You may know U.P. for its incredible transformations and the famous ‘before and after’ photos where you see the physical change of a client who has worked their socks off with a personal trainer to achieve such results.
What you don’t see is what they have been through to get there and what U.P. has done to help them get there – so that’s where I came in. For the last 12 weeks, I have done a lot of sweating, I have craved sugar more than ever before and I’ve been telling you all about it and for some reason, you’ve enjoyed it.

But that’s enough of me talking now, here it is…here’s what I managed to achieveĀ with U.P.’s personal trainers.
What Made You Decide to Embark On Your Personal Transformation?
Honestly? Originally it was more of a āwork thing,’ to experience what it was like to be in the shoes of a U.P. client, to understand exactly what U.P. does and to see what they could do with me. Or so I thought. It didnāt take me long at all to realise it was so much more than that. Iād been a gymnast all my life, doing somersaults was all I ever knew so when it ended last year after snapping my Achilles it had a huge impact on me and not just physically.
I really struggled, I struggled to find anything I enjoyed enough to stick to, and Iād lost that thing that made me āmeā ā it was always a confidence boost to be able to say I was a gymnast and not having that was hard to get used to.
“I lost my confidence; I started to lose that athletic shape I always had, and I had no focus, drive or energy anymore.”
I tried everything, and some of it was fun, but it was never something I got into a routine with. I started to suffer from anxiety Ā ā I was emotional, I worried about everything, and this had an effect on my friends, family, relationship, and work. Iād like to say I had no idea what was going on, but I knew exactly, I missed theĀ buzz, theĀ sense of achievement and theĀ passion for gymnastics. I was miserable, and I knew I just needed to get my ass into gear but knowing where to start and what to do was always the problem.
Did You Have Any Concerns Going into Your 12 Weeks?
Iāll be the first to admit that my perception of a personal trainer before I started at U.P. was that it wasnāt anything I couldnāt do myself. Why pay someone else to count my reps or tell me what to do when I could just find a plan online and sendĀ myself into a gym? When I think about it, that would always result in me being bored to death before I could achieve any kind of results. I just wasnāt sure how much they could really do for me.
Itās safe to say that my first ever training session proved me wrong, oh so very wrong!Ā Training with a U.P. personal trainer made my āgood training sessionsā look like a warm-up in comparisonā¦basically, they kicked my ass.
“They kicked my ass, but they were clever about it, thereās thought in the ass kicking, thereās education, knowledge, passion and accountability to how much of an ass kicking they gave me.”
U.P. are on another level, and Iāve witnessed it first-hand.
What Were Your Expectations of the Whole Process?
Working for U.P. means not only have I seen so many incredible transformations but Iāve also seen how much really goes into the results they achieve. A lot of the time you will only see the ābefore and afterā photo but what you donāt see is the dedication and will-power those clients have. You donāt see the endless hours of support, guidance, and education the trainers give to their clients, and you donāt see the hard times that have led them to that ultimate goal.
What I can tell you is that what theyāve done and what Iāve done is not easy ā if it were easy weād all be doing it, but I can also tell you it will be worth both the time, effort and money more than you canĀ ever try to imagine. I would honestly describe it as ālife-changingā and not in a cheesy way.
“12 weeks is all it took with U.P. Thatās all they needed to get me into the best shape of my life, to get me feeling āmeā again, something Iāve been trying to do for the last 12 monthsā¦they did that in 84 days.”
I cannot tell you how much that type of experience can change your life and thatās not just me ā thatās every client that will and has walked through a U.P. door, they will tell you that too.
How Did You Feel Both Mentally and Physically Before and After Your Transformation?
Well, I wasnāt myself thatās for sure, I was an emotional wreck if Iām perfectly honest. If I were to describe the way I was going about life I would say I was taking on the lifestyle of a grumpy sloth, although the difference between me and a sloth is that they seem to enjoy the āslow lifeā ā I did not. I was down, unsociable and almost lazy at times ā wasting any spare time I had watching Netflix and eating takeaways.
Physically, to the outside world, Iām sure I looked just fine, but I wasnāt happy with my body anymore, it wasnāt the body I was used to but the thing I noticed the most was that IĀ feltĀ unhealthy. The funny thing is, I didnāt actually think my diet was that bad ā I actually thought Iād done myself proud by only having one Chinese takeaway a week. That was my idea of a good diet, without even thinking about all of the crap Iād eaten on the other days. My skin was gross; my energy levels were non-existent, and I was unhappy.
It wasnāt until I got into the swing of my 12 weeks that I realized just how much all of the above was affecting me. I started waking up fresh a daisy, raring to go and would still feel the same at the end of the day, even with added training, more work to do and actually being allowed to eat more food too.
“Now, I can train, I feel strong, confident and Iām sure everyone around is pleased that Iām bouncing off the walls again.”
Iām taking on challenges, Iām proud of what Iām achieving and it feels incredible that Iām having a positive influence on others too. Friends, family and strangers who happen to read what Iām up to are being motivated by me, itās nuts, but itās awesome.
How Do You Feel About Weight Training?
Until U.P., I had never really even lifted a dumbbell, let alone a heavy one, and for women, I think for the most part you almost feel like youĀ donāt need to go near that stuff.
The great thing about having a personal trainer is that it doesnāt matter what you knew before, just turn up ready to go and theyāll show you the way.
Training at a U.P. gym couldnāt be any further away from a commercial gym if you tried. Thereās no judging, in fact, every single trainer is so encouraging, and even clients spur each other on. You feel part of a family that is full of support and just as invested as you are in getting the best result possible ā they want it for you and that is a quality that will push you more than you ever will on your own.
WhatĀ Results Did You Achieve?
