Can This Men's Health Staffer Lose 10kgs In 10 Weeks?

Week 8

I’m really starting to feel good now. There are visible changes to my body, and the weight is still coming off. With every training session, I’m smashing previous weights or times. Mark had me complete a Snap Fitness Members challenge on the very first session, which sent my heart rate through the roof at 192bpm. It took me 4 minutes and 29 seconds in that first session, and we’ve just done it again to start week 8. I’ve shaved a whopping 1 minute and 6 seconds off my time, and it’s these results that are keeping me motivated to bring it home strong.

I have an engagement party this weekend, which will be a test of my willpower. I predict that there will be plenty of booze and not-so-healthy party food, but I’m confident I can withstand the temptation, knowing there will only be 2 weeks to go from here.

Snap Fitness Member’s Challenge
60 X Battle Rope Slams (When youR left hand aND right hand have both slammed, that’s one rep)
20 X Medicine Ball Slams
25 X Barbell Punch (each arm)
500m sprint on rower

Week 7

With only four weeks to go, I’m feeling confident that we’ll hit my target, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Having photos splashed throughout the mag and all over social media is daunting, particularly if I don’t achieve a desirable result. Mark has been pushing me hard, and he’s very confident I’ll be looking good in my final photo shoot. It’s hard not to be inspired by his enthusiasm, and as the kilos fall off with every passing week, my motivation remains strong.

This is the second week where the focus isn’t so much on cardio, but on building strength and muscle mass. I’ve been jogging for half an hour every second morning, but the plan is to bulk up now before blitzing fat in the final two weeks.

My diet is much the same as when we started - lean meat with plenty of green vegetables, and consuming small portions, multiple times a day. I haven’t had any sugary snacks or starchy carbs since the beginning, and I’m feeling (and looking) far better for it. It’s been surprisingly easy - once I found the right balance, it quickly became a habit and I don’t really think about it too much.

I’ll be sticking to a similar diet and training schedule once this is all over, as I don’t feel like I’ve had to be completely absurd while monitoring my rations or sources of nutrition – it’s a balance of eating well 90 per cent of the time, and indulging for the other 10. I’ve found it easy to prepare and eat really well during the working week, and then I can relax a bit over the weekends without dropping the ball completely. With that in mind, I’ll certainly savour my first beer when this is all over.

Return To Slender
Grant’s daily eating plan
7am – 2 poached eggs
9am – Double shot espresso
10.30am – Chicken breast with avocado, spinach, tomato and sweet potato
11.30am – Protein shake
2pm - Chicken breast with avocado, spinach, tomato, shot of espresso
5pm - Chicken breast with avocado, spinach, tomato
7.30pm – Salmon, spinach, tomato, capsicum, chilli, lettuce, onion

*Chicken breast, salmon and tuna are rotated and exchanged daily

MORE: Watch these videos for lunchtime workout ideas

Week 6

Mark called me on Saturday morning to let me know I’ve earned a weekend off. In fact, he hammers me to make sure I do nothing but rest. I’m not one to argue, and come Monday I feel much better for it. I turn up to the gym firing on all eight, and I am pumped for a big week of training.
We waste no time, with a leg session on Monday and back session on Tuesday. We’ve been working these two muscle groups a lot; being two of the biggest, my heart rate spikes when we train them hard, increasing my fat burning potential.
My strength has improved significantly - my Day 1, 3RM on the deadlift was 125kg. Now I’m punching out 3 reps of 130kg on the last of 6 sets. I’m starting to notice some changes to my body too. I’ve lost weight around my back, shoulders and arms, as well as my face.
At the end of the week, I jump on the scales. To my delight I’ve dropped 6kg. Suddenly my target weight of 98kg doesn’t look so far away.

Stack Your Back
6 Sets
Deadlift – First set: 15 reps of 60kg; Second set: 10 reps of 80kg, Third Set: 6 reps of 100kg (repeat in sets 4 and 5); Final set: 3 reps of 130kg.

6 Sets
Seated Cable Row: 8-10 Reps. You should struggle on last two reps of each set.

6 Sets
Lat Pull Down: 8 Reps. You should struggle on last two reps of each set.

6 Sets
Eccentric Chin Ups (Lower slowly from the top position). Each set until failure.

Week 5

Rest, rest, rest. That’s what I should’ve been doing on the weekend, but stupidly I didn’t. I pushed it too hard with a tough Tabata class on Saturday and a long run on Sunday. The result? I’m sick, again, and worse this time. I probably never really recovered from my cold before, and with a lack of good rest, it’s come back.

Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to take a few days off, so I have to push through. The sessions are more focused on strength this week, as lung-busting cardio workouts aren’t going to help at all.

