New father Mark feels lean, strong, and fitter than ever before at 37
“I have shifted my mindset in multiple ways throughout the process. I feel better, I look better, and my mentality towards wellness and fitness has really shifted forward.”
Mark described the months that followed his son’s birth as chaotic.
Any routine that he once had was thrown out the window.
While he was able to give his little boy all the attention he needed, his fitness and weight had reached a real breaking point.
Mark was now heavier than ever before.
Feeling sluggish, lethargic and off the pace at work had become the norm for him – and that had to change.
13 weeks later, Mark has completely redefined the ‘dad-bod’ look and shifted an incredible amount of fat.
He feels 100x better after overhauling his old, lazy habits and swapping them from regular exercise and mindful eating.
That’s resulted in him carving out a lean, muscular physique you’ll hardly believe.
Read how he did it, here.
What was it that motivated you to start your own personal training program, Mark?
My motivation to join U.P. was really after becoming a dad, to get back into fitness.
In the first month of my little boy's life, everything was kind of chaotic, and I was slipping on my usual fitness and food routine. I reached a point where I was far heavier than I ever imagined. So that kick-started me to start training with U.P. and transform my body in a short period of time.
When you walked through the U.P. doors on day one, what were you looking to achieve?
When I looked at how much my health had slipped, it wanted to drop a substantial amount of weight and get lean.
To be honest, I think I have exceeded that expectation in many ways. I have also shifted my mindset in multiple ways throughout the process, thanks to my trainer.
I feel better, I look better, and overall, my mentality towards wellness and fitness has really shifted forward.
What are some examples of how your mindset has changed since you started training at Ultimate Performance?
Mentally, what has really changed over the past three or four months is the discipline to show up, to do my exercise, and eat well. I'm being held accountable.
I enjoy the daily check-ins that I get, and therefore it forces me to think ahead and be much more mindful. I’ve carried this mentality forward to anticipate how often I exercise and what I should be eating.
Ultimately, it’s helped me stay on track and reach my goals faster than ever.
Tell us about your training. How much stronger do you feel and have your lifts progressed?
My training performance has radically improved. I have hit more PRs here over the past three months than I've ever hit before in the time that I've done exercise. I'm quite impressed about it.
In addition to that, I feel at least gained more weight training skill and have far fewer injuries throughout this process.
As an example, I used to visit a chiropractor and osteopath on a regular basis, and now I'll visit them for maintenance rather than having to fix me up. The cues on posture, how to position myself for things like deadlifts, and whatnot have made a big difference in my overall routine, I would say.
Going back a few months… how did you find your very first session at U.P.?
I remember it very well. I was exhausted and sat on the sofa panting for a good 15 minutes. I was surprised at how little I could lift. I thought I could do much better.
Fast forward a couple of months and the differences are incredible. I started at 10kg on split squats for example, which was a push. Today I'm at a good 45kg trying to push for 50kg, which I’m extremely pleased with.
I’m in a far better position from where I started, and you can see your body changing on an almost weekly basis.
How quickly did you start seeing results?
I started seeing results quite quickly. The first two weeks, I saw a significant drop in weight, more than I anticipated.
Throughout the process, by staying on track, it has been surprisingly fast. The first two to three weeks were quite rapid, and since then, it has been a steady process.
I'm pleased with the progress.
What would you say was the main reason you got into such great shape, Mark?
Let me think about that. Apart from showing up and being here in a new rhythm, one of the big differences for me was the daily check-ins with my trainer.
Having an experienced trainer who holds you accountable, provides cues, and encourages you made a significant impact. It helped me push forward, trust the process, and stay committed.
What are some key lessons you've learned about training and nutrition?
A key lesson for me is to weigh my food and not assume. In the past, I thought I was aware of what I ate, but by measuring, I realised my portions were not where they should have been.
Being more mindful and having a better gauge of what I consume and how it affects my body has been a significant shift.
Did you think your work travel would be a limitation when you joined Ultimate Performance?
Initially, I had concerns about work travel being a limitation when I joined Ultimate Performance.
However, it’s been simple to run alongside my personal life and as a result, my mindset has improved. I feel less sluggish and lethargic on a day-to-day basis.
My mood has also been better, and I've become more resilient thanks to the combination of diet and exercise.
Finally, would you recommend U.P. to other people serious about getting shape?
Maybe I would say this: I was hesitant about how daunting and demanding the process would be. However, once you're on board, it's quite feasible. I highly recommend anyone considering it to go for it.
I'm extremely grateful, especially to my trainer, for their commitment throughout the process. It has meant a lot, and I truly appreciate all the efforts.
