Heather & Trevor Beairsto

1988 was a pivotal year for me. I was seventeen, overweight (173 lbs on a 5'5" frame; see before and after photo... 5 years in the making), and dreading the idea of the forthcoming prom the next year. It was also an Olympic year ­ Korea ­ dubbed in the media as "The Road to Seoul". I am not sure when it happened or where I was but I hit the point when I knew I had to do something about my weight. I was uncomfortable, depressed and tired of the ridicule I was receiving from my peers ­ trust me, kids can be cruel! In 1988, I began my own road to soul. I began my weight-loss program by altering two things: I adopted portion control, and took up walking an hour every day.

The weight seemed to melt off.. By the time graduation ceremony rolled around, just over a year later, I had shed over 35 lbs. I had a grad date and was feeling fine ­ on the outside. Unfortunately, my self-esteem was rather slow to catch up with the new me and it took its toll in various ways. I lost complete direction in my life, began hanging out with the wrong crowd, dropped out of school and took up an unhealthy vice; alcohol. My life was out of control.
In a moment of clarity the next year, I enrolled myself back into school and began the process of rebuilding. My life was still very turbulent. I was starting at university, was trying to make new friends and had just started seeing a new guy (now my husband, Trevor). Things still seemed very over-whelming and out of my hands exceptmy body.

Over the next four years I controlled my "life" anyway I could. I first tried the vomit method of control but found it too harsh so I moved to laxativesthe warning on the box about excessive use was enough to scare me away from that approach. I then moved on to partake in starvation, surviving on bran muffins, grapefruit juice and salads, and combined that with 2-3 hours of cardio work per day. I then increased my dosage of coffee considerably to combat the exhaustion I was experiencing. I also swallowed many ephedrine tablets in order to gain the benefits of thermogenics and increased stamina.

Things started to unravel when I woke up on an ambulance gurney after being found passed out in a washroom. Sadly, I dismissed that incident and waited until I passed out at the gym and was sent to the hospital for tests. The tests came back normal but I was now under scrutiny by friends and family. I scaled back for a bit when I saw an expose on TV regarding teens dying from ephedra - that was enough to scare me from taking them any more. I secretly went back to the excessive exercise approach until a severe back injury sidelined me and I was forced to take stalk of my situation.

With the injury, I was out of the gym for a year ­ a devastating blow to a budding anorexic. With encouragement and training from Trevor, I began eating properly and easing my way back into walking. I was able to keep much of the weight from returning and, admittedly, was looking healthier but dissatisfied with my softer appearance. Eventually, I was able to get back into the gym but was limited in the exercises I could perform, as well as severely limited in the amount of time under tension I could handle.
Thankfully, two years ago, Trevor and I were enlightened to the HIT method of training. Through shorter, more intense workouts, I have made great strides in sculpting my body. I have also had significant progress in stabilizing my injury.

I now sit comfortably between 125 ­ 130 lbs. and feel stronger than I have in years. My discipline regarding my body is strong, and my commitment to maintain it healthily is etched in stone. I have ridden a roller-coaster ride with my body, and most profoundly with my body image. There are still days when I struggle not to mentally morph myself from fit to fat but, thankfully, those days are fewer and farther between.

My earliest memories involving training start at about 14 years of age (approx. 20 years ago). I had just started high school and had become painfully aware of how small and skinny I was. Every guy was bigger than me, and every girl was uninterested. My uncle had a set of weights in his basement, so I decided it was time to 'get big'. I happened across a current muscle magazine at a local newsstand and the fire was lit. I tried a few of the routines (grossly over trained, but loved the pumped feeling) and realized that this was to be a passion of mine.

At first, I thought that anyone could become Mr. Olympia. All you had to do was keep lifting. As the years progressed, however, I realized that genetics and drugs played a huge role. I wasn't discouraged though, because the changes I made and the benefits that came from them were enough to keep me in the game.

Throughout my late teens and twenties, I tried many different routines and supplements, such as Weider Anabolic Mega-Paks (by the bucketful) and Cybergenics (although I did learn about training intensity with this one), among others. For the most part, nothing really came of it, except modest gains and a depleted bank account. I felt I had gone as far as I could go with my training, maxing out in size at 6'-0" and 185 lbs.

I was introduced to HIT-style training back in 1998. After a long layoff (almost 2 years), I signed up with a gym in Toronto, and was enrolled in their version of a 12-week transformation contest. At the same time, I picked up a copy of the FITT Quarterly and began reading about high-intensity, Mike Mentzer, and the I.A.R.T. What happened over the next 3 months was basically my own version of Casey Viator's famous Colorado Experiment ­ "a lesson in muscle memory", coupled with new gains. I won the contest, going from 171 lbs. to 205 lbs. (see photos below)- training strictly high-intensity. As a result, my wife, Heather, and I enjoyed a Jamaican vacation compliments of the club.

Since frequenting the I.A.R.T. RoundTable and reading Exercise Protocol, I've become much more precise, logical, inquisitive and critical in my thinking - not just in training, but in other areas of my life. Recommendations of the champs are ignored unless within the confines of brief, intense methodology. Even then, I re-configure these recommendations according to my own recovery limitations.
I decided to become a personal trainer last year when I realized that a tremendous number of people did not know what they were doing in the gym. I design HIT-style routines for my clients, and 'preach' (though not aggressively nor dogmatically) the philosophy as best I can to those who ask.

The I.A.R.T.'s approach to training keeps Heather and I educated and focused, and very observant to the absolute irrationality that still persists in the gym.

As I am now approaching my mid-thirties, I really see the value of doing only what is necessary to stimulate progress and nothing more. I currently train each body part once per week with ultra-intensity (1-3 exercises per body part, 1 set). My focus has become one of improved functional ability, longevity, and vibrant health.

To contact Heather or Trevor Beairsto, e-mail: thbeairsto@hotmail.com. Visit our success stories section at www.i-a-r-t.com for more photos and training details from Heather and Trevor.