It took Spencer Matthews only six weeks to transform himself from a lumpy, regular guy to a Men’s Health model. The phenomenal transformation wasn’t easy at all. His secrets – kangaroo diets and grueling workouts. “I’ve just managed to get to be a Men’s Health model in six weeks and I can’t believe I’ve done it,” he told the Daily Mail Online.
I can’t believe it either; the before and after pictures are so drastically different. The pictures show his progress every couple of weeks and you can really see the change. It’s truly amazing what the human body can do if you really push it hard enough.
Matthews wasn’t alone in his efforts, he had constant support from a top fitness expert from Men’s Health. The magazine had approached him in September this year and asked him to train for six weeks with them. They promised that he would be in the best shape of his life, and they would publish the results.
When Matthews started on his almost impossible quest, he weighed about 190 pounds with 17 percent body fat. “I was looking decidedly lumpy,” he said. “But miraculously in a month and a half, MH fitness expert Shaun Stafford managed to turn me into a cover model weighing in at 176 pounds with only 8 percent body fat.”
Matthews himself is pretty shocked with the results. He says that if anyone had told him a couple of months ago that he was going to be on the cover of Men’s Health, he would have laughed in their face. He has been a yo-yo dieter in the past, indulging in too many late nights, parties, booze and take-aways. But when this opportunity came his way, he wanted to make the most of it.
Even with determination, breaking lifelong habits isn’t very easy. That’s what Shaun did though, by beginning with a complete overhaul of Matthews’ diet. Matthews was asked to drastically reduce the late nights and alcohol consumption, so he could get all the sleep his body needed for recovery and change.
Shaun himself is the WBFF PRO Fitness Model World Champion and runs City Athletic. His strategy for Matthews wasn’t just one hour at the gym, it was making use of all 24 hours of the day.
The diet that Shaun set for Matthews was at base calorie level, just below the daily requirement, designed for weight loss. The portions were small, high on protein, moderate on carbs and low on fats. Exotic meats and fish were the only indulgences he was allowed, just so the low carbs wouldn’t drive him insane. Interesting dishes featured on his diet menu – kangaroo burgers and wild boar.
The workouts were the hardest part. The first few were so exhausting that Matthews became sick. But he persisted, and as he got fitter he didn’t get sick so much. Shaun did high intensity, full body work-outs one hour a day, six days a week. He started with low reps at first, building up to higher reps and heavier weights. “I also tried to fit in three cardio sessions a week, a short run, swim or bike ride,” he said.
To keep him motivated, Matthews had weekly body fat tests and took photos of his progress every two weeks. There were other guys taking part in the challenge with him, so they all encouraged each other to work harder.
Shaun says the hardest part begins now, after he’s achieved his goal. He needs to make sure he doesn’t fall back into his old habits, especially with Christmas around the corner. “But I think I will manage,” he says with confidence.
You can catch the full story of Matthews’ body transformation in the Men’s Health January issue, which was out on 3rd December.
Source: Daily Mail
