Reawaken The Beast! (Part 2)

Back on 19/05/2019 I shared with you all a blog entitled “Reawaken The Beast” (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/reawaken-beast-matthew-cossens/ & https://www.matthewcossens.com/post/reawaken-the-beast) and shared my thoughts on how you can raise your standards, eliminate excuses, find motivation around you, use you strengths to drive lasting change, be disciplined and stay the course. I also shared my goal during the 8 week (F45 Program) and said as of 30 June, 2019 I will be less than 85kg with <12% body fat.

Was it all talk? Did I actually “Reawaken The Beast”? Let’s talk about what challenges I experienced along the journey first. As I feel these challenges are relevant in any area of your life where you are looking to go to the next level and find the best version of you!

New obstacles, challenges.

Finding a new possibility or setting a new standard is hard. I went from regularly training each day (and a good baseline of fitness) to driving to 2 to 3 sessions per day. This included F45 in the morning, interval training at lunch and weights at night. It was the hardest I had ever pushed my body. This came with new challenges physically, (as the body needed to adapt quickly to the new demands) emotionally (as it required a new mindset and level of energy/focus) and fuel. In the early weeks the hardest challenge was finding the right balance for the diet between carbs, fats, protein as well as calories. Some days I was extremely fatigued, but I found a new normal.

The other obstacles were all the new exercises I had to learn. The F45 classes are always different and there were a range of new exercises to learn in a controlled manner to avoid injury. Additionally, with my significant shoulder injury (and heavily reduced movement) I had to constantly modify or completely change exercises to get through the class.

Pain & Other Speedbumps

I have pain each and everyday, courtesy of my shoulder injury. This has something I have had to learn to accept and deal with. It’s not going to go away; in fact I have it constantly everyday and even small tasks can cause me grief. I recently saw another surgeon who has indicated that throughout the years ahead I am likely to need multiple shoulder replacements. That doesn’t sound fun at all! But it also doesn’t sound like an excuse to be lazy and not maintain a level of fitness. If anything, it has given me a mindset to want to stay as active and healthy as possible knowing that the surgery is ahead and the best way to go into it is as healthy and fit as possible.

I love what Ray Lewis and Eric Thomas say about pain – be it physical or emotional.

Ray Lewis “There's two sides of pain that I think a lot of people really don't understand. There's one side of pain that’s the suffering and discomfort side of pain.

Then there's another side of pain that's called effort - it’s called glory, it’s called if you can find a way to push through pain there's something greater on the other side of it! If you never tap into it, it’s because the first time you felt it you backed off. The first time you felt that burn, it’s too much.

We rationalise with ourselves to where we automatically stop. That's why a bunch of us give up on so much in life so quickly! That's why kids have a problem finishing things in today's time, because as soon as they feel a small bit of discomfort, or things aren’t right, they gone. I can't do it anymore.

But suppose I told you, the greatest pain of my life, is the reason I'm standing here today.”

Eric Thomas “I dare you to take a little pain. To go through it. You're not gonna die because you’re feeling a little pain. You ain't gonna die. At the end of pain is success. Pain is temporary it may last for a minute, an hour a day, or even a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however it will last forever.”

I’m not saying don’t listen to your body, if you are injured stop when it is necessary. But you need to push through discomfort and the burn. Life is going to knock you down, over and over again through the years and you need to be able to get back up and drive forward! Don’t let a little pain hold you back.

There was also tiredness! Especially when lowering my carb intake and changing my diet. There were aches and pains, sickness (a nasty chest infection etc) but I was committed to the outcome. There were speedbumps on my road to success. Was everyday the best workout I have ever done? Of course not! But with a resilient mindset, a clear goal and people to keep me accountable I was not going to be stopped.

That Little Voice in Your Head!!

Not matter how strong your mindset is that little voice is always there. You need to block him out. It seemed like every week the voice in my head would find a new crack in my psyche to try and break me. Phrases like:

• You’re tired, what’s one day off?
• Your body hurts, rest!
• You’re not going to get the result!
• You’re pushing too hard!

