The following is a testimonial from my client Kate.

I'm sharing this for a few reasons. Obviously one reason is that I coach people for a living and so showing off their progress serves as a way to demonstrate my coaching.

But lets be real for a minute -- I'm seriously PROUD of Kate and it makes me feel good to see clients kicking butt.

Additionally, you'll note that the difference in body-weight is 6lbs but I think think is a good example of what happens when you apply progressively demanding resistance training under conditions where calories are adequate.

We used refeeds, diet breaks, and just generally kept rate of weight loss slow and I think the pics and the gym progress show it.

I'm also including a lifting video. For perspective, Kate had never squatted big plates before, and since working with her she's hit 135 for an EASY triple, and a huge 1rm of 175, and this is at a body-weight around 113 at the time.

Here's Kate's recap:


My progress with Patrick (Sidesteel)

I started strength training in 2014 with a pair of adjustable dumbbells in my living room. I knew I wanted to start lifting heavy but I also knew that heavy is a relative term and I wasn’t ready for the barbell yet. Fast forward to early 2015 when I decided to build a gym in my basement. I started with a power rack, barbell, weight plates and, of course, my trusty adjustable dumbbells. I spent 2015 getting comfortable with the barbell, building solid form and movement patterns on the big lifts and trying to increase my strength. I was not focused on fat loss or trying to run a bulk I simply wanted to learn to use the equipment safely. I am glad to say that I was able to make progress and was pleasantly surprised to see noticeable changes in my body composition in pictures taken at my friend’s wedding in August 2015.

Then, I stalled.

My birthday, anniversary and the holidays rolled around. I lost the motivation to log my food and keep calorie intake around maintenance. My less than ideal nutrient intake started affecting my performance in the gym which was discouraging. My motivation dropped off even further.

By November of 2015 I was considering hiring a coach. “Do I really need a coach?” I thought “would it be worth the expense?” After all, I learned how to track macros by myself. I learned how to perform compound lifts myself. What would a coach do? I discussed this with my husband, Mr. G., and we decided that a coach provided accountability. Maybe I had made all the progress I could on my own. Maybe, if I wanted to get out of this stall and progress beyond what I was able to achieve in August/September, I needed someone to report to. So I made the decision to reach out to a couple coaches and try to find one I thought would be a good fit for me. All I needed was someone to hold me accountable and help keep me motivated.

This turned out to be a great decision, I got so much more than accountability.

I hired Patrick and began working with him in early January 2016. At our first meeting, we discussed what my macro targets should be for fat loss. We also discussed what my goals were in the gym and how best to balance fat loss with strength gains.

Over the first few weeks, Patrick designed a training program for me and also helped with form adjustments on the major lifts after reviewing videos I sent him. These small tweaks made a huge difference in my comfort and confidence levels while performing the big lifts. Very soon I saw positive changes in scale weight, body circumference measurements, progress photos and gym performance.

Patrick has also provided invaluable assistance toward helping me keep a healthy mindset throughout this process. I know that I am prone to the “don’t be a quitter” and “just keep pushing” mindset but Patrick taught me the importance of refeeds, diet breaks and deloads. These practices have sound scientific reasoning behind them and they really make a difference in the fat loss process.

In five months of working with Patrick, I have seen the following progress:

• Went from 118 to 112lbs.
• lost 3 inches off belly
• lost 2 inches off waist
• booty and thigh measurements unchanged (an issue near and dear to Mr. G’s heart. Grow booty, grow!)
• added OVER 50 lbs to my squat
• added 15 lbs to bench press
• added 30 lbs to deadlift
• added 30 lbs to hip thrust
• safely tested my 1 rep maxes for the first time (175 lb. squat, 90 lb. bench & 165 lb. deadlift)

The best part is that I have managed to achieve this without turning into a raging, hangry d-bag!

My family and friends really enjoy this particular aspect of coaching. Thanks Patrick! I can’t wait to see what the next few months will bring!










https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1gajMnv7w