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PT’s Practice what they Preach 2

Our team of Personal Trainers took part in their own 8 week transformation challenge. Here’s an interview with Gino De Leva about his personal experience.

What was your reason for doing this 8 week challenge? 

The Exodus PTs as a group had been talking about it for a while. I quite like the discipline required for these types of challenges, over and above the physical transformation that one can experience. I have competed in bodybuilding in the past, but haven’t had to work to a deadline for over 8 years. I was interested to see if I could still do it.

Did you have any goals for how you wanted to look/how much you wanted to lose?

I’m all for manageable, maintainable weight loss. With that in mind, I liked the idea of losing 1kg a week. So 8kgs in 8 weeks. I lost 9.1kgs in that 8 week timeframe. It was nice to see abs again too!

9.1kgs is a lot, you would have had to do hours of cardio a day to lose that much weight?

No I don’t enjoy cardio all that much. I probably averaged about 30minutes cardio per session, and I definitely didn’t do it every day for 8 weeks. I prefer hill walking or x trainer. Nothing too extreme or my weights workouts suffer too much, which would have made me enjoy the entire process a lot less. I prefer to let my diet do the work, and it did! You DEFINITELY don’t have to work out for hours and hours EVERY day.

 

Speaking of diet, what did your daily meals consist of? 

It was mostly based on calories. I don’t have set foods that I eat each day, as it gets boring and less likely to stick to. Of course I had my “go to” foods that I enjoy eating such as chicken breast and kumara. But I was still able to enjoy the occasional meal out – and I certainly enjoyed them – but I still did manage to drop 1 kg a week on a consistent basis. Meals out included Lonestar one week, dumplings another week, and a meal at Dockside to celebrate my engagement. Yum!

How did you fight/curb your cravings? 

If you are fuelling your body properly then you shouldn’t get cravings, or only have them on a minimal basis. On occasions that I did, I would have a weight watchers jelly, or a low carb protein bar.

What’s the best advice you have for someone who wants to do their own transformation?

The facts are there – 90% of people that try to lose weight either lose a set amount and then put it back on with sometimes more, or, they try and fail. The percentages are probably higher for the New Years resolution crowd!

That said – it doesn’t have to be hard, but my best advice is to get professional help. Someone who has done it before. Tell them your dreams. It may not be 8 kgs in 8 weeks like me. Maybe you have a holiday or special event you would like to look good for.

To learn more about body transformations or how Gino can help you out see the contact info below:

Mobile: 021 565 742

Email: ginodilevapt@gmail.com

Click here to view Gino’s Personal Trainer profile.

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P.T.’s Practice what they Preach

Our team of Personal Trainers took part in their own 8 week transformation challenge. Here’s an interview with Sasha Temaru about her personal experience.


What inspired you to do this 8-week challenge?

It was an awesome way to show my clients that even PTs struggle from time to time to find balance, to set goals, to exercise and to stop with the excuses. After helping my own clients with their transformations, it was time I applied the same process to myself.

I wanted to be held accountable to someone, and as a trainer, I strive on competition so I asked the other PTs if they would like to take on the challenge. Sure enough, we soon had a competition on our hands!


Did you need to mentally prepare yourself for this challenge?

Although this didn’t require as much mental preparation as my body building competitions, I still had to be prepared to change my current training and nutrition plan. I set myself achievable goals and stuck to them – I wanted to find ways to maintain my changes even after the challenge had finished.


What was the easiest part of the transformation?

Exercise! I love to test my limits and push myself to the max to see what my body is capable of doing. Don’t get me wrong, like everyone there were days when I didn’t want to train because I was tired, was too busy, or wasn’t motivated. But you just have to push through and carry on with the plan. I always felt a sense of achievement afterward. 

I enjoy doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), weights and boxing. My tip to you is to find exercises that you love doing. Get your heartrate up and your endorphins flowing!


What was the hardest part of the transformation?

Coming from a bodybuilding background – the hardest part was not restricting my diet. Once I got to the halfway mark and saw my progress photos I was extremely hard on myself but I constantly reminded myself that I wasn’t competing in a show and shouldn’t compare it to that.

My ultimate goal was to find balance – and I found it.


What did your diet consist of?

I eat pretty healthy to begin with so this was a great opportunity for me to test new recipes and try something new like Quorn mince (yum!) and chicken as it was lower in fat and high in protein. I didn’t take out sauces or salts, and I still had a high amount of carbohydrates in my diet. I made sure I was eating everything in moderation and eating wholesome meals.

When I did indulge myself I chose better options like sushi, kebabs, salads, salmon and a donut here and there! But I knew if I worked hard enough during the week I would be able to treat myself with something sweet, so it’s just about being more disciplined. Easier said than done I know! I did give in a few times, I won’t lie…did I let it get me down? Absolutely Not! I ate it, and then I moved on. Food is not the enemy.


What’s the best advice you have for someone who wants to do their own challenge?

Be sincere about your motives, and set yourself realistic, attainable goals…Of course having a PT to help you doesn’t hurt either! Excuses will try to get the better of you, life will throw you curveballs, and sometimes you will occasionally give in. Don’t punish yourself for having a treat! It isn’t called a CHALLENGE because it’s easy, and your discipline will definitely be tested.

 

Intakes for Sasha’s next 12 week challenge No Regrets starts 23 January. Contact Sasha for more info:

Mobile: 027 222 7660

Email: sashatemaru@hotmail.com

Click here to view Sasha’s Personal Trainer profile.