SUCCESS TRANSFORMATION STORY – ANTHONY MARALDO

SUCCESS TRANSFORMATION STORY – JAMES HANTON’S GOT EM FIT PROGRAM

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY MARALDO!

I was born and raised in NYC. I worked for the NYC Board of Ed from November 1979 to September 1994. I left the Bd. of Ed as an Associate School Food Service Supervisor to relocate to KC Area. I was in charge of overseeing 32 schools in lower Manhattan.  Responsibilities included overseeing food sanitation, inventory control, supervising eight managers, meeting with principals, PTA members and students. This was done to increase student participation in the Food Service Program.  Relocated to Kansas and worked for the United States Postal Service for 23 years in a variety of different crafts. Retired, May 31, 2020. In my spare time I enjoy playing records, biking, running, travelling and socializing with family and friends.

Age: 63

City: Lenexa

Relationship Status: Married

Occupation: Retired

Fitness Category: Transformation

Transformation Story:
On April 26, 2016, I made a life-altering decision to change my entire lifestyle.  I stopped drinking alcohol and have remained sober since.  I started working out with James Hanton three times per week to increase my muscle mass, grow stronger and get lean.  In addition, I attended half-hour group sessions twice a day, five times per week. I was also introduced to OCR’s, (Obstacle Course Races), which have greatly improved my confidence, cardiac endurance and taught me team camaraderie.  My eating habits changed dramatically. I followed a meal plan provided by James, with recorded macros and goals to attain on a daily basis.  The plan consisted of six small meals throughout the course of the day with a total number of calories per meal. Within six months I lost 60 pounds and 22% body fat.

In your opinion, weight loss is more of a fitness issue or a health issue, and why?
Weight loss and fitness go hand in hand.  Losing weight decreases your chances for a variety of diseases later in life.  Examples would be heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint diseases and even cancer.

Can you share with us your goals for fitness in life?
To make attainable goals and stick with them.  Examples:  Workout 3-5 times a week and eat very healthy 80% or more of the time for life.

I had the privilege of speaking with Anthony and James on a Zoom call. I was so impressed with his commitment, determination and perseverance it became clear to me how he turned his life around. Superman has nothing on him… Anthony is an inspirational Super Hero.

What does your coach James mean to you?
James is my mentor, my trainer, my inspiration and he is the reason I am where I am today. He has shown me through hard work, dedication and determination, that all goals are attainable.

What’s it like being part of the “Got Em Fit” family? What impact does a positive community have on your life?
This gym is like no other I’ve seen.  My team members are supportive and we all help out one another.  There is no jealousy, only praise.  Having this positive community, makes you want to push forward and succeed. It also makes you want to see others achieve their goals as well.

What is the biggest lesson you have ever learned?
That a person’s strengths lie in admitting his weaknesses.  This creates a well-rounded individual who believes in humility and remaining humble at all times. It also lets us know we are all human.

What is your number one tip for people on their finest journey?
Strive to be and do the best you can, while keeping it real for yourself and your bodies limitations.  Modifying exercises does not make you any weaker than others.  It lets your body know what you can handle and won’t hurt yourself in the process.  Keeping good form and doing any exercise correctly, will strongly lessen your chances of getting hurt.  So modify whenever you need to. Your body won’t regret it!

What does success mean to you?
Performing any job you do to the best of your ability.  The trick to being successful and moving forward is to make that job, including working out, part of your daily routine and sticking with it.  Setting up a common day, date and time makes the routine, truly become a ritual.  This will become second nature and will instil a positive outcome both mentally and physically.

Share your unique training/coaching methods?
What has worked for me over the course of the years is to divide different workouts utilizing different body parts on different days. Working out three times a week with my trainer, we cover different muscle groups on different days. Some days it can be chest and shoulders, triceps and legs, biceps and back. Other days may involve total body workouts.  Working out this way allows for all muscles to receive proper attention while allowing them to rest on alternating days.  Resting your muscles is extremely important for recuperating purposes.

Training Plan:
As stated above, this is a particular pattern my trainer uses.  There are days that certain sets are timed, maybe super-sets, drop-sets and cardio added for HIIT.

Nutritional Plan:
Eating healthy and clean are 80% of getting lean, reducing body fat %, visceral fat, maintaining an appropriate weight for your height/age and increasing muscle mass.  KISS!  Keep it simple stupid!  Lean proteins, lots of leafy green veggies, other steamed veggies too, limited fresh fruit, good carbs, (beans, sweet potato, quinoa, tabbouleh, etc.) and good fats, high in omega 3’s. avocado, nuts, and salmon.  Watch your salt intake and try to buy items that are reduced salt or low salt, as they retain water and elevate blood pressure.  There’s enough salt in almost everything we eat.  Try and keep it under 1500mg a day.  Sugar, truly plays no part in our bodies, at least not in a good way.  Simple sugars like fruit, dates, figs, prunes and raisins are better than complex sugars found in cakes, pies, cookies, etc.  Also, watch out for the chips and snick-snack foods. Try to avoid them MOST of the time, but also remember it’s ok to have a cheat meal every now and then. We are all human!

Supplement Plan:
Supplements are very personal and are taking at times in lieu of not getting certain vitamins and minerals found in healthy foods or your body may be deficient in producing.  I myself take a daily probiotic + prebiotic, 3.4 billion live bacteria cultures.  They also contain 6 different strains.  This is good for maintaining a healthier digestive tract.  I take CoQ10 to raise my HDL, which has worked very well.  I also take Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Fish Oil, Baby Aspirin and multivitamin men 50+. My labs have been stellar for 5 years.  Again, this is very personal and based on one’s needs.

Do you prefer to take and recommend all-natural (no sugar, no artificial colours/flavours/sweeteners) supplements or supplements with artificial flavours? And why?
Again, very personal based on every individual.  All-natural can be deceiving and the FDA gets around certain things regarding it.  I way this out on an individual basis and it depends on the product.  Sometimes, we have to cut our losses and try to do a balancing act.  Yes, I would prefer products clean and free from artificial flavours, colours, etc., but I sometimes yield depending on the product.  I am a fan of Nutra Bío Products.  They may have some sweeteners in them, but they are listed as one of the best with no added fillers or ingredients that can’t and don’t have to be explained.  It’s one of the few companies that can say this.  I stay away from anything with aspartame and certain other sweeteners.  I am not a big sugar person most of the time.  My coffee is black, no milk, no sugar, just cinnamon at times.  If I were to use a sweetener, I use Stevia or Truvia.  I enjoy it in my plain Greek yoghurt, one of the few dairy products I eat. I make my own decaf iced tea, no sugar, just lemon and drink LOTS of water.  Sometimes with lemon and sometimes without.  I do not drink any other beverage including alcohol.

5 things people don’t know about you?

• Although I am a social person, I am basically a shy person.
• I’m a tad camera shy.
• I am a very giving person.
• I don’t like to be the centre of attention.
• I am very modest about my accomplishments.

If you could inspire one person, who would that be?
The newbie that comes into the gym, who looks scared, insecure and lost. I would go up to them and do my best to make them feel comfortable.

Who inspires you?  And why?
The underdog, a physically or mentally challenged person who competes and achieves in their life should be an inspiration to everyone.  If they are successful with their limitations, there is no reason why I shouldn’t push myself to the limits.

Photos By: James Hanton