I grew up in Ohio playing all the usual sports like baseball and football, but in high school I switched over to golf and tennis because I could still enjoy being competitive, but didn’t necessarily need to be big, strong or fast. I basically had the mindset that I didn’t have that strong, lean, athletic “body type” and from a genetic standpoint, I would just have to work with that I had.

In 2013, I went to pick up my son and felt my back give out completely. I lived with this pain for 3 years before deciding to try yoga. This was a depressing time for me as I had come to grips with the fact that I couldn’t play Golf anymore. Yoga really helped to alleviate my back pain, but I knew I needed to strengthen my core so I could get back into lifting weights and be able to play golf again. I turned to Pilates which helped me get stronger but I still wasn’t lifting weights to the point of getting the results I wanted. I felt I was stuck with a body that wasn’t anywhere near where I wanted it to be. I said to myself, Chad you’re 41 years old, you just don’t have the genetics or the ability to get that lean physique you’ve always wanted. I was at a point in my life where I felt defeated . . . regardless of my best efforts, I had accepted that my goal was basically unattainable. My confidence was at an all-time low and the sad thing is that I had accepted this.

So about 65 days ago I was stretching, getting ready to go through another ineffective workout and Kayla (Pilates Instructor) walked over to ask how I was doing. I told her I was frustrated because I was working out consistently, but regardless of what I did I couldn’t get the results I desired. She said I should meet with Robert, the lead nutrition coach. I was hesitant because I thought I had given 110 percent effort at this point, what else could I possibly do??

I met with Robert, explained my frustrations and let him know my fitness goals. I learned that Robert was a former body builder so this gave me added confidence that I was in really good hands. Robert put me through the Life Time RMA and AMA tests. These are Resting and Active Metabolic Tests that let me know how my body utilizes oxygen and burns fat at various heart rate intervals. This excited me because we were really digging into the science of how my body works! Robert encouraged me to enter the 60day but I was again hesitant because I had tried just about everything and kept hitting the same plateau time and time again. It was obvious that Robert was passionate about my success and he instilled confidence in me that I could make these changes. I trusted in him and in hindsight I definitely made the right choice.

Robert set me up on a very specific program called NC2.0 that allowed me a great starting point with my nutrition by taking the guess work off the table. By doing the RMA and AMA tests I received a daily email, outlining exactly how my cardio workouts should be structured. This was great for me to just come in and focus on pushing myself versus having to try and plan what I should be doing. I was no longer just blindly going through the cardio motions, I was engaging in cardio workouts designed specifically for my body, based on the results of the RMA and AMA testing!  Robert also completely revamped my weight lifting routine. He opened my eyes to a new way to train my muscles and coming from an ex body builder, I was all ears! Life Time likes to say, “Certainty over chance,” and this definitely provided that as promised. Well, the results started coming and they started coming fast!! What’s crazy is that I had always considered my diet to be pretty clean, but the reality is that I was going about my diet the same way I was going about workouts, blindly!!

Robert laid out a nutrition plan that literally turned my body into a “fat burning machine”! He completely reprogrammed my metabolism and forever changed the way I will eat moving forward. What’s crazy about this whole experience is that for over 15 years I’ve been trying to achieve results but I kept coming up short . . . after just 60 days of focus and working out SMART, I achieved results I never thought were possible! Life Time has a core method: Know It, Nourish It and Move It! I learned these methods inside and out and will take this knowledge with me for the rest of my life. My only regret is not signing up for the 60day years ago!! This experience has changed my life forever. I’m stronger and more focused than I’ve ever been and I now have the knowledge to keep the results for many years to come.

Huge thanks to Kayla, Robert and all the staff at Gilbert Life Time! Without their expertise, guidance and support, I would still be going through the motions and wondering if I could ever get the results I desired. And to my wife, Jennifer and my 2 boys, Avery and Landon . . . thank you for your patience and support!!! You believed in me from the start!