At the beginning of 2021, a group of people joined my VIP coaching program with one common goal in mind – to gain the recognition as the “best transformation” of 2021, which would win exclusive coverage in TRAIN!
Shaun Howard is the man who came out on top having lost an incredible 35.5lbs (although he has actually dropped over 50lbs in total, over a 10 month period) , while adding a substantial amount of muscle. As his photos demonstrate, his transformation is jaw dropping.
Before After
Photo credit: madetobebold.com
What I always enjoy is learning the background story to every client on my VIP coaching program, Shaun’s is certainly one which inspires me. As a married man, father of two young children, and a demanding job, Shaun has overcome all of the obstacles in 2021 which most men use as their excuse year after year.
In my position, I get many applications for my VIP coaching on a daily basis, which is actually a very in-depth process. Although you might find this hard to believe, I personally review every single one of these applications because I am extremely passionate about coaching and it also keeps me very connected to the pain points of those who want to be my client.
Most of the pain points are lack of time, poor motivation, internal and external environmental factors, cravings, working hours, family commitments, lack of gym equipment and no real direction. In truth, the person needs to be accountable to an external source (in this scenario, me), have the right program customized for their needs (which befits their lifestyle) and remove the guess-work.
When I devised Shaun’s program, I had to be considerate of the fact he is a father, husband and works long hours. This meant that I had to think about nutritional strategies that would work for him, when to fit his cardio in and what training program would deliver the fastest results based on his recovery. Equally, Shaun had to commit to this new lifestyle overhaul and meet me halfway with discipline, which he evidently did.
The point I am making is that your obstacles will always be present and your ability to fabricate excuses will never diminish if you’re that way inclined. However, just like Shaun did, you can break out of this cycle and decide you deserve better. If you’re a parent, using your children as motivation is hugely powerful as I see every day from the fathers (and some mums) I coach online via my VIP coaching program.
Once you have made the decision that you and your loved ones deserve better, the question then becomes “how do you get started”, and maintain the momentum. Many people start a transformation and fail because they made that decision during a moment of real pain or excitement, which propelled them forwards. When that emotive state wears off, they’re left with their lack of resolve and usually resort back to their old destructive habits. With that said, what is the solution?
Using Shaun as the example once again, given that he just won the best transformation of 2021 with me, after he began working with me, it was about doing things which would keep his momentum up. There were three cornerstones which underpinned his forward momentum during this transformation.
1) Check-Ins
As with every client on my VIP coaching program, Shaun would send me a weekly check-in, answering a long list of questions I provide. This MUST be done every Sunday without fail, which Shaun happily adheres to. This enables me to analyze what might need changing with the diet, training cycle, frequency, recovery, etc, and beyond that look deeper into the psychology of the client. If, for example, Shaun was dealing with poor motivation due to work stress, I would have the inclination to provide solutions, because I am aware. Without awareness it is very hard to give the right advice at the correct time – this demonstrates from my perspective as a coach why these check-ins are a non-negotiable part of my VIP coaching program. Furthermore, they provide a great deal of accountability to the client because they know if they haven’t dropped weight and have not stuck to the plan, I will call them out. This can be the difference between saying “yes” and “no” to a cheat meal during a time when you feel mentally weak.
Shaun’s check-ins are always very informative and honest, which is why his results have been so dramatic, because he provided me with the necessary information to support him optimally.
2) Journaling
One strategy I asked Shaun to use was journaling, something far too many people completely overlook. Every day, writing down how his day has been, what he is grateful for and reaffirming goals are makes him hyper focused. It also leveraged the power of gratitude, which helps manage stress, anxiety and sustains motivation because you’re more likely to appreciate your progress rather than crave things which aren’t going to help you. Psychologically, journaling can play a huge part in successfully seeing you through a transformation.
3) Ongoing Support
Beyond the weekly check-ins every Sunday, Shaun always had access to me during this transformation if he needed help. It is critical that during a transformation you’re aware that there will be moments which challenge you and make you want to quit – having that support at a moment’s notice solidifies the principle of accountability. Shaun has come to me during his transformation with obstacles, received my feedback, and more importantly used it to overcome the obstacle.
Can you see there is a strong theme here?
Shaun decided he wanted the result; he took action by joining my VIP coaching program and listened to everything I said. He chose to not make excuses when he could have many times. For these reasons, therefore you’re reading about his phenomenal results today!
What has made this transformation story even more fulfilling for me is that Shaun’s wife is T1 diabetic (she was diagnosed from the age of 4!) and has adopted a healthier lifestyle having seen his results. Not only has Shaun become an inspiration to many people across the world, but he is also the perfect role model to his own family which for me is the ultimate position any parent or husband/wife can attain.
Today, Shaun continues to actively be coached by me on the VIP program, pursuing new goals.
As a really nice way to sign this off, Shaun has provided a small snippet from himself below.
“I would like to give a massive thank you for the love and support from my family and close friends; Sanj, Jaxxon and Axxel – I love you and thank you. Thanks to Nick for the chats and Kris for the plan, knowledge and accountability. You can continue to watch me progress with Kris’ coaching on Instagram @shoxxo_mass”
