Share: 

Buff mom and son use weights to stay in shape

December 22, 2018

Last fall, a group of close friends decided to compete against each other to see who could get into the best shape. And since Jay Huss was participating in this event, he signed up for my 12-week body transformation program to help achieve his goals.

During the 90 days he took part in my program, he did an amazing job and dramatically changed his appearance. But the most valuable part of Jay’s transformation was that his results were so good, he inspired his mom to get in shape, too.

“After the 12-week program, I was addicted and couldn’t stop,” Jay said. “I had to keep going.”

He had lost 40 pounds during the first 12 weeks, but more than that, it was the internal changes and the way he felt that inspired him to continue.

“I had my blood work tested after I completed the program, and everything changed. My cholesterol went down, my blood pressure dropped and the numbers were great.”

In addition, his energy began to skyrocket, and because of this, Jay’s family took notice.

“To see Jay do the program, get great results and stick to it was very inspirational,” said Dawn Huss, Jay’s mother. “I figured I’m going to try this, and since my 65th birthday was looming, it was a good time to get started.”

Dawn signed up for the program and we began to create a plan, but she had some previous medical issues that we needed to consider before getting started.

“Years ago, I had breast cancer and had a double mastectomy,” said Dawn.

She also has cardiomyopathy and had undergone a foot operation, so her program had to be well thought out to work around these issues.  

“I had not done anything to stretch or strengthen the muscles, and I was accepting aging and limitations,” said Dawn.

But she would soon find out she didn’t have to, and she would eventually be able to do things she never thought possible.

Because of Dawn’s injuries, our first goal was to get her moving and active. We started with basics, eliminating all chest movements and giving her low-impact exercises to build leg strength without reinjuring her foot. She responded quickly, and over time we slowly increased the workout intensity. 

It wasn’t long before Dawn could do just about anything, and because of her hard work, she completely changed her body. She lost 30 pounds, and her blood work made dramatic improvements. She has not only maintained her shape since she completed the program, but also continues to train with us and is still getting results, proving that neither age nor previous injuries limit her success.

In addition to all the positive physical and mental effects of getting in shape, Jay and Dawn now share a common interest. They both like going to the gym, and working out has been kind of a relationship-building experience.

There is no doubt Jay did an amazing job working our program and dramatically changed his appearance, but the most valuable part of his transformation was the effect it had on family members. Because of his success, he inspired his mom to take control of her health. If that’s not the best Christmas gift ever, I don’t know what is. Congratulations to both Jay and Dawn on a job well done. Your story is sure to inspire many people to get in shape in the new year!

  • Chris Antonio is a personal trainer and former world-class weightlifter. He has been lifting for more than 20 years and has trained a wide variety of clients ranging from All-American athletes to the average person trying to get into shape. To send a question to the Ask the Trainer column, email Chris at chris@antoniostraining.com or check out AntoniosTraining.com.

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter