Anthony Boon was a very active youth, but an injury which kept him out of sport for 7 months left him bereft of motivation. It was sport’s feel-good factor that reignited Anthony’s fire for the fit lifestyle.
Anthony Boon vital stats
Before
Age: 27
BF: 50%
Weight: 308lbs
After
Age: 29
BF: 8%
Weight: 160lbs
1 Demotivated by injury
I suffered a muscular injury in my lower back when I was 17 which left me out of any sporting activity for around 7 months. In this time, I gained a lot of weight and lost a lot of motivation.
2 Sporting a change
I spent my teenage years playing sports, including squash and cricket. But it was badminton that sparked my journey. I was competing at a good level and realised I could become even better if I lost the weight I gained over 8 years.
3 The low point
My social life was becoming increasingly difficult. Nothing I wanted to wear fit. I spent hours looking in the mirror hating what I saw. Staying at home on the computer or watching TV was my safe haven, and eating was my only company. I had to change.
4 Not gym-only
I always loved sport and being active regardless of my weight. Besides playing in a badminton league, during the summer months I started walking distances between 9-20 miles, two or three times a week, and monitoring my calorie expenditure.
5 Weight loss gifts
My clothing size had dropped from XXXL to Large. I was getting joy from shopping, being able to wear what I wanted and being able to go out and feel good about myself.
6 The transformation approach
My approach now is to stay lean and gain small amounts of muscle. The goal is a lean, but strong physique. I continue to learn different lifting techniques in the gym through my PTs and through my own research from books, videos and forums
7 Gaining principles
I train 5-6 days a week and sessions last between 60-90 minutes unless I do H.I.I.T cardio beforehand. I use heavy sets (4 x 10 reps, 80%-80%-90%-100%) to attack a muscle group with 6-7 different exercises.
8 Counting down the lbs
My current macros are roughly 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fats hitting between 1750-2250 calories a day depending on my training that day, and also how I feel the next day and If I feel I need a few extra calories to recover.
9 Transforming soundtrack
I don’t have music on during my weight sessions but during H.I.I.T training these are at the right tempo to really push myself during sprints to give me that extra 10%! Ludacris, Clean Bandit, The Chainsmokers, Alex Gaudino, and Linkin Park.
10 The split
I monitor my fatigue closely and may throw in extra rest as needed, but generally my split looks like this:
Monday – Shoulders
Tuesday – Back
Wednesday – H.I.I.T, Chest
Thurs – rest
Friday – Biceps/Triceps
Saturday – H.I.I.T, Lower Back/Legs
Sunday – Chest/Triceps (Light)
11 Desert for breakfast
I love Icelandic yogurt with chopped up bananas and a handful of blueberries. The yoghurt contains 32g of protein which is filling and helps my muscles recover. The fruit adds potassium and flavour.
12 What supp?
PhD Diet Whey – 50g serving. This lower calorie option suits my goal of losing body fat and I love the flavors
Pre/during Workout – EVLution Nutrition BCAA Energy (26g serving)
Gives me an energy boost towards the end of my workout. The BCAA’s help my recovery with no extra calories
L-Carnitine – 2 x 3 tablets daily – helps lose fat by using fatty acids as an energy source
13 Night nibble
Chicken, wholewheat pasta and a bowl of mixed salad with a low-calorie salsa sauce. This is one of my favorite, effortless meals to make after a long session. It gives me plenty of protein with quality carbs to help the recovery process after my workout.
14 Killa eats
Grenade Carb Killa protein bars taste great and are low in fat. I can also put rice cakes with anything…soup, salads or with some low calorie spread – the perfect snack!
15 Maintaining happiness
The joy I get from going to the gym makes me go back. I no longer need food to keep me happy. I have days where I may binge at a party and eat what I want but the important thing is my reaction the next day. I’m straight back onto my routine
16 Scaling down
Scale weight isn’t as important to me as it was but I still like to count my calories, protein and water intake. This will help with my goal this year of adding lean muscle and keeping my excess skin at a minimum. I am looking to take up a career in personal training to help others who were like me.
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