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Karl Slater

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Karl Slater is one of my most successful clients. He totally transformed his physique at the age of 52 by simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle. What's even more amazing is that he accomplished this with no previous weight training experience. Karl had never lifted a weight before in his life even though he was an accomplished runner.

When I first met Karl, he had the type of physique I would describe as "skinny fat". He was not overweight in the traditional sense, in fact, he appeared rather thin. However, his stomach had started to develop the characteristic middle-aged spread that often affects men in their 40's and 50's.

Karl had been running for years but his muscle mass was lacking and his bodyfat percentage was still too high. His original goal was to develop some strength in his upper body and legs in order to make his running more efficient. We began with a basic training program so Karl could become accustomed to the different exercises. I used light to moderate weights so Karl could perform each movement with perfect form. Karl was a great student because he always asked me a lot of questions regarding his exercise form as we progressed through this learning curve.

In March of 2002, after about six months of consistent weight training, Karl announced to me that he was going to enter a Self Improvement contest sponsored by Melaleuca, a company that Karl was involved in. Karl had a deadline of 12 weeks in which to improve his body.

When we began training for the competition, Karl weighed 165 pounds with 19.4% bodyfat. That translates into 32 pounds of fat weight and 133 pounds of lean muscle tissue. At the end of our 12 week program, Karl weighed 159 pounds with only 14.6% bodyfat. His fat weight had dropped nine pounds, from 32 pounds to only 23 pounds and his lean muscle tissue had actually increased from 133 pounds to 135 pounds. This is impressive considering that Karl was losing fat while gaining muscle, not an easy thing to accomplish!

Karl trained with me three to four days per week. I designed a training split in which we trained chest, back, shoulders and abs on one day followed by legs and arms on the second training day. We trained each bodypart an average of twice per week as Karl worked out with me 3-4 days each week.

My job with Karl during this 12 week period was to make sure he trained with enough intensity so he could actually increase his muscle mass while he was losing bodyfat. This is a very difficult task since Karl was eating less calories in order to lose his body fat. As a result, his energy was often lower than normal and it would have been easier to train with lighter weights in order to get through the workout. I wasn't about to let Karl slide however. I wrote down each training session and pushed him to use heavier weights and do more repetitions each and every workout. This training intensity is what allowed Karl to not only maintain his muscle mass while losing bodyfat but to actually gain muscle. Check out his measurements! Karl gained muscle mass in each one of his body parts while simultaneously losing fat.

I also designed a nutrition plan for Karl to follow during this 12 week period. I have to give credit to Karl as he was very meticulous in writing down exactly what he ate each day. He tracked his calories, protein, carbohydrates and fats along with the amount of fiber and sugar he consumed each day and then recorded it on his laptop computer.
At the beginning of his preparation, I had Karl eat an average of 3000 calories each day in order to increase his muscle mass and strength. I wanted Karl to be as big and strong as possible before we began cutting back on his calories so he could display maximum definition at the end of his 12 week trial.

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After 4 weeks, I had Karl begin cutting back on his calories in order to shed bodyfat and develop more definition in his physique. We designed a diet in which Karl ate 2400 calories on his weight training days and only 1800 calories on the days he did not weight train. We arrived at these numbers through trial and error. It was rather easy to determine the right amount of calories that would allow Karl to gain muscle while losing fat because he was so meticulous with his diet every day. It really made my job much easier.

Karl also began adding more cardio training to his workouts in the middle of the 12 week preparation. I warned Karl in the beginning that too much cardio combined with the calorie reduction of his diet could result in a loss of muscle mass. As a result, I did not have Karl increase his cardio training until week 7 of his preparation. This proved to be perfect timing as Karl was able to shed the last bit of fat he was holding while still maintaining his muscle mass through the fat-loss process. In the end, Karl displayed a six-pack that any teenager would be proud of!

An added bonus to the improvement Karl made to his physique was in his cholesterol level. At the beginning of his 12 week preparation, Karl's total cholesterol was 192. By the time Karl had completed his diet and training program, his total cholesterol had dropped to a low 135. His LDL/HDL ratio was also improved. This is proof that building muscle and losing fat not only improves your appearance but, more importantly, also improves your health!

If you are interested in transforming your body through a controlled training and nutrition program the same way Karl did, contact John today. To schedule an appointment for a personal training consultation, contact him via email at John@NaturalOlympia.com or call him toll-free at 1-800-900-UNIV (8648).

If you do not live in the Chicago are but would like John to design a Personalized Training and Nutrition Programs specifically for you, click here for more information.

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