For some fitness gurus, the idea of quitting exercise and gaining 30 lbs. in six months sounds like a nightmare.
But a personal trainer in Calgary says packing on the pounds was the best way for him to get a glimpse inside the minds and bodies of his clients. So he did.
“What’s better than to really understand the emotional side of things from my clients? How are they feeling when they gain 10, 20, 30 pounds?” Adam Blackwell, a professional MMA fighter and boot camp instructor, told CTV Calgary.
Following that question, Blackwell spent more than six months gaining 32.5 lbs (14.7 kg). He stopped working out but still ate healthy foods, opting to increase his caloric intake through larger portion sizes. He now weighs 216.7 lbs. (98.3 kg).
“This is the heaviest I’ve ever been,” he said.
He plans to shed the excess weight over the next three months through rigorous exercise and diet, all the while sharing his transformation online.
The idea might seem unusual, but it’s not unheard of. The U.S. reality TV show “Fit to Fat to Fit” follows 10 personal trainers who gain weight on purpose and then try to lose it alongside their clients.
Celebrities have gone on similar crash diets for acting roles. Renee Zellweger reportedly gained 30 lbs. for “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” For “Chapter 27,” Jared Leto gained around 60 lbs. to portray John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman.
Blackwell, 33, knows that getting back to his old weight won’t be easy, and his age presents a particularly worrisome hurdle.
“It’s going to be tough. Because as we age, our metabolisms slow down,” he said.
About one in four adults and one in 10 children are considered clinically obese, according to figures from the Canadian Obesity Network. Obesity has been linked to heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and several other medical conditions, and weight loss is often considered an effective way to mitigate risk.
“Not everybody who carries extra weight is going to have all of these health problems or even any of these health problems, but the potential is there for obesity to affect pretty much any body system,” said Dr. Shahebina Walji from the Calgary Weight Management Clinic.
Blackwell is documenting his fitness journey online on Facebook and Instagram.
With files from CTV Calgary