August Client of the Month: Anthony
Runner Anthony got faster, stronger and leaner than he ever thought possible switching from cardio to weight training.
His fitness levels were high after competing in a half Ironman, but his body fat was not where he wanted it to be.
Anthony wanted a new challenge to see what his body could do lifting weights, so he started a transformation program at a Ultimate Performance Hong Kong.
Switching from a diet heavy in carbs, to a high-protein diet and lifting weights three times a week not only transformed his body, but also helped him clock new personal best times in his running.
Anthony, who is predominantly vegetarian, lost 2kg and almost a third of his body fat to get in the her physical shape of his life.
What were your motivations for starting a transformation journey with U.P.?
I've always been pretty active and enjoy pushing myself physically, but this has usually been in terms of cardio. I wanted to see what I could achieve by pushing myself in the gym environment under the guidance of a personal trainer.
How were you feeling both physically and mentally before starting with U.P.?
I was reasonably fit before I started at U.P. through circuit training and running. I had recently competed in a half Ironman, so coming off the back of that race I was feeling pretty good.
However, my body fat levels were definitely not where I wanted them to be.
What was your diet and lifestyle like before you started your transformation with U.P.?
I've been a vegetarian for a number of years and have always tried to eat relatively healthy foods. However, my diet prior to training was pretty high in carbs because of my cardio-based training.
How did your diet and lifestyle change when you started your transformation with U.P.?
My diet changed pretty fundamentally. For the course of the program, I upped my protein intake and cut out carbs almost completely.
This meant eating a lot of fish, which I don't usually do. At first I did struggle with the lack of carbs and was feeling hungry a lot of the time, but as the weeks progressed, my body adjusted and really started to thrive.
What effect did this have on your health, performance, lifestyle and energy levels?
As the diet progressed and I got over the initial shock of such a change, I did find that my energy levels were improving.
Something that surprised me is that I clocked a couple of personal bests while running, which the diet must have had a big impact on.
What were the most important things you learned during your journey and what really worked for you in helping you make your transformation?
What I learned during the transformation is that with the right mindset and determination, you really can achieve life-changing results in what is a pretty short space of time.
I think that without the very professional guidance of my trainer, Dhaval, who continuously tweaked my program by adjusting the areas that needed to be concentrated on, and pushed me through my limits and kept me driven to achieve my goals, this transformation would not have been possible.
How has doing this transformation changed you and do you think it will benefit you going forward?
I'm definitely going to build on this experience and use it as a motivator to realise my future training goals.
Would you recommend U.P. and why?
I would absolutely recommend U.P. The results simply speak for themselves.
