The Competitive Edge
Going back to the same two workouts over 10 weeks might guarantee success, but not necessarily enthusiasm. To keep Matthews pushing, Stafford tapped into his competitive streak.
“We kept the two opening big lifts from each workout the same throughout and updated the other supersets every four weeks,” he says. “We started off at a low weight. Then, every week, if he hit his target of five good reps, he was able to go up by 2.5kg.” And if he hit his goal, Matthews could pick a weight and chase an ego-boosting one-rep max for that lift. This kept things interesting and put the onus for progression on Matthews’s broadening shoulders. And progress was relentless. He finished the challenge being able to rep out chin-ups with 27.5kg hanging from his waist.
Matthews also had to find 45 minutes per week for an extra session on his own. “Of the big four lifts, he would pick the one he’d struggled with most that week, and start with three sets of five reps,” says Stafford. After that, he was free to do what he wanted. “Beach weights were at the top of the agenda – whatever makes it fun.”
Matthews continued with his beloved BJJ, but dropped from two to one sessions per week as his body fat stores dwindled. After weeks on an intense calorie deficit, recovery became paramount. “I encouraged him to have a total rest day before our sessions,” says Stafford. “To really benefit from his hard work, he had to be fresh.”