Client of the Month: Christian
When 39-year-old Christian moved to Amsterdam four months ago, he would have never imagined that this would be the place where he would find his dream body.
The move upset his training routine and plunged him into a spiral of unhealthy living.
He ate at McDonald’s four times a week, was drinking regularly, and had stopped exercising altogether – the weight was piling on, and he had never felt this unfit in his life.
He found Ultimate Performance in a fitness magazine and researched U.P. Amsterdam online – he was captivated by the results and signed up for a transformation programme instantly.
Christian, who had always been fit, had slid a long way off the track in just a few months. Ten weeks into his transformation at U.P., he lost 10kg and 10% body fat.
He also finally started seeing the abs he wanted so badly for so long.
“The impact was and still is really powerful.
“I feel much more energised, able to do stuff rather than just sit on the sofa, having no energy at all and drowning the unhappiness with drinks.
“The biggest benefit is clearly that physically and mentally, I am more happy and balanced than I have ever been in the last few years.”
ARE YOU READY FOR A MAJOR LIFESTYLE CHANGE?
What was more difficult was the change in diet.
His previous trainer had always told him to eat more to bulk up, and letting go of old eating habits was a big challenge.
"I think it became much easier when I saw the body fat falling and the optics change and also having support from John, my trainer, to ensure that it will work and be worth it.
“Well, I think the struggle I always had before was that I wanted to get bigger in muscle, but at the same time, I wanted to be lean so I could see my abs again.
“Generally, I have had issues putting on weight. So, before I joined U.P., the message from my old trainers was – ‘eat as much as you can’. It wasn't about having a balance, so in the past, my breakfast shake alone was like 1100 calories.”
Of course, it all paid off. Christian now has the beach body – and the abs – he always dreamed of.
In a short period of time, he regained control of his life and is back on a healthy track.
"The more the body fat dropped, and the more I saw the optics improving, the better I felt. I think it generally improved my mental state, and I became a much happier person mentally again too.
“Most important was probably learning to stay committed. I am generally not very good at staying committed.
“What significantly helped, was my trainer’s support throughout the journey, even calling me out if I slipped to focus on what I want to achieve and getting me back on track with that.”
What’s been most gratifying is learning the key tools to getting lean and strong that will stay with him for life.
“I think I will benefit from it in the long-run too. I can control what I do, eat, and drink much better, and I feel confident that if ever needed, I can easily jump back on the shredding diet to achieve what I want, e.g. ahead of a beach vacation.
“Knowing what I know now, I would certainly do U.P. again.“It’s not cheap, but it’s a great investment. If I hadn’t done it, I would probably be sitting at home being unhappy. I don't regret paying for it at all!"
