Our history
How 16 Weeks Of Hell was created
The goal is to find balance
Tony Andersson’s training history is solid. At the age of 25, he started hanging out at the gym, focusing on bench press and heavy weights. He also has a long past as both a hockey and soccer player in various clubs.
As Tony approached the age of 40, he felt that he wasn’t quite reaching that final step with his training and therefore began to review his diet and training to create the ultimate regimen. On his 40th birthday, he was in the shape of his life and the 16 Weeks of Hell® training concept was born.
ANSWERS TO THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS
TONY ANDERSSON
CEO, Founder & Coach
After reviewing his diet, training, rest and analyzing his own knowledge and research situation, Tony put together a plan for his 40th birthday (which was then about 8 months away).
With this system as a basis, Tony took himself to the next level in his physical development and on the 40th anniversary, the physique was better than ever. Since then, this has been a completely natural lifestyle and the concept has constantly evolved to become today’s 16 Weeks of Hell®.
Sports background
Ice hockey player up to the age of 20 with IK Westmannia Köping. Every fall there are still parts of the body that think a new season is approaching.
Football as a player and leader in many clubs. Among others Munktorp BK, Köping FF, Motala AIF, IK City Eskilstuna and Sandvikens IF. The highlight so far in his career was when Sandvikens IF knocked a shocked AIK Fotboll out of the Swedish Cup in 2013.
ROBERT ANDERSSON
Owner & CFO
With a willingness to exercise, endurance and strength like few others, it is only diet that has prevented top physical shape in recent years. When the diet now is in harmony, Robert both inspires and impresses everyone who gets to take part in his early morning workouts and the iron will he shows both in and out of the gym.
Sports background
Ice hockey in IK Westmannia Köping up to junior age.
Football in Munktorps BK as a boy, junior and senior player.
Junior and Women’s team coach in Munktorps BK.
Our history
On Wednesday 15 February 2017, the very first gym session was held and 16WOH as a phenomenon was “born”. That spring of 2017, it was just five participants and myself who made it through the first controlled setup of what is now known as 16 Weeks Of Hell.
The results the five achieved inspired many, which resulted in 65 people completing the program in autumn 2017.
When the spring season in 2023 is completed, approx. 8,500 participants will have completed 16WOH, which is an absolutely fantastic number.
During the summer/autumn of 2018, we as a company changed direction, or rather, we became more like a company. From seeing this as a sideline to my career as a footballer, we now shifted gears and fully focused on 16WOH and all that it entails.
By we, in that situation, I mean myself and my brother, Robert Andersson, who since autumn 2018 are the two who own the company 16WOH. With the right employees, we have succeeded in creating something unique, both in terms of the approach to the participants but also as a business climate for us owners and not least for our employees.
I am always extremely clear about one thing, the most important thing within 16WOH is our participants. Regardless of what happens in and around the company 16WOH or me as the front person, the participants within 16WOH are our top priority. That’s how it’s been since day 1 and that’s how it always will be. Without our participants and their results and stories, we are nothing. In addition, the feedback from our participants is directly decisive for the fact that we as coaches and companies are slowly but surely getting a little better all the time. To stop and just be satisfied is neither in my nature nor that of my coaches.
However, the principles on which the entire program is based are considerably older than that and began in the fall of 2011 when I, Tony, made an active decision to change my diet and training habits to what is now 16WOH.
Back then, in the fall of 2011, there were no plans whatsoever that it would result in a company that touches (and upsets) so many people, but that it has become so is a wonderful but surreal feeling that can best be described as quality of life.
The diet itself is based on a protein-rich diet with a sufficiently high percentage of fat and a clearly smaller amount of carbohydrates than most people, wrongly in my opinion, choose to eat. I’m not in the least “afraid” of carbohydrates, but I’ve learned what amount my body feels best with, something that more people would do well to find out.
The training is the result of many years of practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge. What we call 6 times 6 is my clear plan of gym training. Whether it is right or wrong is completely uninteresting to me because there are lots of good ways to train. For various reasons, I think this is the best for most people.
The coaching within 16WOH is deliberately clear, honest and heartfelt. We want to give our participants the best possible conditions to develop both in the gym and as people with all that that entails. It is my firm belief that honesty and clarity must exist. But we must never forget that we are working with people and therefore cordiality and understanding are included as a given. But it goes without saying that the truth via clarity can sometimes be difficult to hear and deal with.
Why then this diet and exercise? The short answer is because I, and many with me, feel fantastically good about it.
I have learned to live in caloric balance, i.e. I have learned to eat the amount of food my body actually needs. No more no less. Getting our participants to live in caloric balance after the program is one of our main goals. Whether it then takes place via the 16WOH principles or via some other diet does not matter, but caloric balance is the state where we feel at our very best physically.
In terms of training, the main effects are that you become persistent, create a strength in relation to your body and become strong in everyday life and body-related exercises. In addition, the risk of injury is minimal compared to the training that always strives to lift as heavy as possible. Exercise that in itself is not wrong in any way.
I have lived by these principles since the fall of 2011 and I plan to do so for the rest of my life. If that is not proof of durability, I don’t know what proof is required.
Finally, I want to cement that I will never ever claim that this is the only way to create a sustainable and healthy physique and lifestyle. I’m just stating with 100% certainty that this is a very good way to do just that. As a healthy and adult individual, you own your choices and it is as active a choice to live unhealthy as it is to live healthy. How exactly you choose to do it is your responsibility and I, via 16WOH, will never ever place any value in it or spend a single second convincing you otherwise.
As the founder of 16WOH, I have actively chosen not to spend time discussing with those who do not want to implement 16WOH. We spend all our time inspiring and taking care of our participants who have actively chosen us. It will be both more fun and better that way, as well as save a lot of time and increase the quality of life for those of us involved.
//Tony Andersson, CEO, founder, owner & coach