Mark lost 24kg and shaved years off his biological age at 55

At 55, Mark was tired of feeling older than his years. Despite regular workouts, nothing seemed to shift the weight – especially the stubborn fat around his waist. He felt self-conscious, lacked energy, and had quietly given up on ever feeling athletic again.

Everything changed after a family holiday prompted him to take action. Mark joined Ultimate Performance, fully committed to the process, and lost 24kg (53lbs) in just 25 weeks.

Now, he’s leaner and fitter – and his wearable tracking devices show he’s biologically years younger than his actual age. But the biggest change is that he’s got new sense of confidence – at work, with his family, and in the mirror.

Here’s how Mark reversed the clock, rebuilt his body, and became a role model father in the process for his teenage children…

What made you realise it was time to change? Was there a specific moment that triggered your decision? 

“My motivation to join U.P. was to take better care of myself. I don’t think there was one penny drop moment. In fact, I’ve been contemplating doing it for a number of years.  

I was finally pushed over the edge in our family holiday last summer. So now I made, made the decision to commit and go at it 100% and I don’t regret a single moment of it.”

How did you feel about your body and fitness before starting at U.P.?

“My frustration was what I was doing by myself. I was seeing no change whatsoever in the way that I looked or even felt, and progress was minimal at best. So I knew that by carrying on and expecting a change that this, by definition, is insanity. I needed someone to kind of help me and help coach me along that path. The motivating factor for coming to U.P. was to find that coach that was really going to help supercharge my transformation.” 

What were your goals when you started – was there a particular look you wanted to achieve? 

“I guess I kind of wanted to get back to feeling athletic rather than necessarily a specific look, because if, if I’m being honest, I’m not sure I truly believe that I could achieve any kind of athletic look.

But I certainly wanted to feel um less self-conscious of how I felt I looked, the weight that I was carrying, and where I was carrying that weight.

Having kind of done numerous home workouts and online programs and achieved very little with those, I was beginning to wonder if I could ever get back to feeling and looking like I felt 20 or 30 years ago.” 

How important was nutrition in achieving your results? 

“Nutrition has been a key element for me. I’ve always liked to think that I ate healthily, and I certainly liked healthy foods. But if I’m being honest with myself,  the portion sizes were all over the place, and probably during lockdown I became a great ‘grazer’.  

The temptation just to pick up food continually through the day with no regard at all to what my calorie intake was, or certainly understanding how to balance out my macros to achieve weight loss or kind of weight control, which has been absolutely critical to my success here.” 

What was different about training at U.P. compared to other gyms or trainers? 

“What I enjoy most about training at U.P. is the level of attention that you’re given by your trainer.   

Typically, when you go to a gym, you’re not taught how to properly lift weight, and I’ve had to unlearn and learn the correct technique for doing things.  

I think the other thing that I’ve really enjoyed is, is weirdly being pushed in the gym. To achieve more than I thought I was capable of, quite frankly.  

I have specific exercises that still scare me, and they’re a real challenge, but I think having a trainer alongside you, coaching you and coaxing you to do your best, supercharges the results that you’ll see.  

And I think the combination of their advice on nutrition, but also in the gym is game-changing.” 

How has your physical performance changed throughout your transformation? 

“The way my gym performance has changed is night and day, to be frank. I liked to think before I came to U.P. that I knew how to exercise, but as I said previously, I think the focus on correct technique has been transformational, and that really has led to some big gains.” 

What role did your trainer play in supporting your journey?

“My trainer was constantly going above and beyond expectations…the interaction that you can have with them through the app, through email, is valuable as well. So I don’t feel afraid to ask any questions and I’ve really enjoyed kind of deepening my knowledge of health and wellbeing.” 

How does U.P. compare to other fitness experiences you’ve had?  

“I’d have to say U.P. versus other experiences is like night and day. I’ve had personal trainers in the past that have kind of just stood by and watched as I’ve done exercises, provided no specific coaching, and just sort of have been there almost as a passive observer for the hour that I’ve been with them. And I didn’t find that that was particularly motivating cos I wasn’t seeing that I was making any progress. I’ve also done online programs and I’ve had some success with some of them, but never quite managed to sustain it. I think the in-person experience, which is at the core of the U.P. experience is absolutely critical and a massive motivator for me to do the best that I possibly can whilst I’m on this journey. I only wish I’d done it years earlier.” 

Did you face any challenges during the transformation?

“I think adapting to the diet at the beginning and sometimes throughout the process was challenging. It undoubtedly is a massive shift in terms of the way that I was living my life. It’s made me become much more disciplined in the way that I approach things, particularly food being the most obvious.” 

How do you feel about the results you’ve achieved? 

“The results we’ve achieved have been quite amazing.  

Yes, if I look at the before and after pictures, there’s a radical transformation. 

I feel leaner and fitter, and some of the other tracking devices that I’ve used suggest that I’ve shaved years off my biological age versus where I am chronologically.  

I certainly feel much more self-confident as a consequence of the changes that I’ve made. Before, I was slightly embarrassed trying to fit into the clothes that I used to love wearing, I didn’t really carry myself with much confidence, and always felt slightly ashamed when I’d show up in meetings or at family events. 

 But now I feel much more like the person I imagined I was, and you know, that’s given me a boost of self-confidence as well.” 

Do you feel that your new habits will stick with you long-term?

“I think having been on this journey now for 25 weeks, and I think those behaviours are starting to become ingrained. 

Certainly, I’ll look now for opportunities to get more steps in. Certainly, I will feel hungry during the day, but I won’t necessarily reach for an ice cream or anything like that.   

I’ll be much more conscious of how much I’m actually eating, and I think that’s been one of the big changes to understand how many calories you’re actually consuming and how much it takes to kind of burn those off. So, I’d like to think that should I leave U.P., that those behaviours will still stay with me.”

What kind of impact has your transformation had on your family?

“I was hoping I’d be able to influence my (teenage) children through actions rather than words.  

My son is now much more mindful of what he eats, he’s doing more exercise, and even talking about getting into weightlifting as well. 

Similarly, I think my daughter has been impressed by the change that she’s seen in me, and is in her own way kind of leaning into like the nutrition side of things and also curious about the exercises that we do.” 

What would you say to someone considering U.P.?

“Purely because – in a ‘Ronseal’ sort of way – they do what they say on the tin. The results that I’ve got, I don’t believe I’d have got pretty much anywhere else. I come to training now feeling a wave of support when I walk through the door.” 

Like these results? Send us your details in the form below to receive information about our programs