ARTICLE - GREG TAYLOR - 12 WEEK TRANSFORMATION

At 33 years of age, Greg Taylor had previously been undertaking some weight training for a number of years.  However, he was uncertain as to how to lose body fat without losing any muscle in the process.  Sure, he had tried to cut down without losing muscle mass in the past, but had been unsuccessful in his endeavors.  In actual fact, over a 12 week period of online personal training (with a couple of face-to-face health appraisal sessions), Greg managed to lose 8.3kg of fat and gain more than half a kilogram of muscle!  This is definitely not an easy feat for the experienced weight trainer!

 

GREG'S BEFORE PHOTO'S

GREG'S AFTER PHOTO'S

Above: The same front pose as in Greg's initial photo's with a very significant contrast!  Great definition through the shoulders and arms, not to mention a well defined midsection.

Above: Greg's back pose with a highly defined "V" shape and a significantly reduced waist size!

Above: Greg displays his very well defined abdominals and biceps.

Above: A side-back pose displaying Greg's well developed arms and back.  Note the vascularity through the forearms too!

From the Trainer (Jay Bonaretti):

Initially Greg contacted me through Amino Z, seeking my personal training services.  He communicated to me that he was quite an experienced weight trainer, yet was unaware of how to lose a significant amount of fat weight without losing muscle at the same time.  He had tried this before on his own in the past, without any success.  Greg also highlighted that he wanted to improve his general health and level of fitness in the process.  Finally, Greg had suffered a lumbar spine injury in the past, so his training must accommodate for this too.

Considering that Greg really appreciated a very thorough and systematic approach to his training, I suggested that we meet in our personal training studio conducted a health appraisal.  During this session, I performed several tests on Greg to evaluate his current body composition and level of fitness.

From here, Greg and I interacted regularly through our private online training section.  After 12 weeks of very consistent training, Greg returned to our personal training studio.  His progress over such a short period of time were remarkable and I was absolutely amazed at how significant his progress was.  Here was my final analysis of Greg's results:

Over the 12 week period, you managed to lose 7.7kg. You managed to increase your lean bodyweight by 600g - which we can assume is muscle mass (fluid retention may affect this value, but because you were in a relatively carbohydrate depleted state in the 2nd health appraisal, fluid retention would have been lower and hence lean body weight would be lower in relative terms. I do believe it to be fairly safe to assume that you gained a little more than 600g of muscle mass as a result). You lost 8.3kg of fat weight.

Those are excellent results considering that you already had considerable training experience behind you. Generally when first starting out, your body will be more susceptible to the overload placed upon the body as a result of training - and gain more muscle and lose more fat weight. Relative to the average person however, your results far exceed what I would expect. This would be a combination of your consistency, intensity of sessions and of course genetic makeup.

Your VO2 max has improved by more than 4.6. Because your score was off the chart, you could expect a VO2 max in excess of 60, still in the excellent range. This would primarily be a result of the high intensity interval cardiovascular sessions, but also from the resistance training.

Resting heart rate has decreased from 57 bpm to 46bpm. This indicates a larger stroke volume - the heart is able to pump more blood around per beat and therefore does not have to beat as often. Such a low resting heart rate is indicative of a very high level of fitness. This is furthermore supported by your VO2 test results.

Interestingly, the arm girth measurements are fairly similar. However the body fat composition readings from the triceps (in particular) has significantly reduced. What this indicates is muscle growth in the arms (to maintain a similar circumference) and fat loss, particularly from the tricep region.

You can see that every other body fat site has reduced significantly. Of most interest is the abdominal region from 34 down to 19.8. A very significant loss of body fat from around the naval area. This is very obvious in your photo's.

Body fat has decreased from 19.6% (above average) to 12.2% (below average). As mentioned, at about 10% your abdominals will become much more apparent.

Due to the muscle gain described above, your basal metabolic rate has improved from 2492 cal/day to 2523 cal/day. This number indicates the amount of calories you would expend if you were to sleep for 24 hours straight. The more calories your body requires aids you in maintaining a lower level of body fat.

