WOW!! It has been 4 years that I have worked toward my goal of competing in the Southern States
Bodybuilding Championship. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone at One To One Fitness for my transformation. As you can see by my pictures, I had a 44 inch + waist on June 2, 2005. The next month as I sat in the audience watching my daughter win her second Southern States title for Fitness and Figure, I got my wake up call. My daughter Megan said to me, “Daddy, I feel so sorry for you”! I asked her why and she said, “You paid for Manny to train me, a choreographer, music, suits and made sure that I had everything I needed to win in the competitions. You always wanted to do a contest and you never did”. I was shocked and totally disappointed in myself. I told everyone there that I would do the Southern States as a goal for my 50th birthday.
I had previously worked out with Manny and I took that knowledge to the gym with me. I had also learned a lot from him about how to eat properly. I put those things to work and lost 65 pounds over the first two years and gained a significant amount of muscle. I then started to work on how to get ripped. I ate less and worked more. No results. I raised the amount of protein and cut carbs. No results. Then Manny told me about the nutrition class he was having at the gym.. Martha Theran showed me how to really eat right. On the first night she asked me how I ate and I told her. I was stuck at 12% body fat and eating about 2300 calories a day with very few carbs. Martha showed me what to eat and more importantly what not to eat! It was May 2008 and I wanted to be at 7% on August 29th. I was eating 3500 calories a day and still losing body fat! I have fought the battle of the bulge my whole life and by following her plan I now have not only won the battle, but the whole war. Manny and Rich encouraged me to do a contest in November of 2008 to get used to competing in a show before taking on the Southern States. I entered in the Men's Master's 50 and the Light-Heavy Weight Division. I won the Master's 50 and came in third in the Light-Heavy Weight Division. I have to be honest, I was happier with the Light-Heavy Weight third than with winning the Master's...the reason...I beat several guys who were half my age.
I won and placed in the next two competitions and decided to have a master trainer get me ready for Southern States. Rich Alvarez has gotten more out of me than I knew was possible. In the first four weeks I saw changes all over my body and for the last contest my body fat was at 4.5%! Rich will get me to my goal of 3% by Southern States, I have no doubt. It is amazing to me that he has me putting less stress on my joints, spending less time in the gym and seeing incredible results on a weekly basis. I always thought I knew a lot about working out, but you know what? I know nothing in comparison to what the trainers at One To One Fitness know.
The one last thing that I want to share is this...It is great to have a new me. It is great to have strangers stop and ask me how old I am and what I do to look like I do. But the really great thing is the way the trainers at One To One Fitness really care about you. When my daughter went away to school, Manny stayed in touch with her, giving her workout and diet tips, as well as some sage advice. Even when I had stopped training with Manny he would call me from time to time to see how things were going. When I started training with Rich he would call me later to discuss the workout, my diet and any other number of things. I have called him at the crack of dawn to ask about part of my workout and he is always there to help. He is at my shows giving me support every time. I appreciate this so much because I once had young kids like he does and I know that the time you could be with your kids is the most valuable and he finds time for me. Kenny has also become a friend. We train together some times and go to the competitions together cheering each other on. Michelle always has a smile and a kind word of encouragement whenever I see her. Charles is always an inspiration as he has a “go get it” mentality which is infectious.
One To One Fitness has been exceptional in helping me obtain my personal goals. At any gym you can get a trainer. At One To One you get trainers who are qualified and take it personally if they don't see the results you should achieve. I know that some of you reading this are thinking that I am just the exception, that you might not get the results that I got. I am NOT exceptional; I am a Food-a-holic. I got the support I needed from my family and the people here at One To One. I can honestly say that without the proper training and the nutritional planning I learned at One To One I could not have accomplished my goal. On July 10th, 2009, I will be competing in the Men's Fitness and on July 11th I will be competing in Men's Master's 50 Division. Winning at this point does not matter. I already won! I am competing in the contest I said I would and I am doing it with my daughter, Megan, who is competing in Women's Figure. If you are going to change your life the place to start is with yourself and having One To One help get you there in both body and mind! To everyone at the gym...thank you for everything you have done!
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