Clay first started coming to Empower in July of 2010. His lone goal was to lose weight. Since then he’s come in once per week for an hour workout with Paul and then twice on his own to do the same workout. After a few months he also began running on his own, starting the “Couch-to-5k” program.
The results have been pretty amazing. In a year and a few months Clay has lost over 120 pounds! He’s lost about nine inches off his chest, 13 inches off his waist, and 10 inches off his hips. He has worked up to jogging three miles straight and will be in his first 5K race in the next few weeks. During our initial assessment Clay held a plank for 45 seconds and he recently doubled that effort. He can bench press 225 lbs, power clean 185 lbs, push press 185 lbs, dead lift 325 lbs, and squat 225 lbs. Here’s a video of his 225 lb bench press:
And my personal favorite, his 1000# sled pull:
We asked Clay a few questions and here are his responses:
Empower Personal Training (EPT): Have you noticed increased endurance?
Clay Harris (CH): Definitely, the stairs don’t scare me now. (Editors note: Empower is in a seven story building with 150 stairs)
EPT: Core strength?
CH: I feel much stronger.
EPT: Anything else?
CH: My guns are stronger and bigger.
EPT: Less stressed?
CH: Time at Empower is my no-stress time. I don’t think about anything else when I’m there. It’s great.
EPT: More confident?
CH: Sure, though my wife would like me to stop flexing in the mirror. Also, I’ve disliked the feeling of being judged when going to the gym. At Empower, it’s like going to hang out with your friends for an hour and working out. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
It has been a blast working with Clay and seeing his drastic results. We will continue to work towards his goals of losing weight and flexing his guns in the mirror so look for another update in the next few months!
Paul Piracci, BS CSCS
Paul brings a background of athletics and education to the Empower team. He believes that wellness should be viewed as a blended lifestyle that balances nutrition, a healthy mind, and fitness which incorporates fun recreational activities. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024.
