The Amazing 12 Program Archives

Jo (April 2016)

HOW do you take a 32-year-old mother of two with a full-time job who has never trained before and in 12 weeks turn her into an athlete?

That’s pretty much what happened with Jo Smith. She had never lifted weights or been a member of any gym or played sports. I took her through two private sessions before we started training – to show her the movements and give her some basic tuition. The rest we had to learn and improve while on the job.

Fortunately, Jo is a good learner. Sometimes it can be easier with raw beginners because they don’t have bad habits that are difficult to break. To some extent that was the case with Jo. But when I think back to the start and how she didn’t know how to engage the right muscles at the right time, it makes her progress all the more staggering.

In the beginning I had her bench-pressing with only 9.5k on a bar. By the end she was doing reps, albeit tough ones, with 42k! That’s a massive increase in strength. Her back squat and deadlift more than doubled during the same period. With more training, it will only continue to improve.

Already she’s talking about doing another round!

Jo started with what could be termed a slender ‘mum’s body’ and finished looking like she’s been working out her entire life!

Every day after I’d finish my Amazing 12 coaching session in the garage gym we used, I would reverse my car on the gravel drive to turn around. As I did so, Jo would walk back to the house.

I can’t remember when precisely, but there came a point when I suddenly noticed how her physique had taken on an entirely new appearance.

She committed herself to the program so well and, to the best of my knowledge, followed all the instructions I gave her.

I got her into the best shape and condition possible within three months. But, because Jo’s never really tested herself physically, there is a lot of untapped potential. This, believe it or not, is just the start.

Jo’s since taken up kite-surfing and cycling.

North London girl Jo was a good student. As the weeks went by, I could see her fitness soaring. Where she had previously faltered, Jo just kept on going, like an energiser bunny.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were some sticky patches, like when she felt sore (common if you’re working muscles that haven’t been taxed in a long time) and one time when she pulled something in her chest. But we found ways to continue without making the situation worse. Jo always brought a good attitude to our sessions, though. I couldn’t have asked for more.

She had to skip a few workouts – six to be precise – through either illness or work-related issues beyond her control, but approached the program with the right mentality, doing everything I asked and never wanting to cut corners. Jo always felt disappointed whenever she missed training.

We got there in the end and the photos tell the story. I am proud of her achievement.

“I always had a flat tummy,” she said. “But never abs. Now I don’t need to suck in my stomach anymore.”

“I loved it [the training]. I’m very happy with the results.”

Much more than just the way you look

THE question of why I chose to be a coach for the Amazing 12 transformation program was posed to me recently. The thinking behind the question was that it’s all superficial and rather shallow, isn’t it?

Aren’t there more important things in life? Isn’t it just another training quick-fix in the fitness world and unsustainable anyway?

I’ve seen all the criticisms of the Amazing 12 and they usually originate from the doubters – those who cannot believe these types of results are possible. But the negative comments don’t come close in volume to the positive ones. And, having completed the program myself and taken individuals through it, I know all the results are absolutely authentic and that these transformations are achieved through effort, discipline, motivation and the application of masterful program design.

I’m not interested in pulling the wool over someone’s eyes or conning them out of money by providing false claims or promises I cannot deliver. How does that enhance my reputation or build trust or help spread the value of what the Amazing 12 offers?

What is superficial anyway? Here are two definitions: “existing or occurring at or on the surface” and “appearing to be true or real until examined more closely“. By those definitions the Amazing 12 is anything but superficial. In fact, the beauty of the Amazing 12 is much more than skin deep. What happens is a ripple effect: strength and fitness achieved through movement, progressive training and better eating habits leads to greater health, boosted confidence, enhanced brain activity, happiness, stronger immunity, a rise in self-esteem and self-worth, a sense of accomplishment, pride…

And there is more. There are the educational benefits, because I’m teaching not only about the importance of good nutrition and providing evidence of it when it is applied, but I also focus on skills – in lifting and movement – and striving for high standards. The Amazing 12 is not just the execution of a program designed, tested and perfected by one of the world’s foremost strength and conditioning coaches. For me, it’s the opportunity to repeatedly enforce how we can move weights safely and effectively so that in our daily activities we become more efficient in our actions and, effectively, less prone to injury and/or decay.

