Adam started training at 16, but had an ‘enlightenment’ in his first year of university, where he incorporated full body movements and started eating correctly. During this time he went from 76kg to 85kg, gaining a load of strength. His progress accelerated once he shifted his focus to performance over aesthetics.
Adam started MMA recently, and picked it up fast. In January, his coach offered him the chance of fighting in the sub 82kg category. He took this as a challenge and made his goal to be as strong and fit as possible at this weight.
This sounds like a job for PropaneFitness.
Start weight: 86kg, 10th Jan 2011.
End weight: 80kg, 8th March 2011.
And no, we didn’t make him shave: his propane fuelled rebirth singed the hair right off his chest.
8 Weeks
Interview with Adam C:
How did you find the transformation?
Personally I tend to be quite strict with myself and like to dedicate to things completely so it was tough but a challenge I was really excited to get into. Dieting was hard initially but as soon as I began to see results I realised it would be worth while to have the appearance and athletic improvements I wanted. Also the deadline of the fight was an extra incentive that helped to focus me on what I had to do (and still have to do) to get there . The diet advice from propane was invaluable, I was a complete dieting novice and now feel a lot more confident when thinking about what to eat. The training advice helped as well especially when I was injured, as I could have just tried to train through it but the advice was to stop and recover and this was definitely the right choice.
What lessons did you learn?
I’ve learned some basic dieting strategies and how to train while in a cut to maintain strength levels which were vital to success. Also dieting doesn’t have to ruin your life; with cheat meals and a sensible approach you can make gains without just eating chicken and veg. I’ve also learned to take on board advice people give you but to make my own decisions and stick with them.
How have you benefitted?
Benefits are endless. I’m happier with the way I look than ever before and my lifts have on the whole stayed the same despite losing 6kg of bodyweight. With the high intensity, power focussed weight training I feel faster in my lifts and more powerful. With regards my MMA; my cardiovascular fitness is better than every, I feel far more agile in my kickboxing (faster punches and faster in my movement) and my relative strength in my grappling has improved. Hopefully this will shine through at the fight! Also looking forward to improving at olympic lifts, with some more guidance, and eventually shifting good numbers on these. I also personally like the feeling of eating healthy, whole foods that you know are doing nothing but good (maybe just me though?).
What would you say to anyone about to go through something similar?
Dedication is everything. Don’t approach it if you’re not 100% about seeing it through. Have goals and focus on these. I hadn’t really had distinct training goals before the transformation and it gave me a new drive I’d never experienced before when I was training for the sake of training. Don’t listen to people who discourage you or aren’t positive about what you’re doing because in general they’re just envious of your dedication and the results you’re seeing. That said don’t let it consume your every thought as I did initially, and I’m sure most others do as well for a bit, and enjoy it as much as possible as it’s something new. Lastly don’t give up or change strategy immediately if progress isn’t obvious straight away, stick it out and it’ll be worth it.
The Result.