Mark had wanted to get rid of his midlife ‘chubby dad’ body once and for all, but he wasn’t sure how.
Waking up with a hangover one Saturday morning, Mark was shown a body transformation photo of a friend by his wife, giving him the inspiration he needed to make a change.
Also a qualified rugby coach, Mark was determined to build the body of a fit, lean rugby dad to inspire his young son who plays the sport.
After working with Ultimate Performance for just 15 weeks, Mark is now confident in the way he looks and says his transformation has inspired his young children to lead healthy lifestyles.
“I definitely wanted to do it for my son and my daughter. My son and I share quite a lot of sporting interests, and he’s getting into his rugby.
“I coach rugby, and I’ve got a coaching qualification. I want to be a fit, lean coaching dad to my rugby-keen son, and it has been really clear that he’s been quite inspired by my transformation and now seems very, very focused on his sport.
“That has been a big deal for me, for sure, and the same goes for my daughter.”
Here, Mark tells us some more about his journey and the reasons behind why he wanted to make a change.
What was it that made you want to sign up with U.P.?
Well, I’m now 44 years old – literally midlife. I’d been wanting to get in better shape for quite some time. I woke up one Saturday morning with a hangover, and my wife showed me a picture of a friend’s friend in Singapore and at that point, I decided to go online and send an email about personal training, which got a response quite quickly. I then spoke to U.P. and had a conversation about how the team could help me. I wasn’t necessarily committed to signing up, but the conversation was very helpful.
What was the reason you decided to work with Ultimate Performance?
I definitely wanted to do it for my son and my daughter. My son and I share quite a lot of sporting interests, and he’s getting into his rugby. I coach rugby, and I’ve got a coaching qualification. I want to be a fit, lean coaching dad to my rugby keen son, and it has been really clear that he’s been quite inspired by my transformation and now seems very, very focused on his sport.
That has been a big deal for me, for sure, and the same goes for my daughter. My son asked me if he could have a treadmill in his bedroom the other day; he’s only eight. I can see him being a lot more focused on the way that he’s trying to train now. Playing sport was just games before, but he’s now in the garden practising his drop kicks and his T kicking with a rugby ball.
Aside from the evident physical transformation, did you notice any other benefits after your training plan?
I’ve got a relatively stressful job, and I feel a lot less stress now, I’ve also noticed my critical thinking has accelerated. It’s balanced out my life in quite a decent way at work. The other health benefits are a little bit more anatomy-related.
I had quite a weak lower back, and I used to get twinges just bending over to pick up something relatively heavy, but I’m feeling a lot more stable around that now. There’s also just a sense of pride in looking better. I’m perfectly happy to take my top off now and feel quite proud in my group of, let’s say, ‘chubby dads’, and my kids are quite proud of that too.
Talk us through some of the key things you’ve learned in your time whilst working with your trainer.
I think it’s life-changing just in the sense that I’ve learned quite a lot about nutrition and strength training. Before, I didn’t have much of an idea about what I needed to eat to lose weight and build muscle.
I now feel in control, and I think I can do a lot of it myself. I might need some help from time to time, but I have definitely had a life change in that sense. In certain other areas, I used to snore quite a lot, for example. I don’t snore in my sleep at all now.
What aspect of the coaching process did you enjoy the most?
I really liked the encouragement, the positive encouragement about the small wins and the incremental gains. Maybe for some, that’s not the most motivating approach, but for me, it really works. Just recognising those small gains on a day-by-day basis that keep you going for the long haul. It’s the contact, the encouragement and the recognition that kept me working hard.
In terms of value for money, were you satisfied with what U.P. had to offer?
I think the value is pretty clear. One thing that really helped me with the financial outlay was when I first came in to talk to you, I think the question was would I be happy to pay that to cure an illness or fix a problem? The answer is absolutely yes. So to prevent an injury, it’s a sensible investment.
What were you able to achieve in terms of the numbers of where you started and what you finished with?
Weight-wise, I started at 84.2kg and ended at 72.7kg, so I lost approximately 12kg. In terms of my overall strength, I was able to lift a lot more, and I found my weak lower back stabilised. Just in general, a few injuries I had now feel much more stable.
I’m now definitely in the best shape that I’ve been in since my teens, since before I went to university that’s without a doubt. I’m very much more confident about my body.
Before working with U.P., did you have an end goal in mind?
I think the French Open was on at the time that I signed up. I don’t look quite the same as Rafael Nadal, but from certain angles, I don’t look like the 44-year-old dad bod that I had when I walked in here. I’m on the way, and I’m committed to continuing the journey to Rafael Nadal.
- We show you the best, we don't show you the worst.
- We show you people who follow the plans, not those who are all talk.
- We show you those who inspire even us with their commitment to their results.
- You cannot get results exactly like these. You are unique and that means you can only get your own best possible results.
- Your results are a function of time spent following the plan; your genetic response to the right exercise and diet program; how hard you train; how consistently you come to the gym; how disciplined you are with your diet; & your starting point.
- Oftentimes the lower your starting point (poor fitness, terrible body composition) the better your results.
- We cannot do the work for you and the results you see here are a testament to the work ethic of our clients.
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Our reputation is that we are the best trainers in the world for helping you to unlock your potential, & we can lead you to the door, give you the key, even turn the handle and push the door open, but we cannot walk through it for you.
In the end the result is down to you.
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