When Rob set out to get in shape for his wedding, he had one goal: to be in the best condition of his life for the big day. But what began as a fat loss mission turned into something much more profound.
He didn’t just lose 21kg (46 lbs) – he reversed high blood pressure, improved his cholesterol, eliminated visceral fat, and built an athlete’s heart and lungs in the process. Tired of doing it alone with blogs and YouTube videos, Rob turned to Ultimate Performance for expert coaching, data-driven structure, and all-in accountability.
The result? Two photoshoots, visible abs, and a ripple effect that inspired his wife and wedding guests to start training too. Here’s how he did it – and why he says he’ll never go back to his old self again.
What made you realise you needed to change?
I have my wedding coming up, and I have done fat loss transformations myself in the past. But I wanted to do it right this time. I wanted to see if I could get in the best shape that I possibly can for my wedding. So it provided the perfect deadline for this whole trajectory.
Had you tried anything else before Ultimate Performance?
I’ve been doing it on my own with a lot of YouTube guidance and blog reading, and I wanted to have a proper coach from start to finish – like a company that could guide me from A to Z. So not just an online coach or a personal trainer, but somebody who could guide me through everything.
How was U.P. different from anything you’d tried before?
What I like about U.P. is that they have the UP Transform app. The Apple Watch is linked to it. And you just base every decision on data.
What kind of results did you achieve?
When I started, my trainer said ‘right now you are at 108.7kg (240lbs). Let’s be realistic and get down to 96kg (212lbs) at the end of this program for your wedding. We actually went down to 87kg (191lbs) – so an extra 9kg (20lbs)! I saw it as a bonus!
I had a high blood pressure, I had high bad cholesterol, and I had visceral fat on my kidneys. I just did a health check days after the photoshoot and all of the problems were solved. My blood pressure was normal – I know how long I’ve had to take pills for that. My visceral fat is on a low level, and the bad cholesterol is also gone.
“I had the lungs of a 22-year-old – I’m 34 – and, my heart was in the condition of an athlete. And I didn’t run a single mile!
How did you feel physically and mentally before?
Before I started training with U.P. I was bloated all the time. I felt disgusted with myself. I think that was also one of the reasons why I joined up – I wanted to feel comfortable in my own body.
Did you imagine the journey would be as it was?
It was definitely hard, mentally, and also time investment-wise, because of course we had a deadline, so we did not have a full year to lose as much as possible. We had a set amount of time that we had to achieve the goal. I wanted to push it as far as possible.
What did you learn through the process?
I’ve learned so much also like daily activity, like walking, how that can be like a secret weapon when you want to be on a fat loss journey. So many little tips and tricks.
When you challenge yourself, you learn about yourself and your body. You’re learning more about what works with your body and the food choices. So it’s a learning experience. It’s a lesson overall. Let’s say I turn 95 – I have 60 years to enjoy this knowledge.
How did it feel to see your transformation photos?
Very proud of course. And also when I look at the left picture, the left being the fat version of me and the right one being the current version, I never want to be that version of myself anymore.
How do you feel about yourself now, day to day?
I gained a lot more confidence. I feel mentally extremely strong. I trust myself so much, I feel so confident in trusting myself. I can stick to the plan for so many weeks and create the best version of myself.
Did your transformation affect your relationship with your wife?
We’ve been training together in the past, and doing fat loss journeys as well.
It’s always with me starting. It’s like if I’m not going to drink for 100 days, then she’s always like, ‘okay, if you’re not doing it, then I’m joining you.’
And I started the journey here with U.P. And then she was like, ‘okay, I’ll just join as well’. When you start making significant changes to impact other people around you, then sort of like a drop of water you have this ripple effect.
Did the people around you notice the change?
When I told people who were also coming to the wedding what we were doing, we managed to get everybody in the gym.
Also, when I started sharing the pictures that we took at the photoshoot, they started asking me questions like, ‘how did you do that?’
What did you learn about yourself?
The biggest achievement is going through all this, pushing through all these mental barriers, and just sticking to it and then coming out as a winner at the end. I can push so much further and so much harder than I ever thought was possible.
What are the most important lessons from this journey?
The most important thing that I can recommend to everybody is to get a coach. I made this comparison to a couple of friends: If Frodo from the Lord of the Rings would have had to figure out how to throw the ring into the fire and how to get there on his own, it would have taken him ages. But because he had a guidance, a Gandalf who guided him through, the journey was so much faster. I think it works the same with having a coach.
The second thing I learned is that increasing your daily activity by just walking helps you so much in the whole journey. Because people always think that you have to do a lot of cardio, or a lot of cycling or running, then then you will lose fat. But if you can just walk, and that helps a lot.
The third one would be that you are actually capable of so much more than you think.
What would your advice be for anyone else who wants to make a change like this in their own life?
If you want to get something out of life, just find somebody who has already done it before, then you will get there so much faster.
- We show you the best, we don't show you the worst.
- We show you people who follow the plans, not those who are all talk.
- We show you those who inspire even us with their commitment to their results.
- You cannot get results exactly like these. You are unique and that means you can only get your own best possible results.
- Your results are a function of time spent following the plan; your genetic response to the right exercise and diet program; how hard you train; how consistently you come to the gym; how disciplined you are with your diet; & your starting point.
- Oftentimes the lower your starting point (poor fitness, terrible body composition) the better your results.
- We cannot do the work for you and the results you see here are a testament to the work ethic of our clients.
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Our reputation is that we are the best trainers in the world for helping you to unlock your potential, & we can lead you to the door, give you the key, even turn the handle and push the door open, but we cannot walk through it for you.
In the end the result is down to you.
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