This little voice can get louder when the people around you (often family, friends, colleagues) who think they are supporting you but are placing their limitations on you without even knowing it. Often the people closest to you will be trying to support you but don’t realise that their words can be reinforcing that little voice in your head and working against you. I had multiple people on the journey tell me that I was pushing too hard, I was crazy, my body was going to breakdown, I couldn’t sustain this level of effort for 8 weeks and beyond. They think they are helping but in fact they are not.

How did I block this out? My morning routine of gratitude, goals and prayer/meditation certainly helped. I also found time each day to watch a range of motivational videos or phrases on Insta that inspired me to stay the course. Some of these examples included:

• Ray Lewis
• Jocko Willink
• Eric Thomas
• Les Brown
• TD Jakes
• Inky Johnson

I would also draw inspiration from the people around me at training. Each week their bodies were transforming, they were pushing through similar struggles, they could relate. They drove me to stay the course. A simple conversation before or after our session would remind me of why I was there and the goals we were all chasing.

Self Doubt

At 4 weeks I had dropped 3.5% body fat and 3.6kg but was there self doubt? Of course! I am not a person who often stands on the scales, (as that is not the measure of fitness and I believe is unhealthy) but I found myself in the last 4 weeks doing this regularly. This allowed self-doubt to creep in around results as there would be regular fluctuations depending on how I had trained the day before or the specific food. It made me question everything I was doing. It amplified the little voice in my head and played a contributing part in throwing off my diet in the last 2 weeks.

In the end I just had to avoid the scales and just focus on the formula I had to drive success. Sometimes too much real time data is a bad thing! I also needed to focus on the fact that this was a lifestyle change and not just 8 weeks.

Temptation

The temptations I faced on this journey were simple. The first was food! Glorious food! More importantly carbs. Oh how I missed hot chips, dumplings, pasta and bread. I also have a weakness for ice-cream. The challenge also started for me post Easter so the house was littered with chocolate and other goodies ??

I’m very disciplined when ‘locked in’ on my diet and managed to maintain good control of my intake of food. The key to my success here though was having an appropriate trigger in my head.

Anytime I thought about breaking my meal plan, I had 2 simple trigger phrases I would think about:

• Sub 10%, you’ve got this!
• Abs are built in the kitchen, not the gym!

Additionally, I had a supportive wife who would ensure that my dinners stayed on point and would hold me accountable.

At the midpoint of the challenge I was also recommended a healthy, slow release protein to assist me on the journey. This also happened to be in chocolate flavor and could be mixed into a mousse (instead of a protein shake) if I was craving food or something more sweet.

The other temptation was to miss workouts and/or sleep in. I made this impossible by locking in training partners for the majority of my sessions and accountability with others when they were not available. By week 4 I was too amped by the results I was getting and enjoying the different types of training that this temptation simply disappeared. 

A Stretch Goal

By week 6 I had decided that I would set a stretch goal to drive me that little bit harder and challenge what was possible. I made the decision that I wanted to drive to 10% body fat (instead of <12%) and try and maintain my muscle mass. This added fuel to the fire for the final 2 weeks and saw me increase my workouts to a whole new level!

The Results

The key statistics for my starting point where as follows:

• Weight – 89.6kgs
• Body Fat % - 17.8%
• Waist – 94.4 cms
• Visceral Fat Score – 72.4

At the 4 week scan, I had achieved the following:

• Weight – 85.7kgs
• Body Fat – 14.3%
• Waist – 89.5 cms
• Visceral Fat Score – 54.8

The final results where as follows:

• Weight – 79.8kgs
• Body Fat – 11.4%
• Waist – 84.1 cms
• Visceral Fat Score – 36.5

The final results showed I had dropped 6.9 kg’s of pure fat (a third of my total body fat!), 6.5% body fat, 10 cms of my waist and my visceral fat score had almost halved! I’d also gone from mushy to a pretty mean set of abs!

More importantly, I had set a new standard, built a new range of habits and brought back an absolute fire towards my training and diet.

I’d lost some muscle (mainly due to overtraining and lack of carbs at the end which was a diet mistake) but I have learnt from this and now have a better understanding of how to fuel my body while training at this new level.

Outside of my personal success over the last 8 weeks I believe I have motivated others to raise their standards (either in fitness, work or family life) and this flow on effect means so much more to me than my personal results.