To complete the Amazing 12 one requires motivation – to drive yourself on to achieve your goal – and discipline – to show up on the days when your motivation is low. We all have good and bad days. That’s inevitable. But the Amazing 12 holds you accountable. It’s not a turn-up-when-you-feel-like-it program. It’s not to be tackled half-heartedly. But it will teach you what can be achieved if you keep showing up, no matter how you feel. You just have to trust it.

Adriano, one of my graduates, commuted each day by train several hours from Chichester to London. In fact, I wouldn’t let him on the program initially because I didn’t think he’d be able to stick to it and his success was more important to me than his money. I’d trained him previously and never seen him turn up more than two days in succession. So I set him a small challenge: come to training every day the following week and I would consider it. He did.

“I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t easy [doing the A12] initially,” he admitted. “I had to get up at 5.30am to get to London and I’d be back in Chichester for 7.30pm, then be at the gym from 8.30pm-10pm, go to sleep and repeat. Nevertheless, sooner than I thought, I adapted to the new routine. My body adapted and this became normality for the 12 weeks.”

To see Adriano’s face at the end was a gift. When I asked him about the experience, he quoted me a Kipling poem that best described how he felt.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them ‘Hold on!’

“The Amazing 12 gave me self-belief, body awareness and a mental toughness I didn’t realise I could have,” he told me.

So let’s not get hung up on the superficial notion, because superficial is worrying about how our hair looks or the style of our shoes (and Adriano loves shoes more than anyone I know) or the clothing we wear or make-up we put on or how fashion dictates our actions. What is real is who we are and that we have only one body to take us through this journey of life. What is important is our health and, because the Amazing 12 program insists on clean, wholesome eating, this program actively boosts our level of well-being which then spills over into every other quarter of our lives and those with whom we come into daily contact.

Is it sustainable? Of course not and that is why it runs for 12 weeks only. But, as I have already stated, those three months will teach you plenty and, because new habits are formed along the way, leave lasting impressions and build a formidable platform from which to develop further.

I chose the Amazing 12 (and, thankfully, it chose me) because it is empowering. There are few things more satisfying or rewarding in life than empowering others. I see it in the smiles on the faces of my graduates when they have finished the final session and reached the mountain top. I see it in the eyes of some of them before they have even started – that glint of excitement at the prospect of what lies ahead. And, of course, I hear it in the words of people like Adriano.

Each person has their own story and, as such, their motives for wanting to do the A12 differ. There are now hundreds of graduates around the globe who have successfully taken the journey and transformed their lives. I get individuals who come back a second time, because it works for them in a way that nothing else does. That’s a massive compliment for the Amazing 12.

And when someone who had been diagnosed with a rare form of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma and thought his body would never recover completes the program and says he feels fitter and stronger than ever before or a lady of over 60 returns to her fighting weight of 30 years previously and she’s beaming with delight, I know my job is worthwhile and way beyond superficial.

*Interested in the Amazing 12 in Chichester? Want to find out more? Please contact me and arrange for a free consultation where I’d be happy to talk you through what’s expected and answer your questions. My next phase starts on January 9, 2017 at Core Results.

Week 2: Progress Overload

THE second week of the Amazing 12 at Core Results in Chichester whizzed by. That’s always a promising sign. Nothing felt laboured.

Sue hit me with a staggering statement midweek: “Not kidding, Claudius, but two weeks on the Amazing 12 has got me into the same shape I was in after a year doing CrossFit,” she said. Sue showed me the photographic evidence. It doesn’t lie.

Despite knowing what the Amazing 12 can do, I was still a bit taken aback by that statement. But I could see it before my very eyes. However, with the Amazing 12 being more than just about physique development, I know there is still some way to go before Sue regains the strength she had before her shoulder injury. She’s definitely on track and squats and performs the deadlift as well as I have ever seen her. In fact, given she’s coming back from surgery and the shoulder was what she was most concerned with, Sue said that part of her body feels really strong. All being well, it will stay that way.

