“I never thought I’d look this good at 45. My waist has never been this small and I’ve got a six-pack.”
No amount of gruelling HIIT sessions were helping 45-year-old Usman lose weight.
He exercised four times a week, but the harsh reality was he’d achieved nothing.
Father-of-two Usman admitted he was now disappointed with the way his body looked. Especially when he took his shirt off.
In his 23 weeks with Ultimate Performance, he dropped 14kg and carved incredible six-pack abs – even navigating a 30-day fast during Ramadan.
He’s proud that his children now look up to him, and excited he can pass on his knowledge of how to lift weights and eat well for a healthy life.
Read how he swapped cardio for lifting weights, and regular takeaways for a balanced diet, to shape this stunning body…
What was your motivation to start your own personal training plan with U.P.?
I’m 45 years old now and have been training for a while, but not really achieved anything. I felt I was working hard, three or four times a week, but I wasn’t getting anywhere.
Each year would pass, and I looked the same pretty much every time, which was frustrating. I knew I was getting older and I knew that if I was going to get in shape, I needed to do it now. That motivated me to get up and do something..
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What did your diet and lifestyle look like before you came to U.P.?
A lot of takeaways. I never enjoyed cooking and I was almost dependent on other people making my food, so I didn’t know what my body was taking in. I was conscious I shouldn’t be overeating, but I didn’t know what nutrients my body needed. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked at all.
I wouldn’t say I was fat, but it shocked me whenever I saw photos of myself with my shirt off. So, I wanted that to change. I used to train, but then I’d sit at my desk for hours on end. I tried to get in around 5,000 or 6,000 steps per day, but would often get taxis and avoid walking when I could.
What kind of exercise did you do before partnering with your trainer?
I was doing lots of HIIT training before I came to U.P. I used to feel more exhausted back then compared to how I do now after my U.P. sessions.
To be honest, technique wasn’t so important in the exercise I was doing; it was more about sheer effort. But I found myself getting injured quite a lot. I’ve now learnt how to activate specific muscles that I want to grow, and how to prevent myself from getting injured.
As a father, do you think your kids will be proud of what you’ve achieved?
I’ve got two boys, aged six and 11. I feel like they have the know-how and skills to reach their full potential. I was interested in bodybuilding as a kid, but I never had anyone close to me telling me it was important or safe to do. I’m excited that as my kids grow up, I can pass on my knowledge about good foods and how to lift weights.
My kids also look up to me now, which has been a huge part of my experience at U.P. We went to the park the other day, and there was a fireman’s pole that my 11-year-old was trying to climb. Previously I would tell him how to do it, whereas now I can demonstrate. Training has impacted a lot of practical things in my life, including the time I spend with my children.
How do you feel about yourself since you started your program?
I feel a great sense of self-confidence and achievement. Aside from the physical benefits, I’m really enjoying the relationship I have with food. I would previously eat a lot of takeaways and didn’t want to cook.
I’m now in a situation where I enjoy cooking, and I’m experimenting with new foods in the kitchen.
My trainer was always able to adapt my plan so I could keep making progress, even through a period when I had gout. The whole experience has changed my life – I never thought I’d look this good at 45. My waist has never been this small and I’ve got a six-pack.
How important was the support of your trainer during Ramadan?
Training during Ramadan was one of the big surprises for me. I was worried that if I trained during Ramadan, I’d end up starving. It’s a long, 30-day period and you’re not taking any water on board either.
I can honestly say it was fairly easy. My trainer was able to adapt my training and made sure I didn’t lose too much water, which really helped. During Ramadan in the past, I’d stopped training completely because I wasn’t eating. I then ended up losing weight.
But afterwards, you jump up in weight, which is mostly fat. I was never in a great place once Ramadan had finished. But with U.P., my weight went down in a straight line and I didn’t feel like I was losing much strength either – I actually felt stronger. I wasn’t as hungry as on previous occasions, so everything was different to what I had expected.
- 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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