First off, congratulations! How did you feel when you found out you won?
I was so thrilled to find out that I had won a global prize, I think I was in shock at first and after a day or so it started to sink in that I actually won at a global level. It was something that I was aiming to achieve but knew it was going to be a long shot to get a global prize and when I found out it really did make all of the hard work worth it and to be rewarded for all the effort I had put in was a great feeling.
What inspired you to take on the challenge in the first place?
I signed up for the F45 8 Week Challenge as it sounded like the perfect challenge for me at the point I was at in my fitness journey.
I struggled over the past years with losing weight and I have ongoing injuries from a car accident, which has held me back both physically and mentally. Then after having two children my weight increased again and I struggled to shift the extra weight for years.
After having my second baby I then had lost weight very gradually over two years but my strength and fitness were remaining stable and needed a ‘shake up’ and this is exactly what F45 offered. I needed the extra push and the Challenge gave me that with both the workouts and the meal plan. I really wanted something that focused on an overall body transformation and the body scan was a great way to see where my percentages were at in terms of muscle, body fat and visceral fat levels.
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How did you find the challenge, was it hard?
I really enjoyed the Challenge and I didn’t find it particularly hard once I adjusted to the meals and the meal prep. I had limitations on some of the training exercises due to past injuries but I did not let this become a ‘way out’ this time, I was able to do alternate exercises or lift slightly lighter weights. The trainer was amazing at supporting me through the workouts and giving me other options and great support and guidance through the workouts, it was this close guidance that I required in order to achieve significant results while avoiding strain on my injuries.
The 8 weeks really is not that long and it goes quite fast. That is where I found the F45 8 Week Challenge great, how the 8 weeks are broken down into phases, because when you struggle a little you can focus on each phase as a smaller goal to achieve within the Challenge.
What changes did you struggle with more, the eating or the exercising?
The eating was probably more of a struggle as I found the meal plan was the most challenging aspect as my children did not eat what I was eating, so the meal prepping was a little stressful as I had to do separate groceries and prepare separate meals each and every day. It became quite exhausting but I stuck to it and it worked!!!
How often did you train?
I trained twice a day, every day of the week. I was very disciplined in my training and even on the days I wanted to give it a miss I just pushed through and felt better for it once I completed the session.
Was there anything additional you did to help achieve your results?
In the first few weeks I really focused on core training and did my own core workout routines five days a week. This was key to my success as I needed to focus on strengthening the areas that were my weakest in order to progress.
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What helped you stay motivated?
There were so many sources of where motivation came from. The two biggest would be self-discipline and having an awesome trainer!!! The trainer at F45 Richmond is absolutely amazing! I had a really strong drive and self-motivation was key to achieving the results I did, but on those days where self-doubt came about or I fell flat halfway through a workout, the trainer was there to positively motivate me and encourage me to keep going and push through that extra rep. He truly was absolutely fantastic!!! He highlighted every gradual achievement I made and really put emphasis on the strength I gained each and every workout and gave me the encouragement and motivation I needed to keep moving forward.
The increased strength I gained week to week became my biggest motivation, walking in hardly lifting 3kg and by the end lifting up to triple that weight with ease was a great achievement for me.
How did you feel after the challenge?
Absolutely amazing!! Seeing the results in the mirror and in upping my weights was great but when I did my final scan and my results were so significant I was emotional and so proud of myself and what I had achieved for my body and my health. It was an awesome feeling to have improved so much!
What would you tell others who might be considering signing up?
I would say go for it!!!! It was such a great way to keep on track of individual progress in strength and training and the meal plan was great to follow especially to keep you on track and accountable for each and everything you put in your body. It has opened up my range of ‘clean and healthy’ foods with so much more variety to choose than I previously would have.
The training environment was so great! The workouts being different each and every class kept the variety so broad that I didn’t lose interest and the amazing people that I got to train with made it such a great experience, turning up and training alongside such encouraging people was such a positive aspect of the Challenge.
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