Cassandra - (Private Training)

5.0/5.0 

Starting weight: 250lbs

Current weight: 162lbs

Duration: Lost 88lbs in 10 months

A few years ago life knocked me down and I let it keep me down, until finally one day I decided to stop acting like a victim and start acting like the fighter I’ve always known myself to be. I decided to start working with a personal trainer and that has been the best decision of my life! Training with Michael Sutton has been the exact push I needed to get back to the person I used to be and I can honestly say that he saved my life.

In the beginning of my weight loss journey, I started with two 1:1 sessions a week. The remaining days of the work week were spent at my apartment gym, doing personalized workouts organized by Michael (he wrote the workouts to match the equipment I had available to me at my apartment gym) and then on Saturday’s I attended the ATO Fitness boot camp. Yes, I worked out six days a week for almost four months… but you get what you put into it! Over time Michael implemented an eating program to help boost results and not only did I start to see the weight I was losing but, I started to see what I was gaining in the progression of my workouts; working harder and lifting heavier. Within 10 months I had lost 88lbs, but more importantly gained back my competitive edge, enthusiastic nature and my life! Although my journey started out as weight loss it has transformed into constant progression. Now I’m focusing on form, strength and mobility and can’t wait to see more results!

I don’t think I would have gotten the results I see today without Michael. Although it may seem like I was the one putting in the hard work, Michael was by my side every single step of the way… Creating and personalizing plans to match my needs and goals and constantly getting creative with workouts when I hit a plateau. Plus Michael always provided support when I was feeling mentally weak, encouragement when I was feeling uncertain and enthusiasm for every milestone I achieved. It was the partnership and sense of trust with Michael that helped me put all my broken pieces back together become stronger than ever. Michael is not only a truly remarkable trainer but a remarkable human being and I am beyond lucky and honored to now be able to call him a friend! 

John – (Private Training)

5.0/5.0 

Let me share two viewpoints on Michael and his skills with his clients. The first is in observing how he manages his group class (I am not a participant). I see a group of people of various ages and fitness levels who are responding positively to the ways Michael structures the class. He keeps it positive and makes sure that there is the right balance of consistency and creativity. I can speak personally in how he has managed our 1-1 sessions. As an older person who had never ventured into a consistent fitness program, I searched for someone who had the training to help me as well as the bandwidth to handle someone who was in dire need of fitness assistance. 

Richard – (The Amazing 12)

5.0/5.0 

I just graduated from the Amazing 12 program and I am, quite literally, a new man! I found my trainer, Mike, and this program while in probably the worst shape of my life. I had always counted on my metabolism and the fact that I’ve been a hard-working blue collar worker my whole life to keep me in shape. Back around 2008 I had a cancerous tumor removed from my kidney. That required major surgery that took a long time to recover from. I’ve also been a heavy smoker since high school which contributed to collapsing a lung twice in a row while battling a bad case of pneumonia. I started a moving company and managed to stay in decent shape despite all of this up until we were so busy I couldn’t work in the field anymore and spent most of my time in the office. I began to waste away and had the worst eating habits! I had to do something and after watching dust collect on several workout CDs I have. I found Mike and the Amazing 12! Mike conducted a physical assessment before we started and even picked up on a skiing injury I got in my right knee back when I was a teenager which I had completely forgotten about! He adjusted my exercises around my issues and we got to work. I had taken weight lifting back in high school and he quickly corrected my bad habits and showed me how to lift correctly to maximize the lift without injuring myself. I did pull a muscle in my back about halfway through the program (totally my bad) and Mike worked his magic to get me back in the game in just a few days using massage, stretches, and kinesiology tape. The diet was key! I had no idea how poorly I was eating. He provided a very detailed diet plan and also a menu. Once I got rid of the crap I had been feeding myself and my daughter and started eating healthy my energy levels went through the roof! I began noticing gains almost right away as well. To my amazement I started lifting more weight than I ever thought I would….a lot more quickly than I dared imagine! When I went out on moving jobs with my crews things that used to be difficult for me to carry became no problem at all. People were noticing, my shirts were getting snug, I was filling out the sleeves! So not only was my overall health and strength improving but so was my self-confidence. I went from the worst condition in my life to the best condition in my life in 12 weeks. There’s a lot of other programs out there that work, I’m sure. But I’ll never find one that worked like this! To those that can’t do it because they can’t find the time, I say find a way! I am a single dad who runs a full-time business and I never missed a sporting event of my daughter’s and work didn’t suffer. On the very rare occurrence I couldn’t make a work-out Mike was very accommodating in helping me make up for it. My sister, Nico, is also doing this now. Watch for her pictures! This was a commitment that I am so happy that I made and looking forward to another round!

