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Paul Bates was 41 years old in 2003 when he received an alarming wake up call. He was in Pennsylvania competing in a power lifting competition - a sport he had participated in for 16 years after leaving college and his football career behind - when he suddenly looked at himself in a different light. "I was 320 pounds and 41 years old; I knew it wasn't a healthy combination," he recalled. Upon returning to Virginia, he met with Mike Craven and discussed his weight-loss options. Bates had been lifting for 14 years prior to deciding to lose weight. However, he had previously only focused on powerlifting not on cardiovascular exercises. Prior to devising a workout plan for Bates, Craven had Bates visit a True Fitness Solutions mobile testing center. The testing center determined Bates' heart rate, steady rate (the rate at which the body can maintain a level of exercise), MET rate (Metabolic Equivalent Unit, or the relative energy demand of oxygen usage in the resting state), along with a host of other important numbers. The numbers helped determine Bates' training parameters. Although he was a three-time national champion powerlifter and a one-time world champion, Bates was not in shape. He had a high percentage of body fat and a low level of aerobic strength. His steady rate was only 60 feet a minute. His diet consisted of greasy, fatty foods, and frequent visits to buffets. Everything changed in less than three years. From the moment he walked out of the True Fitness Solutions mobile lab with his body's statistics in hand, he told himself he was going to lose the weight in a healthy manner. Making the change to a healthy lifestyle was not always easy, as Bates is quick to point out. "The hardest part was just putting everything together and being on the money on everything," he admitted. He had to stick to the workouts and diet Craven designed. Bates' days of eating plate after plate of unhealthy foods at buffets are over. He now eats healthy foods such as whole grain brown rice, sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables, turkey, fish, and lean protein. He began incorporating cardiovascular exercises into his workout routine such that he now does more cardio than lifting at the gym. Craven said he never doubted Bates would be successful. "I knew that anything he put his mind to he would do," he said. "That same aggressiveness that Paul used to lift weights...he used to do cardio. Paul is one of the toughest people I have ever met." In a less than three-year period, Bates has gone from having a 44-inch waist to having a 30-inch waist. His steady rate on the climbing machine has tripled to over 180-feet a minute, and his weight has dropped from 320 pounds to 199 pounds. Even more remarkable perhaps is that his percent body fat is now an astonishing 5.4 percent. A vital part of Bates' success is that he is now able to process fats at high rates due to a physiological change: the size and number of his mitochondrial cells and the number of fat-burning cells have been elevated due to his active lifestyle. Therefore he is able to burn fat all day. But, Bates has had to make sacrifices to get into shape. His philosophy seems to be "there are no excuses." For example, since he is a Henrico Sheriff's deputy and works 12-hour shifts, in order to have enough time to complete his workouts he has to be in the gym at 3:30 a.m. According to Bates, the hardest part about working out is just getting himself to the gym. He is at the gym seven days a week for at least two and a half hours at a time. Although his workout varies, at present he does cardio six days a week and weight training two days a week. While he works out he wears a heart-rate monitor, which lets him know if he's over working or under working, or, as he puts it, "on the money." "I just try to come in and get a little bit better every day," he said about working out post-weight loss. His devotion has won Bates much acclaim. At the Natural Physique Association (NPA) competition held June 30 in Fort Lee, Bates was the Masters Light Heavyweight Champion and the Overall NPA Masters Mr. Universe Winner. He won the same two awards last year. "I want to take bodybuilding as far as I can. I want to progress up the ladder and see how far I can make it," Bates said. He will be competing at the North American Sports Federation National Championship in Hampton in November. Craven added, "I'm amazingly proud of the detail and exactness with which Paul works out. Paul's will, if you could bottle that up, we wouldn't be in a health care crisis." How can you get in shape? Bates and Craven's advice for those who want to shape up: 1. Get off the couch Some people are embarrassed to be seen in a gym because they feel the “in shape” people are staring at them with disdain. Craven said most people don't focus on other people while they are working out and if other people do notice you, they might commend you for taking steps to get into shape. Plus, attending a gym provides people with an instant support group. 2. Get evaluated 3. Eat, but eat the right types of food 4. Invest in a heart-rate monitor 5. Be patient but persistent 6. Evaluate your success |
Phone: 804-543-9293 |
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