Iāve lost body fat I didnāt even know was there! Hiding under my bum and on my back where I canāt even see it but now I can feel good about my body. When I train, I may now look ājackedā as the lads would say but when Iām in my own clothes when I dress up to go out, I feel greatā¦and thatās what you want.
“I started off at 22.5% body fat and 12 weeks later, 11.6% āĀ I couldnāt be happier.”
Iām honestly proud of myself, and it just goes to show what you can do when youāve got something to aim for.
I think the biggest thing for me is just knowing what on earth it was I used to eat; it was horrendous. I just wouldnāt care at all about what I was stuffing my face with ā and not just what I was eating but how much of it I would eat. When I first started at U.P. they told me to write a food diary of what Iād eaten the week before and as I started doing it I was genuinely embarrassed at what I saw on my page. Learning about nutrition, even just the basics has taught me to be healthy for the rest of my life ā and that doesnāt mean eating rabbit food, itās just about being clever.
Learning to train, learning how your body can do so much more than your mind thinksĀ it can, is a powerful tool to take away. Iāll be the first to admit that I can be a huge wimp at times, especially since injuring my Achilles. As soon as something hurts, I would have a rest, move on to something else or simply give up. Now I can push myselfĀ and be confident that I actually have it in me to keep going, it feels pretty epic to feel like thatā¦and then that ābuzzā Iāve been missing is back.
When I first started writing about my journey I just saw it as my jobā¦to write. Never did I think people would actually read it! As each week went on I started to receive so much support, so much encouragement and even being stopped in the street by strangersĀ to egg me on, it was pretty surreal just how much power sharing my experience had. We even have new clients coming into the gym saying I was the one thatĀ motivated them to get back into shape, to get going again and I couldnāt have ever imagined doing that for someone, especially someone I didnāt know.
How Much Weight Have You Lost?
You know, Iāve hardly lost any, but I think thatās a common mistake a lot of people make, it isnāt necessarily about weight loss, itās fat loss you want to focus on. Of course, it depends on your goals and your shape but losing the weight isnāt the most important factor.
“In fact, I didnāt even bother stepping on the scales after so long because I would just need to look in the mirror to see the changes and if I was happy with that, thatās all that would matter.”
The great thing about progression is that there are so many ways to measure it that you wouldnāt even think of. Having a personal trainer with U.P. means they are there every step of the way, taking your body fat measurements, checking your progression with how much weight you are lifting, what youāre not doing so well on. It all plays its part.
How Has Writing About Your Experience Helped You?
I talked about how I seemed to have influenced others to get back into a fitness regime, but the best part of sharing my progress was how those who were reading it had an effect on me. I felt like I had to keep going to do those people proud, they were watching me and expecting great things from me, so I kept going. I started to complain less about not eating cake, and I cracked on so I could do those people proud. Of course, the main thing is that youāre doing it for yourself but telling as many people as possible meant there was pressure on me to do well ā I worked my arse off so I wouldnāt let anyone down, including myself and my trainers.
What Made You Decide On Doing a Photoshoot?
Having my own photo shoot was flippinā awesome ā felt like a model didnāt I? š On a serious note,Ā itās something Iāve never done before but something Iāve secretly wanted to do for a long time and having that as an āend goalā was the perfect point of focus. When I think about it, at no point during that 12 weeks did I question why I was doing all of the training and sticking to the strictest diet Iāve ever been on because I always had the photo shoot to work towards. I couldnāt put in all of that hard work and be disappointed with how I looked at the end of it ā it really is a great motivator.
If I were to give any advice to our current clients or anyone thinking of starting it would be to set yourself a realistic timescale and just book a date ā for a photo shoot that is. Not only is it a driving force behind everything you do, but itās something to take away, like a trophy of yourself ā nothing wrong with that.
Anything Else?
This is going to be the soppy part where I thank everyone for being so supportive, but itās true. I have to thank everyone for putting up with my constant complaining, my outbursts due to lack of cake and for those who had to work with me every day, Iād like to congratulate you for getting through the 12 weeks with me ā Iām sure I was a bundle of joy.
My trainers should receive an award for āmost patienceā as I really am a pain in the arse at times. I thank āBig Steveā for all of the āwhat does this do?ā and āwhy am I doing this?ā when it came to my training and to Mark who would be asked several times (a day) whether I was allowed to have cake yet.
“They really were put through their own challenge, butĀ having trainers who really cared about my result made me feel like I had to work hard, I couldnāt make them look bad.”
Iām genuinely proud of what Iāve achieved, and itās such a nice feeling to be confident with my body ā thatās not being big headed, there really isnāt anything wrong with being happy with your body. I mean, thatās what we all want, to be happy. Now Iām ready for my next challenge, and I feel like Iām ready for it, Iām excited.
Would You Recommend U.P. and Why?
Before you all think Iām biased, I think that by now you can tell Iāll always be rather honest, but I would have no doubts whatsoever recommending U.P.ās personal trainers ā EVER. I say that, but I havenāt stopped recommending them since I started and why wouldnāt I?! You only have to seeĀ what all of U.P.ās clients have achieved, all over the world to see why you should be here.
“They are the best of the best, and I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise.”
Why would I recommend them? Iāve written about my life for the last three months and how itās changed because of U.P., so if you want any more reasons to start, and youāre only just reading this blog postā¦go read the rest. But to sum it up, if youāre struggling in the gym, if it bores the brains out of you, if you need a challenge, a goal, some motivation, someone to push you, someone to help you with your diet, someone to give you a good telling off when you lose your way or canāt be bothered anymore ā that would be why.
Are You Feeling InspiredĀ by Samās Fitness Journey?Ā LearnĀ More About the 12 Week Transformation Programme with Ultimate Performance
Read more of our female results here.
- 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.
- 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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