I’d like to share some of those longer-term client success stories today from the past year and I thank them for giving their permission to do so.
In 2016 I started working with people for longer than a three month period. It has enabled me to get to know my clients much better, program and advise them better, and take them through more dramatic transformations. I consider it to be one of the most rewarding decisions I have made.
(As an aside: A few clients have been kind enough to record video testimonials. I’ve just published the first 60-second clip on my Instagram here.)
Now, to anticipate the question I always get asked: What did their training programs and nutrition plans look like?
I obviously customized things to the individual based on their circumstances, past diet and training experience, and then tweaked based on how they progressed over time.
However, let me assure you that there are no secrets here. The strategies I use with my clients are the same that I have shared all over the site, and in a more detailed and curated fashion in my books. That’s the whole point – people get to try before they apply for coaching, and whether they do or don’t, I help more people by sharing things openly. It’s a win-win.
Don’t make the mistake of blindly copying someone else’s program instead of taking the relatively small amount of time to tailor it to yourself. Read the guides and put them into action! You can do it, and these results are here to prove it.
Oh and here’s my little disclaimer to appease the Google gods:
Note: You are an individual, your results will vary depending on genetics, adherence, and effort.
Tariq’s Story
Tariq’s Comment:
“To me, the most valuable part was the presence of a very smart coach on the other side when I started having doubts or when I thought I should stop because I am ‘lean enough.’
Andy kept me focused on the bigger picture all throughout, and that’s just priceless because if I were doing it by myself, I would have stopped halfway through thinking I can get back to bulking, and would have remained in that purgatory indefinitely.
In addition, one of the biggest lessons that I learned was that when you go on a diet, about halfway through, you feel small and deflated, but if you keep at it and just let the coach do their job, the place you end up at is much more satisfying and exciting. The coaching was absolutely top-notch.”
My Comment:
I am now six months into coaching Tariq through a lean-bulk phase. We’ve gained 15 lbs, he still has his abs, and I’ll share more in a video testimonial as soon as we have the video edited.
Bryan’s Story
Bryan’s comment:
“I write this while I guiltily enjoy a croissant and fresh papaya with my coffee. What has made the whole process much easier than people would think has been my ability to still enjoy foods like this in moderation and make progress. I’m amazed at how relatively easy it was to come this far with your help.”
My Comment:
Bryan is a family man, so the need for flexibility is paramount to his continued results. We are continuing to work together to finish his cut (perhaps four more weeks because of holidays) and then I’ll be coaching him through his first proper lean bulk.
Matt’s Story
Matt’s Comment:
“Andy said at the start that I didn’t need a trainer. Having experienced the coaching I would disagree with that statement. To stick to a regime like this for a sustained period, where you have no reference for comparison in terms of how you look, feel, think etc. would be very difficult without someone confirming that you are still on the right track.”
My Comment:
Matt and I are continuing to work together through a ‘lean bulk’ phase.
Charlie’s Story
Charlie’s Comment:
“Before I hired Andy I found myself consistently frustrated, not knowing what to do. I’d like to share my big takeaways with you in the hope that they are useful.
- The value of detailed tracking to take the emotion out of things. – This allows for objectivity and comfort that we are making the right decisions.
- While I have learned that consistency, overall, is key, I know that if I bust my macros one day, I don’t need to worry about it. – It is our daily habits that make the difference over the long term, not the occasions.
- By not training to failure and leaving some reps ‘in the tank;’ I have recovered better and progressed better as we’ve been able to increase the overall training volume.
I’m progressing with all my lifts, and I get unsolicited compliments at the gym with people asking me(!) for advice now. I’m really happy with things.”
My Comment:
Charlie is one of my longest running clients, and we are continuing to work together. We are now part way through his second bulk. (We did a slow cut to start. Then bulked and cut again, which took us to the photo on the right.)
Cameron’s Story
Cameron’s Comment:
“I used to weigh 350 lbs. I lost the first 100 lbs on my own by making simple, obvious adjustments to my lifestyle, such as cutting out the junk food and soda.
Eventually, I hit a plateau. I knew I needed to make changes but I didn’t know what changes I needed to make. That is when it got really frustrating. I didn’t have the knowledge and experience to craft a personalized program and I felt forced into one-size-fits-all programs.
I felt like I was a failure because there was a huge disparity between the amount of effort I was putting in and the results I was getting. That’s when I decided I needed to hire a professional coach to help me determine what works best for me.
I used to make huge sweeping changes, moving from one program to another, but personalized coaching is the complete opposite. When something is working for me, I continue to do it. Whenever we identify a problem, we discuss the options and Andy makes a recommendation for a specific adjustment to address a specific problem. We’re not starting from scratch; we are taking what works and refining it to make it better.
My results have been amazing. It has exceeded my expectations. Despite stress, illness, holidays, everything life threw at me, Andy has managed to keep me on course, and I think the results so far speak for themselves.”
My Comment:
I will have a video testimonial from Cameron and lifting footage up on the site shortly. He took himself from Cameron version 1.0 to 2.0 without me. And I look forward to presenting you Cameron 3.0 later in the year. 🙂
Stuart’s Story
Stuart’s Comment:
“Hey, Andy! Long time no speak! I’ve been enjoying your site and podcasts and remain indebted to you for showing me the way. Occasionally an impossible promise from some FB ad catches my eye but ultimately the truths I learned from you (basics, consistency and how to manage my diet) hold true.
Since our formative months of coaching, I’ve followed a lot of cycles of getting lean, then blowing it all on diet breaks (binges) that unintentionally go for three months. Lately seem to have cracked it – below are pics of me pre-Xmas which, for 43 years old, I’m pretty damn pleased with.
Keep doing what you do. In a sea of bullshit, it’s reassuring to know that there are some irreducible truths on which to base my training.”
My Comment:
You can watch a video clip of Stuart’s testimonial here.
Joar’s Story
Joar’s Comment:
“Thanks to you, I managed to start on this journey to change my body, but also, more importantly, my mind. I will forever be grateful for your invaluable help roughly 6 years ago.
I’ve pretty much reshaped my whole body. Mainly because of IF and the training, but the main thing now is that I found surfing, and I love it dearly. Right now I’m down in Australia, about to embark on a 1-year program to become a personal trainer and surf instructor.
I am beyond stoked and just wanted to send you two pics (not that great, but hey) of my dear abs that I finally managed to lure out from underneath of all that fat.
Thank you once again, Andy. I wish you all the best in the future. You’re a LEGEND!”
My Comment:
Long-time readers of the site may remember Joar from the client results page when we worked together six years ago. It’s fantastic to see what he has been able to achieve on his own since.
A huge thank you to these clients for sharing and thank you for reading. If you enjoyed these, you can read over 100 others on the results page.
If you are interested in coaching, here is my policy:
I am prepared to give you the most detailed assessment of where you are at and advice on what I think you need to change to move towards your goals that you will likely find anywhere.
And it is free.
This is because it is essential that we have a conversation first to check we get along and are on the same page before any commitments are made to work together.
However, you must meet the client requirements:
- No slackers, no complainers, no whiners. – People that want to outsource self-responsibility need to go elsewhere.
- No smartphone use when emailing. – I’m far too detailed.
- I can’t train you if you need injury specific advice. This is outside of my realm of expertise.
- Experienced, male trainees only. And I don’t work with vegetarians.
- You must be prepared to put in the work and see the value of investing in yourself.
If you are interested and qualify, just fill out the form at the end of this page. I look forward to seeing if I can help!
Thank you for reading.
– Andy.
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