{"id":3735,"date":"2015-07-02T17:19:59","date_gmt":"2015-07-02T17:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/meet-the-golds-gym-challenge-winners\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T17:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T17:24:57","slug":"meet-the-golds-gym-challenge-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/meet-the-golds-gym-challenge-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the 2015 Gold\u2019s Gym Challenge Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gold\u2019s Gym kicked off its 50th anniversary with the 2015 Gold\u2019s Gym Challenge\u2014a 12-week total-body transformation competition that helps people achieve their potential through fitness. Nearly 20,000 Gold\u2019s Gym members across the U.S enrolled in the Gold\u2019s Gym Challenge, with a total of 216,678 pounds and 226,527 inches lost. The average participant lost 11 lbs. and 11.5 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with six of them to find out how they succeeded in getting stronger, and asked for the best advice they have to help you on your fitness journey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overall Male Winner, Ages 40\u201349<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Gary lost:<\/p>\n

43.2 pounds<\/p>\n

NA% body fat<\/p>\n

10.5 inches off his waist<\/p>\n

What was the key to your success?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot of cardio. Every day I either ran five miles or I\u2019d get on an elliptical for an hour. That was the key to me dropping so much weight, so fast. I loved it. Cardio was the first thing I did every day. I wouldn\u2019t touch weights before I did my cardio. I also kept my diet clean by avoiding unhealthy foods. And the training staff, especially my trainer Kevin, kept pushing me through every day.<\/p>\n

What was a benefit of the Challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t even explain the difference that you feel. At 42 years old, I can do stuff that I couldn\u2019t do at 22. It\u2019s amazing how my body has adapted to running five miles\u2014and for the first 4.5 miles, I can have a conversation with somebody and not be winded. I can do a set of 20 pull-ups with no problem. I could never do that before. <\/p>\n

How did you stay motivated?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had never entered any kind of challenge or weight-loss challenge, but I was feeling winded and out of shape. I knew that if I was going to do it, I was going to do it all the way. I couldn\u2019t believe how far I actually went. I love the way I look and feel. I wouldn\u2019t trade it for the world.<\/p>\n

Gary\u2019s ChallengeTip:<\/em> Do your cardio first. If I do it at the end, I\u2019m dragging and I\u2019m second-guessing myself. If I do it first, then the rest\u2014the weights, the abs, is a bonus for me.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Overall Female Winner, Ages 30\u201339<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Maribel lost:<\/p>\n

47.2 pounds<\/p>\n

15.7% body fat<\/p>\n

6.5 inches off her waist<\/p>\n

You did the Challenge last year but dropped out. What was the difference this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What needed to change was my thinking. I needed to think that I could win it. I told the cameraperson that she was taking the winner\u2019s picture. She laughed. But I needed that for motivation.<\/p>\n

What were some keys to your success?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had a workout buddy, so the accountability piece was there. I relied heavily on my trainer. When I didn\u2019t believe in myself at the beginning, my trainer did. Now, we\u2019ve looked at what\u2019s next, like what exercises I need to do for my arms, for my abs. I set some new goals. I\u2019m not exactly where I want to be now, but I know I can get there.<\/p>\n

How has your life changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

People say I smile more. I have a lot more energy. I find myself talking about fitness and about health, especially to people who haven\u2019t seen me in awhile. I\u2019ve been telling my kids about being healthy and working out\u2014and now they ask me for broccoli and about how many carbs are in certain foods.<\/p>\n

Maribel\u2019s Challenge <\/em><\/a>Tip:<\/em> You might have a setback. It\u2019s okay. Recognize that you reverted back to old behavior, and then move on from that moment. Don\u2019t wait until Monday. Restart right then.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

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Male, Ages 40\u00ad\u201349<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Matt lost:<\/p>\n

47.5 pounds<\/p>\n

10.26% body fat<\/p>\n

9.75 inches off his waist<\/p>\n

Why did you start the Challenge? <\/strong><\/p>\n

My dad sent me pictures of myself at a family wedding, and after seeing those, I knew it was time for me to do something about my weight. My body was sore constantly and I would injure myself doing simple things like playing on my co-ed volleyball team. I was hurting and out of shape.<\/p>\n

How did you train?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the mornings I\u2019d either do steady-state cardio, which would be around 30 minutes of consistent activity like walking uphill on a machine, or HIIT<\/a> (high-intensity interval training) cardio that really burns calories. At night, my daughter and I followed a video series that we downloaded from Bodybuilding.com called Jim Stoppani\u2019s<\/em> Shortcut to Size<\/em>. We did that for the first two months. After that, I would grab a machine and see what muscles it worked out. It was a learning experience. I tried teaching myself.<\/p>\n

