Body Transformation Client Spotlight

Do call it a comeback! The power of coaching.

They say the average person will change their career 5 to 7 times during their working years. I’m 43 years old and haven’t changed mine yet, which inherently means I’ve been in the fitness industry for quite some time. I realize this is off topic, but I’m mentioning it because without my years invested in the fitness world, I wouldn’t be able to have experiences spanning well over a decade, like I’ve had with Rod. More on that later…

Welcome to this week’s article, a client spotlight showcasing an impressive fat loss/muscle gain transformation and the power of online one-on-one coaching.

The Goal

Rod, at 53 years old, came to me with the following; “My goal is to lose weight while gaining/maintaining muscle and hopefully not having low energy, as I do now.  I would like to have a plan that spreads enough protein throughout each day and keeps me within a caloric deficit.”

Let me just say, this guy knew exactly what he wanted and clearly knew what it took from a dieting perspective to lose weight. He did his homework and came prepared.

He was working a full-time sedentary job from home, missing his old energy levels, and not happy with his body composition. He had recently joined a local gym, but needed guidance. Joining a gym is one thing. Knowing what to do in the gym is another.

After his initial inquiry, he filled out my training/nutrition coaching questionnaire. I got back to him shortly after with my complimentary assessment and details of how I could help him transform. Within a week we were off to the races!

It’s now 35 weeks later, Rod has proven himself to be an incredible client, his daughter signed up and is also transforming, and I’m proud to be a part of each of their stories.

Rod’s Results

• Transformation Length: 35 Weeks

• Bodyweight Change: 217.7lbs to 187.1lbs, 30.6lbs lost

• Week 1 to Current Weekly Training Volume Increase: 20,000lbs

Rod’s before and after pictures speak for themselves, but I’d also like to talk about the smoothness and beauty of his fat loss trend line. A fat loss trend line is never going to be perfectly straight from start to finish, so don’t ever expect that out of yourself. Rod’s trend line is damn near perfect, to be honest. There’s no way I wasn’t showing this one off!

Visually, a quality fat loss trend line should look similar to the line on the screen of a heart rate monitor, while moving down and to the right at an ideal rate.

Did you catch how I said ‘at an ideal rate’? I said that because the rate of fat loss matters.

Too high of a rate signals under-eating, which results in a host of negative side effects, usually ending in complete failure to transform. These effects include:

• Muscle loss

• Strength loss

• Hormone level disruption

• Loss of energy

• Poor sleep

• Decreased libido

• Irritability

• Extreme hunger

If we break down Rod’s general rate of loss throughout his transformation, we see that he lost a total of 30.6lbs in a span of 35 weeks. This averages out to 0.87lbs per week. For an individual of his size and composition, this qualifies as an ideal rate of loss.

And make no mistake about it, this rate of loss didn’t just happen coincidentally. His rate of loss was orchestrated through my reviewing of his weekly check-in numbers and notes. Upon each week’s review, I’m adjusting his plan, if necessary, so the process continues to work in a healthy manner. That’s the power of coaching.

Want me to be your nutrition coach? Fill out my nutrition questionnaire for a complimentary assessment, as well as service and pricing details.

While nutrition plays the largest role in a fat loss goal, Rod specifically wanted to gain muscle as part of his transformation. This brings us to the training side of coaching.

I believe in eliminating guessing games, which is why I provide such detailed weekly strength and muscle-building guides to my clients.

As a training coaching client, every time Rod walks into the gym, he knows:

• What exercises to do that day

• The order of those exercises

• How many working sets for each exercise

• How many goal reps per set

• How much weight to lift for each set

I provide the detailed plans and Rod puts in the work and turns those plans into results. A successful transformation is a team effort, and always will be.

By the way, every variable I just listed above is based on Rod’s check-ins from prior weeks. Nothing is recommended out of thin air. His numbers are based on his actual prior performances and feedback. Because I do things this way, training sessions feel locked in for clients. That’s the power of coaching.

Below is a training day from Rod’s Google Doc online journal, complete with his entered training data:

Notice how I’m able to see his working set weight, rep count, and RPE(rate of perceived exertion) for each exercise throughout the entire day? By combining his entered data and check-in notes, I’m able to give him dialed-in directions for future training days.

He’s relieved of having to worry about finding a program, wondering if he’s even doing it right, and worrying if he’s pushing himself too little or too much. That’s the power of coaching.

During Rod’s transformation, he completed a custom version of my GST-SIZE 25 Weeks of Growth program.

Training Program: GST SIZE - Weeks 1-4

Once that program was complete, we made several alterations to his setup and he’s now running my OG GST program with additional Volu-Pump sets at my discretion. He continues to enjoy his training and I’m happy to be working for him.

Want me to be your training coach? Fill out my training questionnaire for a complimentary assessment, as well as service and pricing details.

Service Details

My purpose as a training and nutrition coach is to listen to what you want to accomplish, learn about you as an individual, design plans for the gym and the kitchen to efficiently move you in the right direction, and guide you closely throughout the process.

Whether it’s evaluating your weekly check-in data and notes, sending out your next set of weekly plans, providing accountability to push you to get things done, or answering your questions on demand, I’m working for you and with you.

Rod takes part in both my training and nutrition coaching services. From time to time I’ll request feedback from clients, just so I know how their experience is going from their perspective. Not only does this tell me how they’re feeling, but it helps me improve my services over time.

When I checked in with Rod, here’s what he said:

Ryan: You know I like to get feedback from time to time. If you have any, please send it my way.

• Rod: This program seems to have it all and I hope to be a client of yours for a long time.  I tried hiring two different personal trainers at my local gym and what they offered was no where close to what you are offering.

Ryan: Are your training sessions feeling engaging overall?

• Rod: I like the program very much. I like the variety of rep schemes and weight changes. I am never bored at the gym and I like all of the current exercises.

Ryan: Do you feel motivated to get into the gym on most days(we all have those off days from time to time)? 

• Rod: 95%+ of the time I look forward to going to the gym. When I don’t, it’s just a lack of energy and nothing to do with your program.

If you’d like to take Rod’s route and participate in both training and nutrition coaching, fill out my dual questionnaire for a complimentary assessment, as well as service and pricing details.

The Comeback

At the beginning of this article I mentioned something about Rod’s history with my coaching and how his story wouldn’t be possible without me maintaining such a long career in the fitness industry. Here’s the scoop; the picture below is from my very first eBook website and it’s a testimonial to the program outlined in that book.

That ebook came out back in 2010 and, shortly after, Rod read it and put it to good use. He was a satisfied customer and part of the GST crew. Since he wasn’t a coaching client, and never had to reach out for questions, we didn’t maintain a working relationship. Back then, he would’ve been about 40 years old.

Fast-forward to January, 2024; Rod reached out. I remembered his name when I saw it in my email inbox. Many years have passed since 2010, but I tend to retain names of those who support my business. Long story short, Rod needed help and knew he could count on me to provide quality service and information. Instead of just reading my newest book and doing it on his own, he signed up for one-on-one coaching and I’m so glad he did.

And this is exactly why I subtitled this spotlight; Do Call it a Comeback! Rod’s comeback is incredible and, if I had to guess, he’ll now stay fit for the rest of his life.