BOUNCING WITH LIFE
Bruce Hatfield is proof that even personal trainers can benefit from taking part in the 12-Week BodyBlitz Challenge.

You think that personal trainers have it under control – after all, they know how to train, what to eat and when to eat. But sometimes they become too busy helping others find the time to take their own advice. Forty one-year-old personal trainer Bruce fell into this trap, but stopped neglecting himself when he started the 12-Week BodyBlitz Challenge.

“People think that being a personal trainer, you’re the be-all and end-all of health and fitness – but we’re just normal people with responsibilities and challenges just like everybody else. So sometimes people think ‘But you’re a trainer, you’ve got all this information’. Yes, you might have all the information but if you can’t apply it it’s no use to you,” he says.

Bruce and his wife Anne own and run their busy personal training studio, Serious Fitness, in Victoria. Their usual working hours are from 6am to 9:30pm most days. As you can imagine, a tight schedule like that doesn’t leave much time for training, let alone time to make nutritious, healthy meals. Eventually, this heavy workload took its toll, leaving him feeling sluggish and with a few extra kilos. “The last straw came when a client mentioned to me that I was getting a little tubby around the waist. I thought ‘That’s it! I’m going to get rid of it!”

Sample diet Upon rising: lemon and water, L-Glutamine, protein shake, multivitamins. Breakfast: egg white omelette with mushrooms, tomatoes and Italian herbs on a slice of multigrain bread, and a large glass of water. Morning snack: Megaburn protein bar, piece of fresh fruit, large glass of water. Lunch: Pesto chicken with salad in a multigrain sandwich, L-Glutamine, large glass of water. Afternoon snack: Piece of fruit, protein shake, large glass of water. Mid-afternoon snack: L-Glutamine, protein shake, large glass of water. Dinner: Tuna burgers with mango salsa and salad, large glass of water. Evening snack: Protein shake made with rice milk/water (if still hungry).

And he did just that with the help and support of his family. “My wife devised a great training strategy involving two weeks of strength training followed by two weeks of hypertrophy, then two weeks of circuit training, repeating this over the 12 weeks,” he says. He also followed the diet that Anne recommends to her clients and that she has in her own recipe book. “Training is only half of it, so we put an easy-to-follow eating plan into place. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who just eat grilled chicken breasts with steamed rice and broccoli every night. I needed to have some variety, otherwise I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through the first week, let alone a lifetime. I made sure I had at least one cheat meal a week, so that I could still go out for dinner with friends and not stress about it,” he says.



Things were going great and Bruce was starting to see results...but then more of his time was suddenly taken up. Anne had a relapse of chronic fatigue syndrome, leaving him in charge of Anne’s clients as well as his own, running their business, household chores and looking after their three-year-old daughter, Evexia. It was hard to find time to exercise, but Bruce was determined and keen to remain focused.

“I managed to stick to it, even though I was loaded up with extra work and responsibilities, by penciling myself into my own diary. I placed the same importance on these training appointments as I would with any of my clients so that I would keep it. Cooking meals was easy as the recipes only took about five minutes to make, so for someone who had limited cooking ability, I felt like a gourmet chef. I also continued to focus on what was most important and that was getting myself back on track so I that I could inspire my clients and others to do better than what they thought they could, no matter what life throws at them,” he says.

Well, he did just that and was also surprised by winning this month’s competition.

“I feel fantastic. Even if I didn’t win, I would still feel fantastic. It’s a long-term goal. Twelve weeks later, I’m over 10 kilos lighter and healthier. I find myself running faster, having more energy for my family and business and at 41 years of age, I would have to say that I’m in the best shape of my life. I have also learned that life will always throw you challenges along the way but the key is to stay focused, be organised and never, ever give up.”

You can visit Bruce’s personal training studio at seriousfitness.com.au IM

Bruce’s Tips • Focus on long-term results and not the short-term ones. It might take a little bit longer, but you’ll keep the kilos off for a lot longer too. • Make sure you put some personal time in for yourself. • Stay positive and focused – what worked for me is that I had a plan and I stuck to it. • Have a supporting partner who isn’t afraid to say ‘No, you’ve got to do 30 minutes on the bike even though you’re a bit tired’ or ‘you’ve had enough carbs for tonight’ is great. My wife was fantastic and my little girl Evexia helped me count backwards as I did my ab work.

Exercise routine Monday: chest, back, shoulders Tuesday: cardio 1–1 1/2 hours throughout the day Wednesday: legs and abs Thursday: cardio minimum 5-to-10km run Friday: chest and back, mixed circuit Saturday: cardio Sunday: rest day