BodyBlitz Challenge Measurements Before Height: 174 cm Weight: 82.9 kg Chest: 97 cm Waist: 90.2 cm Calves: 39.5 cm Arms: 38.1 cm Thighs: 54 cm After Height: 174 cm Weight: 75 kg Chest: 108 cm Waist: 77 cm Calves: 40.1 cm Arms: 40.1 cm Thighs: 59.5 cm

‘It is finished.’ Three simple words that I am so happy to be able to say! Looking back over the past 12 weeks I feel both proud and humbled: proud of the fact that I finally finished the BodyBlitz 12-week challenge with results that I am pleased with; humbled when I reflect on how many times in the past I tried and failed, especially when I consider how easy the program actually was.

I first entered the BodyBlitz Challenge seven years ago. After talking with others who had achieved great results and also doing my own research, I developed an exercise plan, a nutritional strategy and set some very clear goals. I set a specific goal for each area of my life: physical, spiritual, financial, career, relational and recreational/fun. The goal that I set in the physical category was to complete the 12-week BodyBlitz program and finish weighing 75 kg at 7.5 per cent body fat.

Needless to say I did not even come close to achieving this goal, despite the fact that I had a great plan and gave what I thought was 100 per cent. I kept tripping on the same hurdle: I was completely inflexible in my approach and had an all-or-nothing mindset. If I had to miss a workout or eat a meal that wasn’t on my planned menu I would give up and tell myself that I would start again when the circumstances were more favourable.

Of course, my life circumstances were never more favourable and over the years I developed quite a collection of ‘before’ pictures. Each before picture was a little worse than the one before. Over time I became increasingly frustrated.

Before getting married I noticed that a lot of men tended to put on weight when they got married. I told myself that this would never happen to me. Sadly, seven years into my marriage I woke up and found this is exactly what had happened! What was even worse than the extra fat was my lack of energy and passion. Waking up in the morning was a real struggle. I would greet the new day with a thought like ‘Oh crap, is it time to get up already?’ Gradually I gave up on my goals and tried to replace them with more ‘realistic’ goals; but in doing so, something inside of me died.

What woke me up was seeing the change in a friend at work. She had set for herself an inspiring goal and in pursuit of this goal she had become so alive and vibrant. I wanted to be alive and vibrant too! Author Marianne Williamson once wrote: “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

I began to think about the goals that I had set seven years earlier and in particular the goal to finish the 12-week BodyBlitz Challenge and weigh 75 kg at 7.5 per cent body fat. Just thinking about this got me excited. However, I still had some doubts about my ability to finish the challenge due to the fact that I had tried and failed so many times before.

My breakthrough came when I came across the ‘96 per cent rule’. Simply stated, this rule says that in order to sculpt an amazing body you don’t have to be 100 per cent consistent in your diet and exercise all of the time, but you do have to be consistent about 96 per cent of the time! Suddenly I knew that I knew that I could do it! I just had to be a little flexible four per cent of the time. I feel so embarrassed that I didn’t realise and apply this earlier. My all-or-nothing mindset put a lot of pressure on my wife and others and made me a difficult person to be around. I have since heard it said that perfectionism is the absolute lowest standard because it keeps people from having a real go.

With this new flexible mindset I began the challenge. I found it much easier than I expected and can honestly say that I didn’t have any hurdles during the 12 weeks, just a few ‘opportunities’ to be flexible.
One thing that helped keep my motivation high was keeping a training diary. Every week I would attempt to set a new record for the weight I could lift or the number or repetitions I could complete for at least one body part. I soon had a written record of my personal bests. One exercise that I made the most dramatic improvement in was squats (I used to really hate doing squats). I started the challenge squatting 70 kg for 12 reps and by the end was able to squat 140 kg for 12 reps. I now have a goal to squat 150 kg for 20 reps by the end of this year.

Another useful tool to track my progress was to take body fat measurements and photos in addition to the ‘weigh in’ every three weeks. I had the good fortune of doing the 12-week challenge with my wife Rebecca. Taking photos and body fat measurements of each other gave us a much more accurate picture of our progress than scales alone. The scales show that I lost eight kilos over the 12 weeks. By taking body fat measurements, however, I was also able to calculate that in going from 83 kg at 22 per cent body fat to 75 kg at 7.5 per cent body fat, I didn’t just lose eight kilos but actually gained five kilos of lean muscle while losing 13 kg of unwanted body fat!

I have enjoyed watching my body fat melt away and seeing new muscle tissue form, but the best part of the challenge has been getting back to my ‘alive self’. I wake up between 5.30 am and 6.30 am without an alarm clock and my first thought each day is ‘Thank you Lord for this beautiful babe you have blessed me with, and thank you for this awesome new day.’ Our kids have been inspired by our efforts and also wanted to join in on the excitement of living a healthy lifestyle. Our oldest son Isaac, who is now 6, loves eating spinach and green vegetables and makes sure if we ever go out and buy a coffee that we don’t put any sugar in it!

The 12-week challenge was an absolute blast and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving their health and fitness in an intentional and focused way. I began the 12 week challenge in the second week of January and found it fitting that I happened to finish right on Easter at a time when I and many others reflect on ‘New Life’. Having finally died to my excuses and rigid way of living, I believe in a very real way that for me the end of this challenge is really just the beginning! IM