Why was Chandell so successful?

Bowflex promotes in a TreadClimber testimonial that Chandell Tytlandsvik lost 105 pound in less than a year. This posting looks at why she was successful - and it has far more to do with how she approaches fitness than the machine she used.

Chandell's full testimonial can be viewed here (it is used in pieces throughout the television commercial): https://youtu.be/qySs0zbWdtw. Her images and story can also be seen on Bowflex's website here.

Her story is true – I have met andconversed with Chandell at a recent employee wellness event that I spoke at (she is on the far right, I am second from the left):

Chandell bought a TreadClimber, used it for a year, and then answered an email inquiry asking "How did it go?" She was expecting a water bottle as a gift for her reply, instead she ended-up being the centre of a North American advertising campaign.

Her 105-pound weight loss also included giving birth – in her testimonial she said "going into the delivery room I was 245 lbs." So this story is not only of weight loss, but also of a getting back into shape after childbirth. And, one other details is, the exact duration was 11-months 2-weeks.

You can hear her explain the series of events around the ad during a CBC radio interview ( "The Afternoon Edition" CBC radio Regina on January 9, 2015) here and also in Chandell's blog here.

So, what made her so successful? I have identified 6 key reasons for her success (there are likely more) – these reasons are more about her approach to fitness and less the machine she used.

If you listen carefully to her testimonial you'll notice a few key items:

1. She started - Every great success story has a beginning, with the person being awful to begin with and eventually becoming a success. She "started."
2. She did not see it as pass/fail but rather problem solving – Every great success story has trials, road blocks, and errors, which can either be seen as an end or failure, or as a problem to be solved along the way. She tried a lot of things until she was successful.
3. She tracked her results – Measuring something allows you to see how much you've progressed on the days when it seems hopeless. It also allows you to see what works and doesn't work, and then make adjustments. She tracked her weight.
4. She didn't try to outrun her fork – Anybody can easily consume far more food in 15-minutes than they could burn-off through exercise in 3-hours. Chandell watched her caloric intake and gave-up poutine – the poutine item is not in her testimonial but she did tell it to me in person. Also, if you watch the ad testimonial carefully, her dietary changes appear in writing.
5. It was right for her – She tried several things until she found something that was right for her – a TreadClimber – for other people it may be something else (also note, the TreadClimber is a well-designed piece of equipment that can deliver results). I hate running, so embarking on a running-centered fitness routine would not be productive for me. I like weight lifting, so a routine focused on lifting weights in a timely manner or circuit training is right for me.
6. It was not "easy" but was efficient – Saying something in fitness is "easy" is an insult to those working at it and worse yet, a misleading and even demoralising lie to those wanting to make a change. Chandell cries during her testimonial, it was not easy. But, it can be efficient – if you do the right exercises with the right food.

Chandell Tytlandsvik is now blogging for Flaman Fitness here