Dave - (Private Training)

5.0/5.0 

It’s been an amazing 6 years since I began working out seriously. The first three months brought virtually no progress. I went to the gym and went through the motions on the elliptical, treadmill, or weight equipment, not really knowing what I was doing or what I could hope to accomplish. I was stuck at 20% body fat and 184 pounds. With the initial goal of getting leaner and fit, I booked my first session and fitness assessment with Mike Sutton. He rapidly began progressing me through new and challenging exercises, which kept my interest and kept me coming back for more. The first few weeks, I would nearly dread what Mike had in store for me, but after a while I’d look forward to it. Mike would consistently provide me with new and physically challenging workouts to push my limits. Also, for me it’s very important to have fitness as an appointment to keep. When work and family life become demanding, it’s far too easy to find excuses not to go to the gym, workout, or train. However with personal training sessions booked in advance, it becomes a priority.

Some may wonder what personal training can accomplish with true commitment and dedication. I trained on average three times per week, and attended HIIT class on Saturdays. I learned what foods I should moderate, how to monitor my caloric intake and expenditure, and the importance of providing the body the right fuel it needs. Within six months, I’d been remarkably and visibly transformed. By that first summer, I routinely got comments from friends and coworkers on my new obvious level of fitness. I began to wonder what we could achieve if I really pushed myself. After the first year of training, I followed the suggestion of some of the other trainers to compete in a Men’s Physique competition. In March of 2014 I began the grueling process of the competition diet. By my May competition date, I was below 5% body fat and 158 pounds—the lightest, leanest, and most muscular I’d ever been. I took first place in the Master’s division for the Southern Colorado Men’s Physique. But now what?

It’s nice to eat again. I’m currently focusing on building lean muscle mass. I’m up to 190 pounds and still under 10% body fat—now the heaviest and strongest I’ve ever been! I’m still training 3 times per week, and attending the Saturday HIIT classes. If I ever do miss a session—I really do miss it! Fitness has become a habit and a lifestyle for me. I’m eager to see where this journey will take me. But in the end, I’m sure glad I had Mike Sutton to kick my butt down the road a bit to get me started!

It’s been an amazing 6 years since I began working out seriously.  The first three months brought virtually no progress.  I went to the gym and went through the motions on the elliptical, treadmill, or weight equipment, not really knowing what I was doing or what I could hope to accomplish.  I was stuck at 20% body fat and 184 pounds.  With the initial goal of getting leaner and fit, I booked my first session and fitness assessment with Mike Sutton.  He rapidly began progressing me through new and challenging exercises, which kept my interest and kept me coming back for more.  The first few weeks, I would nearly dread what Mike had in store for me, but after a while I’d look forward to it.  Mike would consistently provide me with new and physically challenging workouts to push my limits.  Also, for me it’s very important to have fitness as an appointment to keep.  When work and family life become demanding, it’s far too easy to find excuses not to go to the gym, workout, or train.  However with personal training sessions booked in advance, it becomes a priority.

Some may wonder if what personal training can accomplish with true commitment and dedication.  I trained on average three times per week, and attended HIIT class on Saturdays.  I learned what foods I should moderate, how to monitor my caloric intake and expenditure, and the importance of providing the body the right fuel it needs.  Within six months, I’d been remarkably and visibly transformed.  By that first summer, I routinely got comments from friends and coworkers on my new obvious level of fitness.  I began to wonder what we could achieve if I really pushed myself.  After the first year of training, I followed the suggestion of some of the other trainers to compete in a Men’s Physique competition.  In March of 2014 I began the grueling process of the competition diet.  By my May competition date, I was below 5% body fat and 158 pounds—the lightest, leanest, and most muscular I’d ever been.  I took first place in the Master’s division for the Southern Colorado Men’s Physique.  But now what?

It’s nice to eat again.  I’m currently focusing on building lean muscle mass.  I’m up to 190 pounds and still under 10% body fat—now the heaviest and strongest I’ve ever been!  I’m still training 3 times per week, and attending the Saturday HIIT classes.  If I ever do miss a session—I really do miss it!  Fitness has become a habit and a lifestyle for me.  I’m eager to see where this journey will take me.  But in the end, I’m sure glad I had Mike Sutton to kick my butt down the road a bit to get me started!