Flexibility, which is extremely important (particularly for your back) has improved. Sit and reach test (indicative of the flexibility of your hamstrings and lower back region) has improved by 11cm. The hamstring test has improved by approximately 15%. The push up test improved by 12 pushups in 60 seconds - an excellent achievement demonstrating an improvement in both strength and endurance capacity of the upper body.

In summary, they are some excellent results. Congratulations on these achievements - simultaneously losing body fat, gaining muscle, improving strength, improving fitness and improving your level of flexibility. It is amazing what you can achieve in the space of 12 weeks with dedication, consistency and the correct training approach. Well done Greg...I know it wasn't easy!

Greg continued the training program that I prescribed for another 4 weeks, reducing his body mass down to 88.4kg (as shown in the photo's above).  He is now happy with his level of body fat and has continued the online personal training with his new goals in mind.  I look forward to working closely with Greg in the future as he strives to continually improve his physique.

Greg's Testimonial about Jay's Online Personal Training Services:

"I first came across Amino Z by googling personal trainers: I was looking for a personal trainer that could help me achieve my goal of losing body fat whilst simultaneously retaining (and, if possible, building) muscle, as well as increasing my fitness. I’d never heard of the idea of an internet trainer, so the Amino Z site interested me, and the more I thought about it, the more I realised how appropriate an internet trainer would be to help me achieve my goal.

I wasn’t interested in using a standard personal trainer – the type that stands next to you in the gym and counts as you lift the weights; I’ve had some experience in the gym and already know how to use the equipment. I was looking more for a trainer that could set a training program for me, set a corresponding nutrition program, and then monitor the results on an on-going basis and make adjustments to the programs. Rather than wasting time throwing weights around without eating properly, I wanted to maximise the effects of my time in the gym by ensuring that I was giving my body the exact nutrition it needed. After discussing my needs and goals with Jay, I decided that he would be able to provide the training and nutrition programs I was looking for, and that he would scientifically assess my progress and adjust the programs accordingly. Furthermore, embarking on a program of set duration seemed sensible, because it set a goalpost in the not-too-distant future against which I could measure my progress, but also seemed to be a relatively short period of time on which to focus my energy on achieving the best results possible.

I found the program clear and easy to follow, and Jay was quick to help me with any queries I had along the way. In addition, the Amino Z website was very easy to use and it contained a lot of information that I found helpful. I started noticing a difference to my body and fitness after about 8 weeks, and from then on the changes were amazing! My friends and family have commented on not only how much fat I’ve lost, but also how my body is looking more fit and muscular. The more I noticed the improvements, the more it motivated me to continue with the program and be as consistent as possible. By the end of the training period, I was blown away by the improvements to my physique, strength, flexibility and fitness. Looking back, the training period seems a pretty insignificant period of time to have made such achievements!

One of the benefits of training with Jay that I had not previously considered was that I felt accountable. I knew that Jay would be monitoring my gym sessions, as well as my results, and this accountability inspired me to never miss a workout over the entire 16 week program. I believe it was this consistency that helped me to achieve the results that I did.

Apart from the convenience of having Jay set and adjust my training and nutrition programs, I also learnt quite a lot whilst on the program. I had always hated cardio, and as such had always avoided it, but I found the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) that Jay built into my program was easy and quick, and this helped me to stick to the cardio program and make a huge improvement to my overall fitness. In addition, I also learnt that I don’t need to spend hours at the gym on each visit (as I had been doing previously), as Jay’s training program strictly limited each visit to an absolute maximum of thirty to forty minutes. Also, I learnt how to incorporate a healthy and effective nutrition program into my regular diet. In fact, I’ve continued with the nutrition program even after completing the program! Finally, I learnt that it’s not just food or workouts that make major improvements to your health, fitness, strength and appearance, but it’s the consistency of these factors that makes the greatest improvements.

After completing the personal training program, I could see marked and measurable results: thanks to Jay and Amino Z I have greatly improved my fitness, I have a better physique, and I have greater strength….all in just 12 weeks. Not only this, but I am able to take away the knowledge that I gained over the 12 weeks and will be able to continue applying it in future for even better results!

From reading through my experience above, I hope it’s clear that I highly recommend the services of Jay and Amino Z. I’m sure that with the help of Amino Z, as well as a bit of dedication and consistency, you will also be able to achieve your health and fitness goals!" - Greg Taylor