Champion of Champions

At just 21 years of age, he’d already experienced the highs and lows of what life can present, struggling with the debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome that had him sapped of energy and refrained to the confines of his home.

Jay, with the help of personal trainer Josh Dickinson, finally found a way to conquer his physical and emotional issues and create a momentum that will last for life. Here is Jay's story in his own words...

Tell us about your experience with chronic fatigue syndrome and how your transformation is helping you overcome this?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was just as much mental as it was physical. Physically, I was incapable of even the simplest things that we take for granted – walking up and down stairs, sitting at a computer and even taking a shower. But because you are so tired all the time, you begin to question where your life is heading and if you’re ever going to be able to be ‘normal’ again. I felt helpless in a world that I had no control over. These feelings were then carried forward into my everyday life when I did eventually recover from the CFS itself. Such feelings lead to bouts of depression, insecurity, binge drinking and binge eating. I had lost direction in life.

The transformation helped to overcome all of this. Every day there was a goal, and every rep, every pedal on the bike meant something. I learnt to respect myself and my body through a steady diet and consistent training regime. My fitness level had gone through the roof and this is reflected in my photos. But what you don’t see are the huge changes on the inside – I am now disciplined, completely secure and happy with who I am.

Had you tried to transform your body before?
I sure did. I spent a year in a local gym doing numerous crunches and kidding myself that I was getting in shape. Later I finally realised that it is very important to know how to get in shape. Sure, you need to train hard, but you also need to train smart. After a lot of research and advice, I went into this Challenge knowing exactly what to do.

What do you think were the contributing factors to your health problems? Was this directly reflected in your self-perception?
From birth I had asthma – this prevented me from doing a lot of exercise. This was only worsened by the terrible state that my body was in as a result of CFS. Following the CFS, I ate everything from greasy hamburgers to fried chips – they would always comfort me. I was a big drinker – I believed that I was only fun and could only have fun when I was drunk.

What sort of excuses did you make for your diet and lack of fitness?
One belief I had was that I was young and immortal. Health wasn’t a concern of mine… I thought I could worry about that in 20 or 30 years (ie. when it’s too late). As a result, I didn’t worry about what food I ate nor did I worry about the lack of exercise I performed. I had little self- respect or security, so I avoided looking in the mirror and just thought it was something I needn’t worry about.

How did you overcome this?
I was confronted with relatively young people with serious health concerns and thought that I could potentially be one of those people. I finally became sick of not being able to look at my own reflection. After drawing from many sources of inspiration, I decided that this is my life and that I was going to decide what direction I was going to take.

What sort of support group did you call on to help you achieve your goals?
I trained consistently with a training partner – this definitely assisted my motivational levels. I also hired Josh Dickinson as my trainer, who provided me with a wealth of motivation and information in order for me to achieve my goals. Finally, I also spoke on a regular basis to other people who were very successful in the fitness industry — people who had won bodybuilding and fitness competitions. This really helped me to believe that I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it.

What obstacles stood in your way?
First of all there was the initial change in my lifestyle. Such a dramatic change in my training and diet lead to changes in my family, social and work life. Changes are not always easy, but I decided that I was doing this for myself and at the end of the day we all have to look after ourselves.

Often I would be around nice-smelling (yet extremely unhealthy) food. I often had to tell myself that a six-pack is no match for a binge meal. This tended to become easier as the Challenge went on as I slowly adapted to my new lifestyle and eating habits.

At the beginning of the Challenge, my self-perception was an obstacle in itself. Often I would question whether or not I was ever going to get to my goal and whether the hard work would pay off.

I also encountered people who would laugh at me when I said I was going to get a six-pack. Initially, yes, it seemed a bit ‘out there’. But now that I’m in great shape, I’ve realised that it’s not such a near-impossible feat.

What have been the key changes in terms of diet and exercise?
Previously I was having only a few meals a day. I was also not too concerned with what I ate or how much I ate. I never used to do much cardio at all. With my weights, I used to spend hours and hours in the weights room, training every body part on a daily basis, in the hope that I would buff up. Guess what? – it never happened.

How has your transformation helped with your self-confidence?
Previously I would walk into a room, head down, insecure, quiet and try to earn the acceptance of others. Now, I am my own person. I am confident, strong, secure and I accept who I am – I don’t need others to accept me. This is one of the greatest results of this Challenge — I love who I am and I’m not afraid to say it.

What has been one of the valuable lessons you have learnt?
Definitely that there are no boundaries in life. I used to set myself limits and think that they were the best I could do. Now I know that I can always do better. The power of the mind is amazing in all aspects of life. If I want a six-pack, I will get a six-pack. If I want to make a million dollars, I will make a million dollars. Too often I used to tell myself that 'I can’t'. Now I tell myself that 'I will'.

What advice would you offer to anyone who is looking at making a change?
Figure out what it is that you need to change – is it just your physical appearance or does it run deeper than that? You need to tackle all issues together.

Speak to someone successful who knows how to train and eat for success. Be careful of who you choose to listen to – there are many people out there who will provide very bad advice.

Set yourself rock-solid goals. They will keep you on track and accountable.

Find a support group to help and motivate you through your changes. If you are in it alone, you have no-one else to back you up if you falter.

Make yourself a priority in your life. If you are down the bottom of your priority list, you will often be put aside and forgotten about.

What are your future aspirations in health and fitness?
I want to continue to build muscle mass naturally and improve my fitness levels. I’m always striving to go that little bit further, whether it be lifting another few kilograms or pushing another 100 metres on the bike.

Because I have a big passion for both business and fitness, I’m in the process of setting up a big online resource, called Amino Z at www.aminoz.com.au. On this website, it’s my goal to help provide people with all the tools and resources to achieve a body beyond their wildest expectations. I really want to cut through all the misinformation floating around and provide the raw facts on how to get in shape and stay that way. Plus I’m going to be doing some one-on-one coaching through the website and in person. I’m really excited about what the future will hold.