JAMES HOGG

Programme: Strength & Conditioning

James came to us looking to get big and strong and obtain a leaner physique. “My energy levels have been incredible, I’m feeling a lot more positive both inside and out.” he pronounced. “A new me… that’s what’s come out of it.”

James wanted to get strong and toned and achieve a weight of about 95kg. We set this as his target.

FAT

-24lbs

MUSCLE

+2lbs

DEADLIFT 1 REP MAX

64 to 171kg

ACHIEVED IN

8 months

THE BEGINNING

The first activity in his programme was our ‘Set up for Success’ induction. This comprised:

Taking measurements and photographs to benchmark James’s starting point.
Benchmarking his daily calorie expenditure.
Setting a goal. James wanted to get to around 95kg.

Setting an initial level for his calorie intake. We cut calories and assumed a calorie burn from exercise.
Providing coaching on food intake. This included food theory and diet construction.
Constructing an exercise programme consisting of weight training and cardiovascular exercise.

THE JOURNEY

We keep a constant dialogue with clients to enable them to get the most from the programme. With James, we made the following observations and took the following actions:

James was totally focused for his workouts. Preparation, execution and post-workout were all nailed.
James’s gains in strength were consistent, relentless and extremely impressive. The changes in his physique were testimony
After an initial 10kg weight loss, James’s fat loss plateaued. After some investigation we traced this back to food choices and portion sizes. After adjusting his diet, James’ weight is now heading down again as he begins his second stint with Life Force Fitness

THE PROGRAMME

The exercise programme had the following elements:

Cardiovascular exercise to

Strengthen his heart, lungs and vascular system.
Improve his ability to burn fat as a fuel.
Improve his health markers and resting heart rate.
Burn some extra calories.

Weight training to

Enable him to build muscle whilst losing weight.
Provide a metabolic and hormonal cascade of beneficial effects.
Build a balanced muscular physique and improved V-taper.

“The biggest thing I can take back from this is the sense of achievement and the encouragement I’ve been given by the staff at Life Force Fitness. I’ve had some of the best coaching I’ve had in my entire life.”

THE RESULTS

BEFORE

AFTER

Weight loss

James lost 9kg in 8 months. He lost 24lbs of fat and gained over 2lbs of muscle. That’s a lot for a 50 year old man! His body fat % improved from 32.6% to 25.6% and his % muscle from 38% to 41.7%.

Health markers

James’s health markers improved considerably. His blood pressure went from 142/97 to 116/71. His waist to hip ratio improved from 0.96 (overweight) to 0.88 (normal).

Strength gains

James’s strength gains were relentless. Week after week James hit new PBs in all the big lifts. Here are some of James’s lifts.

Deadlift: 3 sets of 6 at 145.5kg.
Front Squat: 3 sets of 10 at 90kg.
Bench press: 8 reps at 83kg.
Skullcrusher: 10 reps at 36kg.
EZ upright row: 12 reps at 40kg.

SUMMARY

James’ approach to lifting is verging on professional! He has a consistent and structured preparation, with rolling, mobilisation and warm-up, along with his pre-workout cocktail. In the sessions his focus and determination are supreme. The strength and physique gains speak for themselves. After an initial fat loss as expected, James hit a fat-loss plateau. We have since traced this back to sub-optimal food choices and portion sizes. Now that James has corrected some of these diet anomalies, he is back on track with fat loss early in his second stint with Life Force Fitness.

“I’ve taken me away from the programme. A new me.”