The one reason I don’t like “Transformation” training and nutrition (diet) models, is simply because most of the academia I read on the subject shows over 90% relapse rates.
If a surgeon were to recommend a “great surgery” that has over a 90% rate of total relapse and often increased symptoms after i.e. Extra weight gain… You would question whether they were currently having some sort of stroke… It’s utterly ridiculous!
One argument I get is that “an initial overly strict routine to start, can help to start things off” … I totally get this… In training, we have something called periodization, where we target specific goals during various phases of an overall programme… However, that’s not the case when individuals do “Transformations” … It’s people wanting a quick fix and in my opinion, these “Transformations” have a negative impact on the huge portion of the population who are in a constant state of unrest, anxiety and depression when it comes to their weight.
This is due to the fact it gets them churning through a constant cycle of “6-12 weeks of intense training and dieting” (not geared towards SUSTAINABLE health and performance, but simply the stripping of ANY weight i.e. Water, fat, muscle), followed by complete relapse… It’s almost like a torture technique used to break someone’s spirit.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a huge market for it… If you are pushing towards a holiday, it makes sense that you will be extremely strict with everything… But I am not talking about this… I am talking about individuals who are unhappy with their weight and are in a constant cycle of “Transformation followed by relapse” … It’s not physically or mentally healthy… It’s makes your feel like a failure.
The ugly truth is that “Transformations” are marketed by fitness professionals, not because it’s the best training and nutrition model… But because it sells… I see myself as a coach, not a salesman… I won’t promote something just because it sells if I don’t believe it’s the best regime for the individual.
I’m happy to tell a client that their goals are unrealistic… I’m also happy to tell a young child that they are not good enough at something, but with hard work and training they can get considerably better… I refuse to bullshit people… Therefore, as mentioned a few times in this post – the “Transformation” model is Bullshit, utter crap!
Just a quick point – Telling someone they are amazing at something when they are not, is setting them up for failure and in my opinion, ultimately leads to a poor mental outlook on life as a whole… Instead tell people they need to work harder long term and they can achieve more!
Picture below: Left – That’s me training out in Thailand age 18 (with a ginger mohawk), weighed about 6 stone piss wet through… Right – That’s me age 28, not quite as skinny, no way near a physique athlete because I pretty much eat what I want as long as I get a balanced diet i.e. Get in all the good stuff (but still don’t eat enough to really build), but a lot stronger and completely happy with my physical health and shape… It wasn’t a 6-week transformation, it’s years of consistent training and reasonable eating (I’m lucky enough that I get to train every day).
Don’t get me wrong, I have great genetics when it comes to keeping my weight down… It actually annoys me because I’m quite a hard gainer (don’t gain weight/muscle easily) … But that just means with your different genetics, you might find areas I find hard, easy, and areas I find easy, hard…. So, you just need to work in the right way for you.
I don’t want someone to train and diet hard for 6 weeks… I want them to train and eat well for 50, 60, 70, 80+ years.