Mark has also instructed me to have a few saunas to try and sweat everything out, and I jump straight in bed when I arrive home each night.

It’s a setback, but I still managed to get through each session and lose 1kg by the end of the week. I have cleared my schedule and don’t plan on leaving the house this weekend, so fingers crossed I’m raring to go next week.

Chest/Tricep Workout
6 Super Sets
5 reps of 70kg Bench Press into 5 Incline Push-ups

6 Sets
5 Reps Incline 45 degree 40kg Bench Press

6 Super Sets
6 Reps of 40kg Standing Shoulder Press into 6 Push-ups on the same barbell

6 Sets
5 bodyweight dips

Week 3

Well, this isn’t an ideal start to week three. I’ve been struck with a severe cold, and I actually took Monday off work. Mark explains he’s been waiting for this to happen, as my body is still in shock. With such a sudden and strenuous workload my immune system is likely working in overdrive.

After plenty of sleep, vitamins, veggies and a good, long sauna, I’m back on my feet and operating at around 85 per cent by Tuesday. I push my way through a marginally easier session on Tuesday, and feel better for it.

It’s the first full week I’ve been pumped to train, as I am starting to see some results. Plenty of remarks are being made about my skinnier face, and I’m noticing increased definition around my back, shoulders and arms.

I am starting to miss the freedom of my former diet though. Eating out for breakfast on the weekends can be a hassle, as I’m trying to avoid eating carbs on rest days. Even a seemingly healthy serving of avocado and tomato on sourdough is off the menu. Oddly, I have a strong craving for garlic bread, which, you guessed it, is definitely off the menu.

On Friday’s we have our weekly weigh-in. Tipping the scales at 104.5kg, I’m well on track at this stage. However, it’s important I only use this weight as a guide at this stage. The DEXA will be the true indicator of success, and a lower body fat percentage is my only real concern. Still, I’ll take this dose of motivation for now, and I am pumped to train hard again next week.

MORE: Why the scale isn't always your friend

Week 2

Two weeks in, and I feel different. The training sessions are still very intense, but my body is handling the workload far better. Mark has got a great measure on my limits, so while he never pushes me to breaking point, the word easy has been dropped from my vocabulary. I’m not here to lick stamps, so I’m very much enjoying this approach. He is also still doing everything he can to get my heart-rate maxed out by the end of every session, and we’re going pretty close. Soaked in my own sweat, I leave the gym satisfied that I am on track. I am starting to feel fatigued though; by mid-afternoon each day, I could certainly do with a power nap.

The workload is very intense. On top of the five grueling sessions I complete with Mark I do some light cardio, three mornings a week, as we look to burn fat and continue spiking my metabolism. Generally it’s just a half-hour jog, which is surprisingly helpful in reducing the DOMS. I also do a tabata class at my local gym each Saturday to finish off the week. Over 36 minutes my average heart rate is 168bpm. The training schedule is unyielding, but 10-weeks is a very short period of time to shed so much weight.

Luckily, I’m finding the diet surprisingly easy. There is definitely a common theme with chicken breast and broccoli often making repeat appearances on the plate, but my willpower is holding up and I am doing well when it comes to saying no to anything full of carbs or sugar.

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Week 1

WOW! I forgot what this felt like. See, I used to row surfboats and training nine times a week was, well, just what I did. Fast-forward two years to the present day, and it’s clear I have not retained any of that fitness after a lengthy training hiatus.

I’m in for 10 grueling weeks, where my trainer, Mark McGuiness from SNAP Fitness Waterloo, explains that I’ll need to be over-trained and constantly burning kilojoules. First order then, is to shock my body and get my currently sluggish metabolism firing.

We’ve over-hauled my diet, and starchy carbs have been shown the door. I’ll be tucking in to steamed vegies (broccoli, carrot, and small portions of sweet potato), lean meats (fish and chicken) and yes, sadly making friends with salad. For this first week, I’ll fast until 10am, before having my first of five small meals for the day. Right before every session I also down a triple-shot espresso to encourage a metabolic spike.

Every workout is exceptionally punishing. I’m questioning what I’ve got myself into. Mark monitors my heart rate at all times, so he knows exactly how hard I’m working and we don’t stop until he’s satisfied I can’t do anymore. We’re sticking to basic compound movements, and everything is done in drop-sets. However, every move is ‘super-setted’ with a body weight exercise to pump my heart-rate up, and I never rest longer than 45 seconds.

I can’t believe I made it through the first week, although, it was only just. My body is screaming for a rest day. However, after only five days colleagues are already seeing results, providing a motivational boost and getting me excited for a good result.

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