Ryan Thierys Transformation
Here are the stats:
Start Weight: 180lbs
End weight: 165lbs
Body fat % start: 16.9
Body fat % end: 12.3
My time working with Parker @ Lightening Party Fitness & Endurance
1. Did the training meet your expectations?
Yes! 100%. Parker would give me the training 1-2 days in advance so I could make sure my schedule allowed for the training session. Some training days required more time than others, but I made sure no matter what, I got it done. There were no excuses I fell back on. I had an amazing trainer, and took every piece of advice he game me.
3. Was your trainer supportive and engaging?
Parker gave me access to contact him over email, text, facetime and phone calls. At specific points during the 8-week transformation, I would text him in the evenings, about the next day’s training, and I was expecting a reply the next day. NOPE, Parker was able to answer my questions that evening so I was fully prepared for the next day. Even in the early mornings, another question on nutrition timing came up and more questions about movement standards. Parker picked up the phone and facetimed me so I could see the proper form of what it took to complete the exercise. Parker is there for you if you are feeling not motivated and hits you with a quick piece of encouragement.
3. Was the training platform easy to use and understand?
Parker uses Training Peaks. This is such an easy app to use with the Help of PG. He can write in the workouts, but then also, notes within the app, to help me succeed for nutrient timing. He’d also give me a good idea as to the total number of miles expected for the day, or how long certain training days would be. He helped me sync this app to my Garmin, so when I would start the workout, it shows up on my phone. For running days, training peaks synced to my watch so I’d know at certain points when to increase pace or decrease pace. He also added max HR days, meaning that he’d write a workout for running that included one that I couldn’t go over 145 HR. So I definitely relyed on him in helping me get this set up on my watch/phone so there would be no question as to what workouts I was doing for the day.
4. Was the training material relevant to your role and/or position?
On our first discovery call, I told Parker what my goals were, and what I was looking for in a trainer. He has helped me get ready for running my first HYROX for the year, and helped me train for a marathon at the end of the year. Every workout PG wrote down for me on what to do to hit those goals were reflected in the training. There were days when I didn’t want to train, but I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to hit my goals.
5. Was there any part of the training that surprised you?
The variety in the training days and running days. Even the long running days had variety in that, he didn’t just write for me go out and run 10 miles. He had specifically wrote down for the groups of miles, what needed to happen; i.e. first 3 miles at 10:10-12:30pace, then the next 4 at 9:15-10:50 pace, and finisher with 5 sprints at 7:45-8:30 pace. It never seemed to drone on. Even when it came to the weight training: There were HYROX sims every week, but we focused on different stations that I will encounter during the race, so every week, there was still variety in the type of exercises I was doing.
One other thing that I didn’t know would be so important is mobility days. Parker introduced to me and had set days for mobility and stretching scheduled into training. I would tell him that my calfs were feeling tight after workouts and runs, and then the next question from him would be “well, have you done your mobility training?” and generally when I was feeling tight hip and calf muscles, it was because I wasn’t doing the mobility work.
6. One piece of advice?
Listen to Parker. I had never done HR running before, and I though I was going too slow because he scheduled me for running at a max hr for the day of 130. This seems too slow to what I was normally use to. But one piece of advice: Listen to the man- he knows his stuff! Slow is fast!
7. Nutrition
After I told Parker my goals, he had a nutrition plan for me that helped me lose weight. I was still able to eat food throughout the day, and he didn’t have me starving myself. I was full after my meals, but the food I was eating was also healthy for me. When you have the goals that I wanted to go after, this didn’t leave room for ‘cheat meals’ throughout the week because there wasn’t time for that. I will say though, that Parker allows for ‘re-fuel’ days which are days where I could add an extra cup of rice to my dinner meal, in preparation for the next days big workout. This was enough for me to feel like a cheat day, because I was getting more fuel.
8. What are your desired goals from completing this training?
To lose weight, build muscles, and get better endurance at distance running. Parker Helped me achieve all of my goals.
9. Did the time required to complete the training align with your expectations?
8 weeks seems like a long time, but when I was within the training plan it went by very fast. I had to make sure my work schedule was finished and that I allowed my self enough time to complete the training.
10. Does parker give you rest days?
Yes, absolutely. His plan had me training very hard, but with that comes with scheduled rest days. I wouldn’t have been able to make the transformation I did without allowing 7-8 hours of sleep and getting enough rest for my body to recover. On those off-days or non training days, parker would schedule a mobility and stretching day. This was huge for me when it came to recovering.
11. If you could change one thing about the training, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change the work and nutrition plan for what Parker gave me. The process was amazing, and the accountability Parker gives you is top tier!