Having also worked previously with Ross, I can see him returning to his former self. As I keep track of his performance, I’m continually reminding him of how much stronger and fitter he is becoming in such a short time. He is feeling it, too. Ross is now able to perform more comfortably and with better form tasks he clearly struggled with in the first week. There’s a bounce in his step. I can see his body changing which, when you work with people every day, isn’t always so easy to notice.

“Isn’t it amazing how in just 10 days you can feel so different,” Ross told me. “I’m so much stronger in a short period of time.”

“It’s been a really good week,” he added. “Thoroughly enjoyed it. Small gains across all areas, so I’m happy with my progress. There is more to come from me. I’m releasing a lot of internal energy. My form is improving. I’m going in the right direction.”

As for Kari, I’m really impressed by how well she is learning the movements in the program and how her technique has become more refined. She openly admitted when we started that her core was a weak link. But now, in a short time, I can notice how much stronger she holds herself from head to toe. We work on skills and techniques EVERY session. And when I test out her endurance levels, it’s so noticeable how her rate of recovery and level of effort has improved.

Looking forward to week 3, but I’m enjoying it so much that it’s going too quickly for me.

The next wave of the Amazing 12 Chichester is planned for September-November 2016. Don’t miss out. Want to know more details or book a free consultation? Contact me at Claude@Intelligentstrength.co.uk

A Picture Has A Thousand Meanings

THERE is a time and a place to push hard. Finishing on your back at the end of a session doesn’t indicate over-training. Ending in that position after EVERY session will likely, however, be to the detriment of progress.

This was Sue Saunders on the second week of the Amazing 12 in Chichester (at the Core Results gym), giving it her all, but working hard without allowing sloppiness into her movement. That is how I prefer it.

An image like this can provoke varied reactions: ‘that looks too tough’; ‘that’s just what I’m looking for’; ‘can I do that?’; ‘is it too hard for me?’; ‘she must be fit’; ‘she can’t be very fit’…

What does the picture say for you?

Rest assured, the Amazing 12 is designed to work on anyone who moves without pain. I don’t slaughter the people I work with. I train them to become stronger and fitter. And a workout like this has its place in the process.

End of week 1

WEEK 1 for Sue, Ross and Kari on the Amazing 12 flew by.

I’m enjoying working with three people who are so different not only in build, but also the way they move and approach their training.

Sue turns up every day equipped for her mobility drills before we get started. She picks up her roller, balls and blocks and knows exactly what she is doing and why. I have to give credit to the guys at Core Results for handing her a restorative program that got her body, which felt broken, working again. I wish everyone I trained prepared for their sessions like her. By the time we start, she is ready to roll.

Sue learned the painful way – through injury – the value and necessity of good quality movement. She may lack mobility, but has lots of stability. I don’t think I’ve worked with anyone on the Amazing 12 who has taken on the program with such focus on movement integrity.

With Ross and Kari, who haven’t had the same experience with injuries, my challenge is different. Everyone feels invincible until they get broken. The Amazing 12 is nothing like what Ross or Kari has done before. It can take a while to adapt to what’s really needed and how. But they will get considerable practice of the techniques, breathing and best way to tackle the workouts in the weeks ahead.

Having worked mostly with individuals previously on the A12, I like the vibe of a small group. People feed off, motivate and encourage each other. This week everyone was on the evening shift.

Kari sent me a nice message: I absolutely loved this week,” she said. “Can’t wait for more sessions.”

They all complained a little about muscle soreness (the type that reminds you that you’ve been working your body) and I had warned them that was typical during the first week, where a lot of movements are new and the style of training not what they are used to.

“I felt it most across my chest and upper arms,” admitted Ross. “It’s been agony at times, especially trying to lift weights the next night.” Interestingly, Kari felt it most in her quads, whereas Sue said she could feel it all over, but that it was a “nice” feeling.

I know they will all get stronger with each week and their technique improve also. Sue’s always asking me questions (she’s the curious type), but I don’t give much away (nothing, actually) where the programming is concerned.

Turn up, do the work, eat as advised, trust I know what I am doing and let the Amazing 12 do its thing.

Trading Places

I HAVE Jon and Jo on week 11, close to the end of their Amazing 12 program, while yesterday Sue, Ross and Kari all began the April wave at Core Results in Chichester.

