You’re Fit For A Reason: Interview w/ AT-13 Winner Stuart Barton

1- What workout or nutrition routine did you do before Adonis Golden Ratio (AGR) System? What kind of results did you get?  

I used to workout quite often and hardcore. My workouts were based in crossfit and kettle bell training. I had a trainer for a short while to help me master the 300 workout! Then life happens, girls happen and you question what’s it all for? 

Nevertheless, it had been almost 3 years since I’ve gone to the gym. My job in construction is quite physical anyway, and I ate ‘healthy’ but I never new about how important calories were.  So I was fit and strong for my size, I could perform amazing physical feats but never looked as lean as I always wanted to.

2- How did you find out about AGR?

I can’t really remember. I had joined up to Kyle Leon’s Muscle Maximizer program but had never really taken it on board. Found it wasn’t what I needed to really connect with me. So either through association with John Barban or searching the web, I came across AGR.

3- What was most appealing to you about AGR?

The fact that it used the scientific/mathematical approach of physical dimensions and a program catered to me and my dimensions personally. The AGR system was very progressive; as your dimensions changed regularly you were able to adjust using the nutrition calculator and set new calorie goals each week.

4- Were there any concepts or approaches you were skeptical about?

No not really! Everything was explained logically and backed by science. So it made sense. The only thing I really wondered about was the workouts’ choice of exercises.

They didn’t seem to focus on abs or chest as much. Especially abs. It was a well rounded routine that focused on everything so I wondered if I would actually get a six-pack. But what I read elsewhere on the site was to just trust them. The exercises and the order of them have been carefully chosen. They were right!

5- When did you decide to jump on board full fledge with AGR?

I bought the program in September 2013 but didn’t do anything until about 5-6 months later when contest AT13 was announced.

I had to make sure my life circumstances were best suited to focus on the 3 month program so I wouldn’t be taken away with trips and other distractions. I purchased  my needed supplements, stored my AGR pdf printouts in a binder so I could read them and also take the workout with me to the gym.

 6- When did you first decide to enter an Adonis Transformation (AT) contest?

I was getting ready to start the program and read about the contest and thought it was a great motivator for me to really get into it and nail it. An extra incentive to stick with it.

7- What was your experience going through the AT contest? Challenges that came up? Things you didn’t expect?

Oh boy! 🙂 It was harder than I imagined. The workout was fine, no problem. But the nutrition! It’s all about the food! I found I felt like I was starving sometimes.

 Mainly late afternoon and at night. The hunger pain! I can’t sleep on an empty stomach so it was torture for me during those moments.   I had just gotten used to eating whatever I wanted whenever I felt hungry. So I learned that EVERYONE is overeating.  And I learned vegetables, vegetables, vegetables! We don’t need that much meat. Next time I will definitely incorporate “cheat” days.

8- How did people react to your transformation? Positives and negatives (if any).

Everyone thought I was fine and nothing wrong with me. Although they didn’t see me without a shirt. But when they saw the before and after pics they all were impressed. Blown away!

My cousin saw me without a shirt near the end of the contest and said I looked like a Marvel hero with all these veins and shredded muscles.

 The guy behind the counter at the gym called me ‘Shredder’! A number of people noticed my arms and said that the veins looked crazy!   A friend of mine, a married mother of 2 in her twenties really was striving for the “Female Fitness Model” look. She already was in great shape mind you! But she does a lot of cardio workouts and running and not really seeing the results she wanted. So she trusted my advice and now she’s hitting the Venus Factor program!   My older sister though said I looked too skinny.

 9- How do you react to the “Brand New” you? Have you noticed changes in your outlook and attitude in general.

I was very happy with the result but I thought I could be better. But I am a bit of a perfectionist. My view? I’m a lot more conscious of what I eat now and always will be. Veggies with a bit of meat. And now it’s my duty to inform people that what you eat and how much is SO important.

 Because they don’t know. They try everything! But guaranteed it’s the diet letting them down.  I had always sort of subconsciously evaluated myself and others by the condition their body was in. But without being too sure or vocal. Plus it’s a little shallow I know or just unfair/unkind.   But now it has been set in concrete. Based on science: calories in=calories out. And having gone through it myself.  My view is you can’t judge a book by its cover but you can judge a person by their body. We are a result of our choices.  And those choices may be hard, or easy… 

 Eat what you want or eat what you should?

‘You’re fat for a reason’ or ‘You’re fit for a reason.’

Which one will you choose?