Whilst from the outside this shameful display of vanity might seem to be just a shameful display of vanity, I can tell you it is actually a little more. You see, my working principle is to practice what I preach and whilst I swan off around the world competing in ultra distance races, ironman and other adventure races, the majority of my clients quite simply just want to look better naked, therefore I feel it only practice and refine my skills in this area on myself.
By this I mean, I’m sure they want to feel better in themselves, they enjoy the challenge of getting fit and the rush of endorphins that come with it, they understand the health benefits and realise by doing a bit of fitness and eating better we can prolong the dribbly bit at the end of our life, but to be quite honest (and I might be wrong...) I’m sure many of them would forgo all that just to look smoking hot in a bikini (even the guys...).
This might seem fickle, but in truth it’s more important than you think. Whilst some people in life are busy demonising certain people for wanting to look good, criticizing pictures of good looking people and vilifying celebrities for daring to look good, looking good is in fact central to the way we think and feel about ourselves, our confidence and self-esteem.
My point being it’s not a problem to want to look good naked.
And more to the point, if you do it properly its pretty damn healthy too!
Anywho...
I guess the other aspect of this which was fundamental to me was I wanted a little nudge to get back in the gym. When we started this challenge six-weeks ago I had just finished my 69-mile ultra distance race from Carlisle to Newcastle and I hadn’t used a barbell or a dumbbell for a couple of months. With the rules stating I needed to put before and after pictures on Facebook this was enough to encourage me eating healthily and train hard (so you’d think...)
It’s fair to say I had a couple of reservations doing this challenge, my main concern was over the last year or two by doing big ultra endurance races I’d lost much of my muscle mass (think skinny runner...) and felt a six pack on a skinny guy just wasn’t cricket (a muscular person with a six-pack is far more respectable in my opinion), but the tables dramatically turned when a couple of my clients expressed an interest in doing it. I clearly couldn’t let them enter the competition without me, could I?!
It was a bit of a shock to the system to be back in the gym. And it’s not like I eased myself back in gradually either. With just six weeks, I needed to get moving. I pretty much followed the same exercise and nutrition plans my clients use with one slightly critical difference. From about three weeks, once I felt my body was in better balance, I tried using an intermittent fasting protocol called The Lean Gains Method.
This involved periods of feasting and fasting combined with my usual heavy resistance training and bodyweight workouts and sprints to stimulate slightly quicker results.
I have to say I found it difficult. Perhaps looking good naked isn’t as important as I think? Perhaps it was too much too soon after coming off a challenging training plan for my ultra? Perhaps I needed to be more organised for the fasting and feeding phases of the diet plan I was using?
Either way here it is...
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| Before |
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| After |
You will notice somewhat tragically something is slightly abs-ent! Yes, I fell a little shy of my goal, but thats fine with me. I’m down to about 7% body fat which is pretty lean and you can expect to see definition in your abs at about 9% for a guy (its about 13% for a girl). I think I’d probably need to lose another 1% or 2% to get them to show.
I do actually feel great for being back in the gym and I’m keen to carry on too.
What’s next? I’m looking forward to hanging out with EJ & William and enjoying a bit cake and a latte at my new favorite coffee shop in St Johns. I will carry on training but with an emphasis on gaining strength and muscle, but not too much. I’ve signed up for Ironman Lanzarote next year and so will need to dust off my bike and find my goggles and so I’ll be back in training soon.
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