Each person’s journey through this program is unique, even for second-timers like Jon. It was a new experience for me, training someone on their own turf and without the space and equipment I am used to. There have been ups and downs with Jon and Jo, which is to be expected over the course of three months. What matters is how you tackle them.

While I always knew Jon would gain strength and power – as he did first time (a year ago) – I didn’t know what to expect from Jo as someone who hadn’t trained before. But she’s now like an energiser bunny. I can see how much stronger she has become as well.

For Ross, Kari and Sue on the first night, starting at 7.30pm, there was a touch of the unknown (I don’t give much away). In the early stages it’s important to think about form and get used to the tempo and movements. It can take time for all my pointers to sink in, but I know these three are going to get in a lot of practice in the weeks to come.

Having a coach – is it worth it?

A CONVERSATION I had recently with Sue Saunders, who is about to begin the Amazing 12 Transformation program with me next week, got me thinking.

We were discussing coaching. And Sue’s not what I would call inexperienced, seeing as she’s been going to the gym since she was 19 and is now 43 and has been a member of around 10 gyms.

But Sue still admits: “I’ve got a basic grasp of what to do, but I still feel like I need someone there. I don’t trust my form enough.”

Not everyone is as honest as Sue or even bothered about form. And I must admit that when it came to getting coaching, I used to be a sceptic (I’m talking 20 years ago).

I learned to play tennis and most sports just by watching television, getting the necessary equipment and going out and copying. But it’s hard to do yourself much harm making mistakes on a tennis court. In the gym, moving heavy objects, it is a different story.

My thinking used to be ‘why pay for help when you can learn to do it by yourself?’ But then I became a coach and, one by one, I received pupils who had done exactly that – trained on their own or learned from others in the gym. What did I notice? Lots of injuries and some horrible technique.

I can’t recall the amount of times it was said to me, “So I’ve been doing it wrong all this time?”

Yep. I’m afraid so.

And the amount of times I’ve stressed the importance of being mindful of technique when putting down a weight or picking it up only for it to be forgotten instantly!

That’s not the only reason a coach is needed. People switch off when they shouldn’t, forget to breathe when they should, breathe when they shouldn’t, don’t know where to look or put their hands, can’t feel what position their body is in, don’t know which muscles to engage…

Yet, despite the potential for injury, which can be costly if it leads to treatment from a professional or (worse case scenario) surgery, the inclination is still to ‘wing it’ or learn from a video or read a book.

That’s okay for some who have a good eye or are experienced or visual learners or if the movements are straightforward, but not so for a lot of others or raw beginners. And, if you ask me – and I may seem biased, I admit – it’s often not worth the risk.

But even taking injury out of the equation, good coaching should accelerate learning and, consequently, improve standards. I took lessons in boxing, tennis, swimming, fencing and karate to name a few sports. I can honestly say I learned something from EVERY session. But not until I took up CrossFit did I get any tuition in Olympic lifting or gymnastics.

A lot of these lifts are complex and take a lot of time and practice to develop. So while watching videos on Youtube of individuals doing amazing things can be inspiring, it also creates an urge to leapfrog the natural order of progression to attain a particular goal. And this is where a good coach would be useful or even crucial for safely monitoring or overseeing any advancements.

On the Amazing 12, often because I work with small groups or individuals, I try to watch everything. I reiterate that the goal is to do the best you can with good form. Always.

I’ve worked with Sue previously and, thankfully, she trusts the way I operate. “I found normal gyms to be rubbish for getting results,” she said. “You need to be working with people who know what they are talking about. It is important for me to have a personal trainer and guidance, especially if you want to get anywhere.”

For Ross Smith (above), who’s also on the Amazing 12 next month and experienced in so far as he’s been in the armed forces and training since he was 16 (he’s now 47), personal training has also become a priority.

He’d never had personal training before we worked together when I was teaching CrossFit.

“That was a shock,” he admitted. “It was more intense and I liked that. I wanted to go to another level. Knowledge and credibility in a coach is important and so, too, is trust.”

