Elite Transform 2019 I am going to tell you how I came about Elite and my journey through the course, there are highs and lows but the transition was remarkable. Back at the end of last season our head coach Jonathan pulled me to one side after a team meeting. We had a very honest chat about my goals in the off season and that I basically needed to sort myself out. After looking back through the conversation I thought to myself, Wow he must see something in me to have this chat with me. It was Jonathans idea to enquire about Elite. I googled and thought yeah lets have a crack. I had a usual week off of doing nothing apart from eating. Before I enrolled onto the course a lad I went to college with has his own business in meal prepping. For a couple of month I used him to get my stomach to shrink whilst going to the gym and doing cardio. I didn't have to wait long to notice a difference.Within a few week the weight started to drop and I had roughly 1.5 stone of in two to three weeks. I then made the decision to pay for the course and I was due to start on Monday 4th November 2019 at eight pm. I am very fortunate that I have parents in a situation where they could help me out to pay it. My dad paid for the course which gave me added pressure to lose the target of 20lbs in six weeks.
The sessions were on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday all at the same time 20:00.
1st Week As I arrived for the first session I am not afraid to admit I was a little scared and nervous. It was a whole new experience and I didnt know what to expect. From the first warmup I knew how unfit I was, I quickly realised I was in a rut here. Without the enthusiasm of Liam our instructor I would have given up for sure. I got through the first session and I rang my mum straight away and told her what had happened and how tired I was! I had to come home now and cook my tea at 20:45. I was to get a shower too which meant I wasn't going to bed until 22:30 every night of training. I was then going to work as normal but getting up at 0530 to cook my breakfast and dinner. The second session we were put through our paces again. The session went by quickly as they did most of the time. We finished with a little challenge. It was how many rounds of press ups, sit ups and squat jumps, ten reps of each, as many sets as you can in five mins. I got a score of seven rounds. The third session was difficult as it was a Friday and majority of the lads were at home on the Xbox having a beer. However I had the support of all my friends and Family. I was doing it for them as much as myself. I put additional pressure on myself where I didn't need too. They would be proud of me regardless. Anyway the Friday session was a good one, we finished off by doing the 'Cha Cha Slide' sounds okay and easy however try it while holding a squat! 2nd Week Monday soon came back around and it was time for the first weigh in. To say I was apprehensive was an understatement I didnt think I had lost any weight. When Liam told me I had lost 6lbs I was over the moon! Wow, 6lbs on my first week was unbeleivable! I couldnt wait to get the session over with and tell my mum and dad! The second week went quicker than the first but it was a lot tougher than the first, as we started to get fit Liam would turn the notch up. 3rd Week The dreaded weigh in came around too quick again, so after a full day at work I went to the session to be weighed, hoping that the result will be the same as last week. I was weighed and I think I lost around 3 lbs this time however it is still a loss. I was a little disappointed but Liam brought me round with a nice set of burpees! I was half way through and my body was aching like something I had never felt before, I wanted to quit, but Dale kept me going, the words "get in, get out" were ringing round my ears every night at half seven! The weeks carried on rolling on by and by the 4th week, our preseason had started which meant I was training six times a week! Monday, Wednesday, Friday was Elite days and Tuesday & Thursday I did Saturday mornings with Dale as we did hills at Middleton Park after all this was pre season. This really drained me as the diet we were on there was hardly any calories in. I messaged Liam to ask if I could up my calorie intake as I was more and more fatigued when it came to work, Liam just said up the protein intake, I did and strangely it worked. I was coming round and feeling more energetic. The strangest thing for me was I was sleeping so much better than what I had been, getting a few hours here and there is never good for anyone. To be sleeping for a solid eight hours was a dream. The fifth weigh in and I had managed to lose in total, 22lbs which meant I had completed the challenge with a week to go, however this wasn't the final weigh in. The final weigh in was a few days after the final session in week 6. I had to keep the weight off which meant no reward just yet. During the final week all the participants were enjoying each others company. It is amazing what the human mind can do. Back on day one when we didn't know each other we were rallying round each other and pushing on. What a family. After the last session we all had a massive round of applause and took a team photo.. What a journey this was...the best is yet to come. I went for my final weigh in and the grand total was 26 lbs which is 11.8 kg which equates to 1.85 stone. Wow, I was in utter shock, I confirmed this weight loss to my mum and dad who were ecstatic for me. I was equally happy as I did it and could give them there money back. The best feeling for me was when I went shopping with my mum, I picked some jeans up and thought lets have a laugh try these on. Much to my surprise the fit, I couldn't believe it! To say I was buzzing does not cut it.
It was nearing Christmas and not one of my family members had seen the transformation, I kept it from them not because I wanted to but because I was too tired to go anywhere! We were all in the local on Christmas day and the shock to them was unreal, I had confidence and looked well for it! The general fitness I gained from doing this challenge has helped my through pre season also, I was having my best one yet. I was working through the pain barrier as this is what I had been trained to do. Thank you Just a few thank you's from myself, Thank you Jonathan without you I wouldn't ever had imagined to do something like that! Thank you Dale for being by myside throughout the journey spurring me on. Thank you to my mum and dad who also kept me going through this transformation! Last but not least thank you to Liam who pushed me to almost breaking point, but without that I wouldn't have pushed myself that hard! To conclude, Elite was a life changer for me. I wasn't confident at all, I couldn't get going with rugby because my legs were too heavy and I kept getting injuries to my calfs. Without ELite I would be the same miserable bugger I was back then. Now I have a completely different outlook on life. I am enjoying rugby more than what I ever have done. I can run finally without the fear of tearing a calf or straining one! I would reccomend this to anyone it has brought the best out in me and it will do the same to you too! Thank you