ATP PERSONAL TRAINING CLIENT BENOIT IS STILL IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE 2 YEARS LATER

Benoit-posing-with-dumbbell

Busy father and CFO of a multi-national company Benoit underwent a life changing transformation nearly 2 years ago. He kept his new body at 50+, and he's managed to further develop his physique making healthy living a lifestyle that takes no effort to keep up.

When clients join ATP Personal Training, they usually have a specific goal in mind;  to get in shape for a wedding or to  become healthier in order to take control of their blood sugar and reverse their Type 2 diabetes.  But what happens after they have reached those goals?
The media loves to tell us that rapid weight loss is a recipe for disaster and that sustaining any new lifestyle is nigh on impossible, but with our focus on sustainability and long-term health, we believe maintaining the good habits you learn from us can keep you in great health (and great shape) for the rest of your life.
“When I first started to work with ATP Personal Training, these kinds of behaviours seemed like a constraint, but I think it was because it was so different from how I used to eat. Now it works for me as a balanced and sustainable way to maintain the results I worked so hard for.”

This is how Benoit was able to place his health and fitness on auto pilot and still continue to make progress.

Benoit makes no secret of the fact that ATP’s D.N.A. formula (Daily routine, Nutrition, Activity) has become part of his normal life, so we asked him how he manages a high powered job, daily exercise and a sweet-tooth, while staying at a level of health and fitness.

Daily Routine

  1. Benoit prioritises his training:“I like to train early in the morning before work, because it helps me to channel my energy and helps me perform better in every aspect of my day.”
  2. He gets daily sun exposure:“Something that I always try to do wherever possible, is to spend even just 10 minutes outside in the sun.  It brings me so much positivity and I find I am even able to control my temper better (so the teams under me at work are thankful!)” Daily sun exposure has a whole host of benefits: it will help with vitamin d synthesis, boost immunity, lower blood pressure and improve sleep!
  3. HydrateLike most of our clients Benoit ensures that he drinks plenty of water throughout the day, often with added electrolyte tablets. He starts each day with a glass of water and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Nutrition

  1. Start the day right“I no longer skip breakfast and I find that I have more energy in the mornings.”Some of our clients like to skip breakfast, some find that they need the fuel and prefer to kick the day of with a traditional breakfast. Find what works for you.
  2. Prepare most of your meals“I try to cook as many of my own meals as I can so that I know roughly how many calories I am consuming.”
  3. Stay in balance!“I do have a sweet tooth, but if I plan to indulge in dessert then I’ll make sure the rest of the meal is balanced and healthy.”Sustainable transformations aren’t build on dietary extremism. You don’t need to make needless sacrifices to get where you want, instead understand that long term success is about understanding the trade offs and compromises.

Activity

  1. Building muscle is anti-aging

    “I found that building some muscle greatly improved my running times and with better posture I no longer have back pain from sitting at my desk for long periods of time.”

    Benoit discovered that building muscle boosted his performance and strengthened the postural muscles that had resulted in getting back pain.

  2. Find new passions

    Benoit started out training 3 times per week at ATP Personal Training.  He reduced that number to twice per week training and no supplements with his own cardio training and he has recently started kickboxing.

    “I weigh almost the same as I did in my 20s but I have much more muscle now.”

  3. Focus on performance

    By focusing on his performance in the gym Benoit was able to knock off 10 minutes form his best 10k time.

“All a sudden, somewhere along the way, you realize that your daily routine has improved without compromising your lifestyle too much.”

Read Benoit’s 5 secrets for getting in shape:

What advice would you give to someone about to start their fitness journey?

  1. Drink more water and stop snacking on sweets between meals Simply drinking more water helped me to feel more energetic and perform better, I was also better able to distinguish between thirst and hunger. Cutting out snacks was a really easy but significant step for me- I started to enjoy my meal times more and became more aware of my hunger signals.
  2. Be calorie conscious I have a much better understanding of the calorie contents of the foods I eat regularly, this gives me far greater flexibility with my food choices, which for me makes this approach far more sustainable in the long term.
  3. Move your body for at least 5 to 20 minutes of exercise a day When I move my body every day I feel better and I perform better, I’m very unwilling to break this exercise habit. Before I would put off training If I didn’t have the time for a full session, now I realise that something is always better than nothing.
  4. Adjust your bedtime to your needs I feel I get the most benefit from the hours of sleep that take place before midnight, and I’ve adjusted my schedule to maximise quality sleep time to support my training efforts. When I feel well rested life is easy, I enjoy my training and my diet is effortless.
  5. Enjoy the process I focus my energy on the process not on the outcome. When I consistently execute the plan I know that the results will follow, so for me the challenge has been to make sure that the plan is one that excites me and one that I enjoy. Anyone can commit to 12 weeks of misery for a short term benefit but crafting a process that integrates with your lifestyle for the long term is far more valuable.
Above all, I would say to… Go for it. Don’t hesitate. Do not wait any longer! “Why waste any more time? Get started as soon as possible! Stick to the DNA plan (Diet, Nutrition, Activity) that you set up with your coach and you will be amazed by the results!”

Are you interested in building an enduring legacy of health and fitness? Working with an experienced personal training coach will allow you to focus on your career, your family and the things that really matter whilst reaping the compounding returns from investing in the guidance of a true expert.