Losing Weight & Getting Stronger at Kelowna Training Facility

Hey! How’s it going? It’s Megan here and I’ve got a great success story to share with you.

This story is about Rick and he has realized some amazing results over the last bit with his training.

You know Rick, right?

[caption id="attachment_3930" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rick drops 30 lbs, 3% bodyfat and 10 inches.

He is usually in at 7am for group and works at Venture Academy. Besides that he is also a husband, an outrigger paddler and works a few different jobs, and that makes the results he has achieved even more impressive.

Now before I get to telling everything Rick has achieved in a short amount of time I should back up and give you the background.

You see Rick was someone who has always struggled with maintaining a healthy body weight.

“I have really experienced the body weight "roller coaster".  At 6'1", I hit 265lbs in 2005 and again reached almost to 260lbs in the summer of 2013.  On the other hand, I was 205lbs at the end of 2006 and held around 215lbs until getting injured in 2010. The first time, before I started running in 2005, it was a visit to "Michelangelo's Restaurant" in Seattle the night before my brother ran the Seattle Marathon.  Essentially, the waiter called me fat.  In retrospect, and especially compared to the three skinny marathoners at the table, he was right.”

“My biggest challenge was walking in the door the first time.  I admit I felt intimidated - OPP is a "REAL GYM"!!!  I've done the Y and community center facilities, but that was mostly just circuit machines. Real, high-performance athletes train at OPP and I was nervous.

But, the staff has always been very welcoming and helped me overcome my nerves.  Since then, I have faced two challenges.  The first is completing with good form the single-leg exercises.  Nothing I've ever done before has required the strength and dexterity of moves like the rear-leg elevated split squat.  The second challenge has been to maintain intensity throughout the workout.  I've learned that the rest breaks that I'd been taking previously have actually been somewhat detrimental to my overall goals.”

Maybe you can relate to Rick in sharing these same challenges such as injuries, or feeling intimidated, having an illness or something else standing in the way of optimal health. But even though Rick had these challenges before him, he still had the goal of losing weight, toning up, getting stronger and he decided to give it his best to achieving success.

What kind of success? Well how about: • Dropping 30 lbs • losing 10 inches • losing 3% Body Fat • deadlifting 405 lbs • bench pressing 245 lbs

I think I was most proud of Rick when he finally came to realize how strong he truly was. And it’s funny from that point on I noticed a difference in how Rick carried himself, how much more outgoing he became and how much more he pushed himself with his training.

And so I had to ask Rick when were they first aware of these positive changes? And what did he think had the largest impact on these changes. And Rick said since returning to OPP in August '13, there have been a number of influences to keep him coming back.

One – “I've publicly stated my training goals and others around me have been keeping me accountable.  Two - "The Biggest Loser"-style competitions with work colleagues.  Three (and most importantly) - the tremendous encouragement from OPP staff: especially Megan and Jordy. I have better energy throughout the day and my wife has even noticed a much more positive outlook from me on a daily basis. It's never too late to become what you might have been."

I am so proud of Rick for achieving his goals of weight loss and strength. While these are impressive results they are available to anyone who sets their mind to achieving success and then gives it their all.

Way to go Rick! We are all proud of you and can’t wait to see what more you can achieve.

All the best, Megan [fb-like]