Over the years I have been part of many transformations. I have seen amazing results and watched people improve their health, self-confidence and physical appearance. But recently, Pam Rutherford achieved results that were unprecedented and dramatic enough to put her in Antonio’s training record book history.
Pam and I first met because her nephew Keith “Toastie” Kirk trained with us and did an amazing job changing his body with our 12-week transformation program. Pam was inspired by his success and also wanted to make a lifestyle change. “I had just run a marathon in Rome, Italy, but I wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t fit; I needed someone to kick my butt.” That’s exactly what we did to Pam, but in the end the results were so amazing they were surprising even to me.
As a trainer, it is my business to help people get in great shape, but I also believe it’s very important to track and chart individual client progress to motivate the client and to have scientific information to guide the program. I do this not only with the scale, but with the Bod Pod – a state-of-the-art body fat testing equipment – so I have a good idea what a person can achieve in a structured 12-week fitness program. To date, we have tested thousands of people with the Bod Pod, but based on Pam’s results, I may have to rethink what I once thought possible.
Last week, when Pam finished her transformation, she not only set the Antonio’s training record for most body fat lost, she shattered it. She lost a total of 27.5 pounds and still gained a pound of muscle, and even though these results seem great, they get even better. Pam finished the transformation at an amazing 13.7 percent body fat, putting her in an elite category where female professional athletes and fitness models are generally found. But the most amazing statistic of all is that she started at 29.2 percent and lost 15.5 raw body fat percentage points, which means she lost 53 percent of the body fat she had when she started the program and did not lose one ounce of lean tissue.
We have done hundreds of transformations over the years, but we have never seen results that equal Pam’s in just three months. Great job, Pam, we are very proud of you. Whenever we have the privilege of watching someone achieve such amazing results, we know it will inspire others to take a leap of faith and change their lives too! I can guarantee there are others out there who are tired of packing on the pounds, and Pam Rutherford will be their inspiration to get off the couch and get moving.
It’s important to note that most people today judge the success of their fitness program based on pounds alone; even though this is an important piece of the puzzle, it can be a false indicator of success. Most crash diets set unrealistic expectations and even though the scale reading goes down, valuable muscle is lost, and the result is slowed metabolism and greater chance to gain the weight back.
Pam’s transformation is a great example how combining a proper diet with a sound fitness program can lead you to lose fat only, preserve lean muscle and make you a healthy person with the body you always wanted. When I asked Pam what the best part of her lifestyle change was, she said, “I rocked this, and I have this sense that I can now conquer things, and I find myself saying what’s next? I am definitely holding my head a lot higher and I feel confident in all aspects of my life.” You deserve it, Pam. You did an awesome job!