How actor George turned himself into a superhero in only 9 weeks

Actor George came to Ultimate Performance with one goal in mind.

Turn himself into a superhero.

For the last seven years he’d been trying to get the blockbuster-worthy physique even Henry Cavill (Superman himself) would be proud of.

Yet every attempt fell flat. His ‘bulk then cut’ method never left him satisfied.

With the rise of superhero movies over the last decade, George set his sights on sculpting a powerful upper body as quickly as he possibly could.

This time, with an Ultimate Performance personal trainer leading the way.

Fast forward nine weeks, the results have gone way beyond his expectations.

George’s fans were gobsmacked when he posted his ‘before and after’ photos on Instagram, showing off his ‘superhero’ muscles.

He explains how his time-efficient training sessions perfectly slotted into his busy acting schedule, reveals the new-look diet behind his transformation, and much more here…

Tell us what motivated you to start your own personal training program with Ultimate Performance? 

My reason for joining U.P. is because of my occupation. I’m an actor and sometimes you’ve got to look a certain way on screen.

I wanted to have the body that most leading men perhaps need to have. I wanted to look trimmer on screen. With the way the film industry is going, there are a lot of superhero films.

So as an actor, if you can look like a superhero once your shirt is off, that’s always a great start. So that was my goal – see how close I could get to a superhero body as possible.

I was a bit apprehensive before I started training with U.P. because I’ve been trying to achieve this for about seven years. I’ve been in the acting industry since I was 18 and despite my best efforts, I’ve never got the results I wanted. 

Amazing. Would you say you’ve got that superhero look you wanted?  

I went into the experience not knowing how quickly I would be able to build a physically impressive body. But in nine weeks, I 100% met my goals. I didn’t think this was possible.

My goal was to look aesthetically better, which some people might think means getting bigger. But I learned you can achieve that aesthetic cutting down. That’s what me and trainer focused on – putting on as much size as possible while losing fat.

I had my doubts at the time and questioned how it would make me look bigger. However, fat dropped off around my stomach and my back began to look much better. It made my chest look more defined too. It was a transformation that I didn’t expect.

In the past, I’d always tried bulking first, so I wasn’t sure about this approach. But it’s gone way beyond my expectations and my transformation photos on Instagram received an overwhelming response from fans. 

Would you say your understanding of nutrition has changed since working with your trainer?  

My knowledge of training and nutrition has significantly improved since I joined. When I started, I already had a basic understanding of nutrition, but there was so much more to learn.

One key takeaway from the nutrition side was learning not only to hit my macros but also to ensure they fell within my required calorie range.

Additionally, I gained insights into the right caloric intake for fat loss and achieving a leaner look. I also learned the calories needed to maintain my current body weight. Initially, I had around 20% body fat, and after the nine weeks, it reduced to 10%.

Now I understand how to go from 20% to 10% body fat and how to maintain my body between 10% to 12% depending on my goals.

Moreover, I now know how to adjust my calories to gain size if I want to. This newfound knowledge allows me to adapt my nutrition to achieve different objectives effectively. 

How about your training? What have you learnt on the gym floor? 

Regarding training, it was a similar learning experience. In the past, I felt like my training routines were overly time-consuming and not motivating enough. I’d often spend two hours at the gym without inspiration.

However, with the training regime my trainer designed for me here, I found myself highly motivated to work out. It’s amazing to know that I can complete a satisfying training session in just 45 minutes.

I also learned how to adapt my training when I have little free time, such as during busy acting schedules. So, I can still do a quick and efficient 30 to 45-minute workout.

On the other hand, when I have a few days off, I know how to make the most of my time with a two-hour session.

This flexibility in training has been invaluable, considering the unpredictable nature of my acting commitments, and it has allowed me to stay consistent with my fitness journey. 

That’s great to hear. Other than the obvious physical improvements, have you noticed any other benefits? 

I would say that the main thing that has improved in my life has been health and energy. Big time. I didn’t realise how unhealthy I was before I came in. I think, again, as I was saying, I started this process seven years ago and I was trying my best to put on size.

The advice that I got was to bulk up, but I never really counted the calories and didn’t focus on my nutrition as much as I needed to. I just consumed a lot of calories and expected myself to grow. I was putting on a bit of size, but I felt very lethargic, lacked energy, and struggled to sleep.  

After concentrating and being purposeful with my nutrition and calorie intake, I found myself not needing those snacks. I stopped consuming 3,000 calories per day.

I also had some stomach issues, like indigestion, but now I don’t feel that anymore. My energy issues have improved and I feel a lot fresher. I would say that’s the main thing.

I’ve started playing football with my mates and in the nine weeks that I’ve been training, I haven’t done a massive amount of cardio, but I’m running rings around everybody.  

How have your friends and family reacted to your body transformation? Presumably they’re very impressed.  

Me and a few of my friends started a group chat and called ourselves ‘shredders’ for a joke!

I feel a little bit vain saying it, but it seems like I’ve been an inspiration for a lot of friends and colleagues. They have said they’ve seen what I did in nine weeks and want to try and do the same thing. So, that’s an improvement for me.

My body has never been something that I thought could be an inspiration to anybody. I guess, in a small way, it has been for some people who have seen it. They’ve said, “How did you do that in nine weeks? I want to do that as well.” That made me feel good.

It makes me feel like I’m on the right track because if my body is good enough to inspire people, then maybe it’s good enough to put on television and film. 

Finally, you came to U.P. with a few niggling injuries which had bothered you in the past. Tell us about how they’ve improved.  

I came in with a bit of a shoulder injury. I always suspected it was due to a weakness in that area. My goal was to grow my chest and the areas that are essential for television and film actors, like the V-shaped chest and big arms.

Despite exclusively focusing on those areas, my shoulder issue has disappeared. That suggests to me that my program and my trainer’s support have addressed the issue.

During the shoulder exercises, including lateral raises, shoulder press, and the bench press technique, my shoulder issues gradually vanished.

What’s remarkable is that while our primary focus was on building specific muscle groups, we inadvertently fixed an existing issue by strengthening other parts of my body.

As a result, I no longer experience shoulder problems, which had been hindering my chest growth. 

Training alone but getting nowhere? If you’re ready to see real results in a matter of weeks like George, trust our team of world-leading personal training professionals to show you the way.  

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