A coach’s job, though, goes beyond offering just technical guidance. You need to assess the individual, physically and mentally. Once it’s clear they are safe to train (by that I mean they can perform the basic movement patterns devoid of pain), some may need encouragement, while others need to be watched closely or slowed down even. On the Amazing 12 the job extends to dietary advice, program application and assessment almost on a daily basis.

The bottom line: want great results? Get a coach you can work with and believe in, know your goal, follow a program and stick it out.

Early birds

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MY current couple, Jon and Jo, are into week 9. Often big changes occur around now.

Usually, I have my clients train at a set time. But Jon and Jo have been training out of their home. Our times, therefore, have been variable to say the least, often because Jon gets called away on business. Today, for example, we kicked off at 6.30am.

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When I got up the birds were still tweeting and it was dark. But I do what I have to do to ensure my clients get the best possible results.

It was chilly to begin with in the gym (no heating), especially for me, as I don’t get to move around as much. But Jon and Jo soon warmed up.

I had Jon doing chin-ups. Halfway through the routine, he says: “I can’t believe how much stronger my back is. Before we started I was struggling to do one!”

Let’s just say Jon did in excess of 75 good ones and in good time.

Sue’s story

SUE SAUNDERS’ last conversation with her father, who sadly passed away last November, was about doing the Amazing 12.

Sue’s dad was her rock. She trusted him implicitly and ran everything by him so, understandably, she wanted to discuss the Amazing 12 with him.

While her father never really understood her passion for exercise and training and used to think she was crazy when she told him what she’d been doing during her CrossFit days, he did understand the value of being challenged.

“He knew what it meant to try to achieve something you think is out of your reach,” Sue told me. “That conversation we had was the final time he was coherent. He loved the mountains. He had aspirations to climb something big. I told him, ‘the Amazing 12 was my Everest’. It was a challenge to myself.”

In that moment, Sue’s dad turned to her and said, “You should do it.”

He smiled and laughed. “He understood my reference,” said Sue. “This way one of us gets to climb a mountain.”

A few days later, he passed away.

Sue will be on the April wave. This is something she has contemplated for nearly two years. She’s come a long way, because last May she had keyhole surgery on her left shoulder following a build up of calcium. Initially, the surgery didn’t seem to do much. But, slowly, her shoulder has returned to working order. Credit the guys at Core Results for helping to design a program that has effectively brought Sue to ‘Amazing 12 Base Camp’. Now begins the climb.

We’ve discussed doing the Amazing 12 for a long time. It means a lot for Sue. She still feels a sense of guilt that she’s being too self-indulgent. But her family is supporting her. A mother of two (aged 7 and 5) and professional photographer, Sue, 43, said: “I was never good at sports or sporty. No-one encouraged me to do sports. I didn’t begin using weights until I was 19. I never picked up a barbell until I started CrossFit [3 years ago].

“But I know I have the physique to have been good at something – given the opportunity. This [the Amazing 12] is like I’ve been given a second chance.”

My job is to guide her safely to that mountain peak and, as with anyone who has suffered an injury or undergone surgery, there are risks. But it’s one Sue feels ready and willing for.

“Being healthy and fit means everything to me,” she said. “Without good health everything is difficult. Being fit and healthy opens the doors to a full life. You need to be fit for purpose – to pick up your kids, run around with them…That’s your responsibility.”

Five years ago, when she took up running, Sue couldn’t make it to the bottom of the road (not far) without getting out of breath. Now she runs 6km three times a week. So she comes into the Amazing 12 in decent shape.

Alhough she’s excited, Sue’s feeling nervous, too. “This is all out of my comfort zone. I’m scared. I’m worried about not letting others down and being in the right head space. But it’s really important for me and probably something I’ll never do again.”

Never say never!

Into week 7

HALFWAY through week 7 of the Amazing 12. Things are starting to crank up now. This couple are feeling the changes in strength and fitness more, but there is a lot more to come.

Jon is on his second round of the Amazing 12 (you can see what he achieved first time by looking in the ‘graduates’ section).

It’s exactly a year since Jon first went through the program, but we’ve been operating out of a more makeshift gym. Jo came from a no-exercise-ever background. She’s doing remarkably well and it’s not uncommon to go from zero experience to the Amazing 12. The program is designed in such a way that it suits almost anyone.