I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to compete in the Life Time 60-Day Challenge. The Challenge presented a unique opportunity for me to change my entire lifestyle and achieve results I had only dreamed of before. Many times over the years I have started workout plans, diets and body transformation programs but this one was different! From the very beginning, Life Time Athletic and the staff kept me going day-after-day, supporting me along the way.

Over the past several years I have been a consistent gym attendee but wasn’t taking the proper steps to create a lasting transformation of my body. I had been attempting to “out exercise” my bad eating habits and lifestyle choices. Starting the Challenge, I addressed a couple of key factors that had previously prevented me from achieving my desired goals: diet and consistency.

The first goal in my transformation was to completely change the way I thought about food consumption. At the beginning of the Challenge, I was introduced to Tennyson, one of the fitness trainers who helped me establish a plan and advised me on the proper proteins, fat and carbohydrates that I should be consuming. I read all the nutrition material that was presented during the initial consultation and decided that I had to maintain an approach to my diet that I would not only follow throughout the Challenge but also one that I could reasonably continue once the Challenge was completed.

Once I started my daily training, I soon realized that having access to the LifeCafe before and after my workouts was a huge benefit, helping me to staying on track. This is an area I had failed at in previous attempts to transform my body. Meal preparation and the time that it takes to stay on top of it is always one of those critical elements that is often overlooked. Failure to plan meals results in frequent cheats which ultimately hinders progress towards achieving your goals. During the Challenge, I was always able to get the proper protein following my workouts and routinely picked up snacks and meals for later in the day.

Keeping my workouts consistent was another key factor during the challenge. I travel between Las Vegas, Austin and San Antonio for work, and in each location there were Life Time facilities in close proximity to my work. Having the opportunity to visit a club  in a different city and having access to the same amenities was a huge help in keeping my workouts consistent. It ensured that I never missed a step throughout the Challenge.

I separated my Challenge into two 30-day phases. During the first phase, I established a baseline for my workouts and diet that burned a lot of the fat that had always been problematic. The first 30 days were all about establishing a consistent routine with weight lifting in the mornings and cardio in the evenings. I started slow with low weight and high repetitions to ensure that I conditioned my body to prevent injury before I moved to heavier weights in phase 2.

In the second phase, I pushed myself hard to gain muscle. Starting the second 30 days, I really stepped it up a notch and started training specific muscle groups. I broke my workouts into shorter, more focused routines. I went heavier on the weights and lower on repetitions. I changed it up every workout. I maintained the evening cardio routine, slowly increasing the length and intensity. Sally, one of the trainers and nutrition coaches, gave me a lot of great advice along the way and provided valuable insight on stepping up my cardio, training and diet the last few weeks. I even incorporated some boxing with Eric, a trainer that my wife had worked with and recommended. I ended my Challenge with a treat, a massage from the LifeSpa.

The Life Time experience made it so easy to establish a plan, set my goals and follow through with absolute consistency. Getting to the gym was the highlight of my day. Not only did I greatly benefit from the Challenge but my wife competed as well and lost over 15 lbs. I have 2 sons and both became inspired after about 30 days and start to eat more of the healthy foods in the home and both started exercising regularly. My oldest son lost 10 lbs. during the last 30 days.

From access to the personal training and guidance from experienced coaches to the proper nutrition offered at the LifeCafe, the Life Time 60-Day Challenge has changed my life and truly transformed me not only physically but mentally, keeping me focused and moving towards achieving my next set of goals. I can’t wait for the next round!