How Joris fixed extreme “mental burnout” by lifting weights 3 times a week

I’m 11kg lighter and I feel way more energetic. I haven’t felt like this for a number of years

Lethargic, irritable, forgetful, and frustrated… that’s how 33-year-old Joris summed up the way he was feeling.

With a stressful job and a 100mph lifestyle burning down his fuse, Joris said he was “ready to explode”.

The father-of-two had reached complete burnout – but he believed he knew why.

He didn’t move his body one bit, nor did he pay any attention to the food he ate. So, Joris decided to partner with Ultimate Performance looking to hit the reset button.

He started to lift weights for the first time ever and stuck to the foods his trainer advised.

Consistently eating well and training three times a week, he saw the scales drop by 11kg in 13 weeks.

It’s been a full 180-degree turn around for Joris. He feels back in control, more confident, resilient, and thinking sharper thanks to regular exercise and better sleep.

It’s given him the 'get up and go' to succeed both at work, and as a young dad.

He explains the steps he took to achieve such jaw-dropping results, here…

Was there a specific reason for joining U.P. and putting your health in their hands?

Obviously, a ‘burnout’ is something very, very difficult to go through. It’s a very busy and tense environment with two young children playing, shouting, crying, laughing.

At some points, you realise like, emotionally, you're not very stable. So there's periods where you can explode. There's periods where you can be very happy, but it's a constant mix of emotion.

I couldn't take care of my children, I couldn't do my work anymore, I couldn't concentrate, and I suffered from bad memory loss. I wasn't feeling happy with myself, my body, or the way I was doing my workouts.

It was unstructured and I never had time for it. I wanted to do something I'd never done before, I wanted to make a change, and I wanted to do something that would stick.

What changes did you notice once you started working with your trainer?

After four weeks my body was changing rapidly as the weight dropped and that got me highly motivated. Physically, it's very different. That came with a high training intensity and I was lifting weights that I'd never lifted before in my life.

At this point, it was already life-changing for me. I could walk for hours without feeling tired. In the first few weeks you're working hard on your legs, they are extremely sore, and the results were mind-blowing. When I was out walking I could feel it in my muscles, my bum, hamstrings, and quads.

I could feel them growing every session. It was remarkable. I could measure my progress every session. My friends and family were surprised each time I showed them my comparison pictures.

Their reaction made me so incredibly proud. It was a privilege to be a part of this with U.P. and get these results.

What differences have you noticed since completing your 13-week journey with U.P.?

I feel way more energetic. I haven’t felt like that for a number of years. I'm carrying 11kg less, I have a very active body, and I know I can maintain this.

I like going outside for that extra walk or going for a run to keep my body active, because that is what it wants. My body didn't want to be active before. It wanted to be on the couch doing nothing. It's a huge mental step.

How beneficial was it to have a personal trainer by your side every step of the way?

I needed that push from a personal trainer, somebody who could teach me how to do strength training properly and help me build muscle. I wanted to change the way I was exercising and target it towards strength training rather than cardio.

The first four weeks were intense, but it really worked. It wasn't just about the training, because that is only three hours per week. It was about completely changing my way of living.

You have to change your diet and get your steps in. You have to weigh all your food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's everything combined. I wouldn't have reached my goals being on my own.

I wouldn't have had the discipline to reach this level. I wouldn't have tried the traditional strength training because it's hard and you need to learn the technique to avoid injury.

I know that I will never stop with my strength training or getting my steps in every day.

Finally, would you recommend U.P. to others?

Definitely. It was life-changing for me. It's challenging to stick to the goals that I have achieved, managing my food, steps, and workouts.

But it has brought a lot of fun and energy into my life. I'm enjoying weight training now. I've learned how it works, and I want to do it on my own in the coming years. I'm very thankful for that.