AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT
At Immortal, we like to praise health and fitness achievements of our trainers and clients. As well as getting some great results, one of my clients recently achieved something else pretty amazing........Anthony Hayes has been an actor since the age of nine and has appeared on film and television screens for over 20 years. Rabbit Proof Fence, Animal Kingdom, Ned Kelly, The Square, The Slap, Bikie Wars and Mr. and Mrs Murder are recent things you may have seen him. At the most recent Logies, he received the recognition he deserves, by winning a Silver Logie for his performance in "Devil's Dust" (voted by his peers). He has been training with me for a while now, twice a week, to drop some weight for an exciting role he has coming up in a movie....
How long have you been training with me?
I've been training with Byron for about nearly 6 months now. I started in mid November 2012.
Why did you start training with me?
I started training with Byron for a few reasons. I just had a child, my first, and that got me thinking about living longer and healthier. I gave up smoking the day we found out we were pregnant after smoking non stop for 16 years. That was the beginning of attempting to approach life differently.
I wanted to lose some weight and fluctuated all the time. I found exercise to be a chore, and I wanted to learn how to do it so I didn't go too fast and burn out in a couple of months and get sick of it. I lost about 4 kilos on my own but it was a struggle to stay motivated.
Lastly, I was offered a film called THE ROVER with Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson (Yes Edward from Twilight ladies) and the role required me losing some substantial weight. This helped as I had a deadline to meet. I had 3 months to drop it. This got my butt into gear and this is when I called Byron and asked if he could help me to do it properly.
What results have you gained?
Well, firstly and most importantly, I feel MUCH better. I even actually enjoy exercise half of the time. I exercise at least 4 times a week even now the ROVER is finished. Whilst I was in training for the film, it was 6 days a week and quite brutal.
I started the odyssey at 90 kilos and so I have lost 16 kilos in total in 8 or 9 months. I started with Byron when I was 86 Kilos and I am now 74 kilos. And I've gained muscle so I've dropped a lot of fat.
I'm stronger, fitter, more enthusiastic, and I get out more in general.
how much would you say diet plays a role in achieving what you have so far?
Diet played a vital role in shedding the kilos. It was very hard to maintain when it was full on. I worked on a 1200 NET calorie a day diet with fitness pal. And Byron helped me initially with what to eat. I'm a vegetarian, so it's very hard to eat high protein without a lot of fat. And there's only so much tofu one man can handle.
The diet was rock solid for 4 months. I had a cheat day every week, sometimes I really hit it too hard on cheat day, but generally because I was seeing the results I was craving, it was easy to stay focussed again the next day.
There is no easy way to do it. There is no cheating. No quick fix. No diet pill. No fat blaster bullshit. You just have to be diligent for a long period to drop the weight and exercise. You have to really stick to it and stop lying to yourself about what you eat. A food diary is very important. And I wrote down absolutely everything. I used kitchen scales to weigh every gram of every food. I had a three month deadline and I lost about 12 kilos in that time. It was hard, but I just kept telling myself that once I got to my ideal weight, I could ease back into normality.
It's not as full on now, but I'm still pretty strict most of the time. Pizza has made a few appearances since, but I always write it down and work it off.
I basically lived on Quinoa, chia seeds, protein powder, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh. Vegetables. I ate no potato, no pasta, no bread. No sugar. I've now introduced these things in moderation, but I don't add sugar to anything. Most of the time I don't really feel like eating the stodgy stuff I used to love anymore.
What do you do between our sessions?
I do two sessions a week with Byron. And on the other days I will do two work outs in the gym. And one cardio day. I HATE cardio. But I make myself do it. If I can't get to a gym cause I'm out in the middle of the desert shooting (Which I have been) then it's all body resistance work and cardio.
What has it meant to you to get to the level you are now?
Getting fit, feeling better, and people noticing has meant the world to me. I feel like exercise and eating well is now just part of me. I was so full of bullshit excuses when I was overweight. I'm shooting away from home, I have no routine, my knee hurts so I can only walk and not jog, I love pizza - all excuses. I'd often lay awake at night and it would really get me down. Particularly in the acting profession, you really need to be a bit fit. I wanted better roles, I wanted to diversify and losing weight is already helping my career.
What are your goals with health and fitness for the immediate future?
After getting in shape for the film, I had to reset my goals. It was much easier when I had a shoot date looming. But after that passed, I had to really think about doing this full time. For me. And now I actually feel really poorly when I don't exercise for a few days. I'll feel sluggish and have an intense feeling of needing to blow out some cobwebs.
I looked great when I saw the pictures of me in the press when I won the logie, and strangely enough when they showed the nominee clip for DEVIL'S DUST (Which i won most outstanding actor for) I was over 90 kilos to play that role, but a 74 kilo handsome chap stepped onto the stage to pick up the silver bling. That felt nice.
I want to feel and look good, I want to keep getting good roles and I want the success to continue so I'm pumped to keep it going. I also want to be around for a long time for my partner and baby boy.
What roles have you got coming up?
You'll see me in THE ROVER next year probably, THE BROKEN SHORE (A TV movie) on the ABC later this year, and I've just started a new TV series for channel 10 called SECRETS AND LIES - THE TRACK which will be an absolute cracker.
There is a good flow of work at the moment and I'm finding it hard to do it all. Which is fantastic as I get to be more particular about which jobs I do, and why.
what do you like about Immortal Fitness?
I don't just LIKE immortal fitness, I LOVE it. Byron is incredible, everyone is so friendly and encouraging. Its a fun place to train in. It's not your average gym, it feels like a little community. The rock climbing and the sled are just a couple of examples of how exercise can be varied and fun. Of course there is the usual hard stuff in there and cardio machines, but its the stuff you don't find in a fitness first that breaks it all up and makes every session varied.
Huge thanks to Byron. He's an excellent human being, a great family man, and he genuinely cares about your results and wellbeing. I've really enjoyed his company even when I want to punch him for making me hurt in a tough session.
