ pound body.
As I sit here writing this, 12 weeks later, I believe this contest has in many ways saved me and provided a sanctuary from the sometimes insurmountable agonies facing many Americans in our nation today. XSPORT can provide you a new lifeline. It can be customized to fit any of your own individual requirements. However, you must take that critical first step and accept physical change as a necessary action. I believe in the American Spirit and I believe in our unmatched competitive spirit, and through this challenge I found a unique way to change my situation, resulting in an improved physical condition. I have not felt or looked like this since I was in my early 20's. Regardless of the final tally, I know that I have been blessed, in a little over six months our family will grow by one. This was deemed close to impossible by countless medical professionals, my wife and I visited for the past four years. Yet through the power of Faith and the improvements gained through this contest, we now have a new promise that all the money in the world could not buy. Obviously, I cannot promise that your future will be as blessed, but I do hope that anyone struggling during this time looks in the mirror and realizes that hope can be achieved one day at a time inside the doors of XSPORT.
Cesar Remond
Chicago Elston Gym