What does your training look like now?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

I still go to the gym on an almost nightly basis. Every once in a while I\u2019ll get a two-a-day in if I get to bed early enough, although probably only once a week. I\u2019ve upped my calories and added more protein to my diet, trying to put some mass on.\n<\/p>\n

Matt\u2019s Challenge Tip: <\/em>Sometimes that last 30 seconds of HIIT training is brutal. To take my mind off it, I\u2019ll count to five really slowly just to get over the hump. When I finally look down at the timer, I\u2019ll be almost done or done.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

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Female, Ages 40\u201349<\/strong>
<\/a><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Georgia lost:<\/p>\n

17.4 pounds<\/p>\n

8.5% body fat<\/p>\n

3.5 inches off her waist <\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/strong>

What was your motivation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I knew I needed to be healthy. I\u2019m not 20 years old. I\u2019m adopting two little kids and I already have a three-year-old and a six-year-old at home. I need to be in better shape for them and for my longevity. A few of my friends thought I was crazy, that I was never going to win. But I wouldn\u2019t know if I didn\u2019t try.<\/p>\n

How do you feel now?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

You feel better. You feel lighter. All your clothes fit well. Obviously, you\u2019re more physically fit, but mentally I feel better, too, because of being physically fit. I\u2019ve gotten into the mode of eating well. Monday morning I\u2019m craving to get up and get my gym on, to start off well for the entire week. <\/strong><\/p>\n

How will you stay focused? <\/strong><\/p>\n

During the 12 weeks I did a lot of the things on my own but the classes at Gold\u2019s were always a big motivator for me because of the people in there. Now I have friends in the classes, and I really like some of the instructors\u2014they all help me motivate to get to the gym.<\/p>\n

Georgia\u2019s <\/em>Challenge Tip: <\/em>I\u2019ve gotten more into HIIT training. People think that doing 30 minutes on the elliptical is a good workout. But it\u2019s not really. A 30-minute HIIT training is so much more powerful. My HIIT workout incorporated upper body one day and lower body another, using weights intermixed with one-minute high-intensity cardio like jumping rope, burpees or mountain climbers.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

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Male, Ages 50\u201359<\/strong>
<\/a><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Tim lost:<\/p>\n

42.4 pounds<\/p>\n

17.8% body fat<\/p>\n

10 inches off waist <\/p>\n

What motivated you do to the Challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In December, I weighed 258 pounds, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and severe hypertension. The medical staff that was performing the intervention was amazed that I had not already suffered a stroke.<\/p>\n

How did you accomplish so much?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My day started with a strength endurance session with Shayla Gowler, my trainer at Gold\u2019s Gym, followed by an hour of cardio. In the afternoon, I would return to the gym for another cardio session.<\/p>\n

How has your life changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I started sleeping better and my mood improved. I can enjoy doing things and participate in activities that I had struggled with for some time because of my weight and health. My blood pressure is 110 over 60, my resting heart rate is 64, and my blood sugar stays between 80 and 120, without insulin.<\/p>\n

Tim\u2019s Challenge Tip:<\/em> I made dramatic changes to my diet by utilizing the app MyFitnessPal<\/strong>, and was able to control my caloric and carbohydrate intake as well as increasing protein and healthy fats. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

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Female, Ages 18\u201329<\/strong>
<\/a><\/p>\n

In 12 short weeks, Deandra lost:<\/p>\n

54.8 pounds<\/p>\n

7.9% body fat<\/p>\n

9.25 inches off waist <\/p>\n

Why did you want to do the Challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the Challenge, I was weak. I was someone who was insecure and covered up my unhappiness by going to bars frequently. My favorite color to wear was black just so I could hide behind it. I had very little motivation to do anything in my life.<\/p>\n

How did you push through the difficult times?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I broke down more times than I can count, but I realized that every time I built myself back up, I was no longer starting from the bottom.<\/p>\n

Has your life improved since the Challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every single thing about me has changed. I no longer have to hide behind dark and baggy clothes. I am the most confident that I\u2019ve ever been in my entire life. I used to be a C-average student and now I am making straight A\u2019s in college.<\/p>\n

Deandra\u2019s Challenge Tip:<\/em> Get a Microsoft Band<\/strong>. It helped me keep track of my vitals and my workouts, and it was simple to use.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<p>With 50 years as the world\u2019s leading authority on health and fitness, Gold\u2019s Gym is proud to introduce you to its 2015 Gold\u2019s Gym Challenge Winners!<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":6879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_post_subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[146,119],"class_list":["post-3735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories","tag-golds-gym-challenge","tag-transformation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3735"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10126,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735\/revisions\/10126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}