How did I feel initially on the day? I was disappointed at first. I had smashed my original goal but missed my stretch, goal. (and that had been my total focus from week 6) I sat in the gym for a few minutes and considered the feedback. My diet (particularly lack of carbs in the final 2 weeks) had caused muscle loss and I missed the 10% stretch goal. Was I too hard on myself? Maybe but I wanted to hit the stretch goal. How did I respond? I did a quick cardio session prior to our weight class and reflected on what I achieved. I looked over my before pictures (and some of the pictures I took along the journey) and decided to draw from the positives. I hit my goal! Sure, the numbers didn’t make my stretch goal but this wasn’t game over. I can continue to chase the numbers, learn from the scan and diet advice and drive to 10%.

I had also achieved so much outside of the numbers on the page. I am the fittest I have been in my life, emotionally stronger, more resilient, more disciplined and instilled a range of new habits including a cleaner diet.

I had proven to myself I could do more than I thought I was capable of. I had set a much higher and new standard! I’d like to think I hold high standards for my life but having pushed harder than ever before and found a new level and new normal.

Where To Next?

So what’s next? From a health and fitness point of view I want to drive to below 10% body fat and increase my muscle mass. I want to help others transform and support those around me to chase their goals in this area. 

But it’s time to look at other areas of my life and find the next level. The next journey is with our team at work. We are coming off a record year, (and I am proud of all we have achieved together!) however, we recently completed our group offsite in which we have challenged each other to set new goals, execute and give our best 30 days. My next challenge it to see our team Reawaken the Beast and deliver for our candidates and clients at a whole new level! Watch this space!

Thank You To Those Who Made It Possible!

Reawakening the beast might sound like a journey between you and you and from an effort point of view this is true. But to stay the course, drive results and ultimately success it requires a team of excellent people around you. So who helped me make it possible?

• F45 – Bayswater North – Trainers – What an amazing group of people led by Anth and Jess. You guys have built an amazing community at Bayswater North. What an amazing group of trainers. Thank you to you all for pushing me along the journey! You have reignited a fire in my training I haven’t had in quite some time! Thank you guys!
• F45 – The other participants – The other participants had such a great impact on my journey. There are no egos in our gym and everyone is there for the right reasons. It’s great to see a group of supportive people driving each other to be their best!

• Mat Masters Academy – Joshua Riley – Thanks brother for continually pushing me to do better both physically and technically from a boxing standpoint. Some of the sessions pushed me to the limit and were a real struggle to get through but it is worth it! You also didn’t take it easy on me even when I was flat from training earlier in the day and I appreciate that. I look forward to continuing to get sharper, faster and more proficient.

• My Brother (Dave) – training in the evenings. You gave me a level of accountability I needed in the evenings. I didn’t always feel like training after a long day at work or after completing sessions during the day but your consistency in showing up pushed me to an outcome. No nights off!! ??
• The Aurec Team – for their support and encouragement throughout the journey. It’s been a tough 8 weeks and you guys probably wore the brunt of my reduced carbs and fluctuating energy. In saying that you guys backed me to the hilt and fired me up when I needed it.
• My Wife – My ultimate support and rock. You set the example in the previous challenge of what could be achieved. You planted the seed that I could do more. Seeing you push to another level was inspiring. I love that you hold me accountable to all my goals in life and that you expect action and results, not words. You hate people who talk a big game (and don’t back it up) but love people who deliver on their word! You support me in all my crazy pursuits and for that I can’t thank you enough. I look forward to training with you each morning and love smashing the start of the day together! #couplegoals
• My Creator – I can do all things through he who strengthens me. That is a truth I claim!

One Final Thought

The one thing that was very clear to me along this whole journey is the value of consistency and hardwork. You really cannot cheat the grind. If you are willing to put in the work then the results will come with time. You can find a new level in area of your life. If you are willing to do the work and refuse to quit you will get your result!

I came across the following list of things that require zero talent. These should be your mantra and your golden rules when looking to Reawaken The Beast! 

So, where do you need to Reawaken The Beast? I challenge you to take the next 8 weeks and find the best version of yourself in any area of your life! Share and comment below:

#beastmode #reawakenthebeast #nextlevel #success #motivation #bestyou #bethebestyou #bestversion #raiseyourstandards #f45 #f45bayswaternorth #matmastersacademy

This article is originally published at www.matthewcossens.com/blog/

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