July’s member of the month goes to none other than Adam Barlow! Adam was nominated by both Lukas and Fabian for the incredible effort he puts into his training each and every session as well as the fact that he is still so dedicated to his training despite it being his “off” season.

What initially prompted you to start training with Chodat fitness?

The mirror (and my wife). I was putting on a kilo or two every year and it didn’t seem too bad but after 5 or 6 years it was getting a bit out of control. I used to get a bit bored in the gym so I was finding motivation hard. I also decided that I wanted to return to competitive rowing and I knew that I would need a bit of help to keep up with guys who are 10-15 years younger than me so I enlisted the help of Chodat fitness to get me into shape.

What is your current goal, or next mini goal you are looking to achieve?

I have a couple rowing related goals, as I think this coming season will be my last competitive year as I turn 40 after the season finishes. I really want to be in top shape when the season starts. Overall though I want to get into a routine where I can stay fit and healthy for the next 20 or 30 years without having to yo-yo with weight and fitness. I want to find a sustainable mix between training and lifestyle. Fab would like to see me finally get a set of biceps but even he isn’t a miracle worker!

What’s your biggest achievement so far?

I lost around 8-10 kilograms in around 12 months. I also recorded my best ever 2000m rowing score – 10 years after I set my previous best. This is pretty significant to me as it proved that I could still match it with guys younger than me.

What do you enjoy most about training?

The banter – always good to squeeze in a laugh in when you are lying on the ground exhausted.

How has your lifestyle changed?

I think that I am generally much happier now (and my wife agrees). It is amazing how your outlook on life can change when you get yourself into reasonable shape. I am also a bit more disciplined around my diet and exercise which is helping to keep me on the right path. I find that I am more likely to stay away from eating crap and I am more likely to train when I don’t really want to because I know how good I will feel 15 minutes afterwards.

What is one piece of advice you would like to give to others just starting out?

Keep at it and set yourself a more longer term target. I found the first 4 weeks hard as I had high expectations for myself, but after that time I really started to enjoy myself. I also stayed away from the scales generally and tried to weigh myself once a fortnight. This made perceived progress more likely and avoided a disappointment if I had just had a big weekend. Listen to advice also. Fab gave me some feedback on my diet and lifestyle and rather than ignore him I took it on board and it has helped dramatically.

Adam will receive a $100 Chodat Fitness voucher as a prize! Keep up the great work Adam!