BBR success story - Alison Hollier

BY LISA O’NEIL

Alison Hollier was always fit and active, but once she turned 50, maintaining her weight became harder and niggles became problems. Finally, a broken foot saw her fitness regime come to a grinding halt.

In 2022, she joined Bodies by Ryan with plenty of hesitation and completely unaware it would change her whole family’s health and fitness. 2023, she’s fitter, stronger and happier at 55 than she’s ever been…

Please tell us about your health and fitness history prior to BBR.

Prior to joining BBR I had always exercised regularly. As a physiotherapist, I’ve always been keen to stay fit so I can demonstrate the benefits of exercise to my patients and to try lots of varied sports and activities, so if a patient presented with an injury from a particular activity, I was fully aware of the mechanism involved.

While I had done some form of weight training over the years, I was involved in multiple sporting activities and community events. This includes running the City to Surf, completing the pink triathlon, boxing, swimming the Port to Pub, water polo (in The Emeralds, made up of an amazing group of school mums), air yoga, horse riding, Pilates, and ballroom dancing.

Healthwise, I had certain risk factors for osteoporosis and some lumbar weakness from carrying twins but otherwise I had no real limitations. I had never really had difficulty maintaining my weight, but after turning 50 I found that despite continuing to exercise at the same rate I was slowly increasing in weight and fasting diets didn’t seem to help. I also felt that the intensity of my training had fallen away.

Roughly a year before I joined BBR I tripped down some steps and ended up with two fractures in my foot. I couldn’t bear weight on my foot for eight weeks and then developed some nerve irritation so I couldn’t exercise fully for about five months. This led to general deconditioning and after seeing a photo of myself I felt a change was needed.

Who or what prompted you to sign up to BBR and why was it the right time for you to join?

With Covid restrictions reducing I was keen to start something new. I knew I needed to do heavier strength training to address my reducing bone density but had always found deadlifts and weighted squats irritated my back. I’d heard about BBR from friends and via their website but wasn’t sure if I would be able to be fit enough to do it or whether I would fit in being older, so I initially had some private sessions with Gene to help me with my technique, to raise my fitness level, and to get to know the gyms.

How hard was it in the early days? What challenged you the most?

The first few sessions with Gene were really hard. The hour session seemed to go for so long and my arms and legs would be shaking trying to finish the last reps. I couldn’t get my knee anywhere near the floor with my walking lunges and my balance was appalling so I’d almost fall over trying to do Bulgarian split squats. My goal was to do a chin-up and even with two bands to help, my whole body would shake.

Were there any changes you made that were enjoyable or easy straight away?

Through it all Gene was very patient and supportive, and never made me feel silly even though I was struggling to complete some exercises. His training cues enabled me to feel when I was maintaining good form, so I was able to safely do deadlifts and weighted squats without irritating my back.

How long did it take for you to feel changes?  

I started to feel changes after a few weeks as exercises I had struggled with became much easier. I then felt confident to join the group classes and signed up for a six-week challenge. This was a real game changer as I now had a very clear and simple diet plan, something I never really had despite consulting previously with sports dieticians and exercise physiologists.

I suddenly realised how little I usually ate in general, but particularly in terms of protein. The group structure, the food prep and requirement to check in with Ryan made it so much easier to stay focused and on plan. I never once felt hungry throughout the entire challenge. The biggest plus is that I can’t wait to get to the next training session as they are just so much fun!

Please tell us about the changes you've experienced…

The changes I experienced whilst at BBR were quite wide ranging. The most obvious one being weight loss. When I first started, I weighed 68 kg and at the end of the most recent challenge I was 60.8kg but the most satisfying change was the muscle definition I began to see (something I’d never achieved before) and of course, being able to constantly reach and surpass personal bests in all the various exercises.

I also noticed my mind is clearer and my memory recall has improved. And despite training six days a week, a lot of the little body niggles I had had for ages just seemed to improve and I’m just a much happier person in general.

Please share any results you are comfortable with…

Apart from the obvious changes in the mirror and the fact I now have to take in all my clothes (good problem to have!), I had a follow up Dexascan four months after the initial one. This showed that I had lost 5.9kg (34%) of body fat and gained 1.7kg of muscle (3.8%) over the four months. Having just turned 55 I am in better physical shape than I have ever been in my life. I came across the initial photo I had taken the other day and I look like a different person. I also just purchased my first bikini in a very long time as I now feel confident enough to wear one again.

How are you maintaining everything now beyond the challenge? 

I’m currently doing Ryan’s “Keep my Gains” program along with my husband who, despite initially being critical of my training, is now a total convert. We are fairly competitive, so we both make each other train harder and keep on track food wise. Currently trying to do 11 sessions a week so I can say I’ve done more than him! My 19-year-old daughter has also just joined BBR and working on my sons, so it is a bit of a Hollier invasion!

What do you love most about your new health and fitness routine?

What I love most about my new health and fitness routine is that I get to train with a bunch of amazingly fit people, so finding inspiration to try harder only requires a glance across the room. The support from other BBR members is very special. There is always time for a laugh and it makes me feel like I’ve gained a whole new family.

Unlike other places I’ve trained, I also feel very safe training hard under guidance of the trainers as the cues they give you enable you to nail each exercise with great form. Even in a class of 24 they are always able to encourage you individually and get you working just that bit harder for the last 10 seconds!

Do you have any upcoming goals you're now working on?  

My current goals are to continue to increase my overall muscle definition particularly in my legs and to nail some band-free chin-ups very soon. I also really want to beat my husband on the sled push (the competition continues), but this is a work in progress.

Any final words to share?

Training at BBR has been life changing physically, mentally, and emotionally. My husband initially complained that I joined a cult as I was so into BBR. Having now finished his first challenge he doesn’t complain anymore!

FAST FIVE FAVS

Fave HIIT/strength station –

Trap bar dead lift

Least fave –

Box jumps (always in fear of face planting)

Fave café and your order –

Dejaxo (gorgeous geisha green tea)

Fave cheat meal –

Saturday morning post-training omelette at Academy as they will modify it to a challenge-style omelette, so I don’t have to cook!

Fave holiday destination –

Croatia