Zhuang got in the best shape of his life at 37: Zhuang’s story

Zhuang's achievements

46-year-old Wendy could not stand living with such little confidence. Overweight, miserable, and having lost all control over her diet, she’d hit an all-time low. She was reminded of how far she’d let her health slip whilst laid on a sandy beach in Thailand. Her body looked nothing like she wanted, which played on her mind every day.

That prompted Wendy to contact Ultimate Performance, ready to start a personal training plan. Just days after landing back home, she was walking through the doors at U.P. to start day one of what turned out to be a life-changing experience.

A little over 30 weeks later, Wendy achieved the incredible change she’s always wanted and, for the first time in years, feels confident with her figure after dropping 28kg.

But the weight loss has been just the tip of the iceberg for Wendy. Working alongside her U.P. trainer, she’s fallen in love with weight training and learnt valuable lessons on nutrition that will last a lifetime.

What did Zhuang need to overcome to get in shape?

Tech start-up founder Zhuang always has his head in the future with data, computers and artificial intelligence.

But his focus on building his business took his eyes off the ball with his long-term health.

Over nine years, 37-year-old Zhuang gained significant weight – and while he should have been in the prime of his life, he felt like a man in his fifties.

He did little exercise, he would need to nap several times a day, and keeping up with his two children left him tired and out of breath.

As a ‘tech guy’, he was attracted to the data-driven approach to training and nutrition at Ultimate Performance.

The wake-up call Zhuang needed

Before he started his incredible transformation journey, life was different for Zhuang and his family.

Fitness, exercise and a focus on health weren’t even a factor in his day-to-day life, and he was always low on energy.

Zhuang’s wife, Fion, who took on a transformation program alongside him, said they were both feeling the effects of their lifestyle.

“Before we joined, it was party nights; we’d have lots of drinks, we’d eat unhealthily, snacking."

"There was no such thing as watching your diet. Our energy levels were at an all-time low."

“So, joining U.P., our lives have really changed, 180 degrees."

Step by step progression

Working with an expert trainer, Zhuang got the support and education he needed with his diet and pushed in training.

Week by week, he saw his strength increase, his fitness improve, and his body change before his eyes.

Not only did it help his trainer make data-led decisions on how to adjust his diet and training program, but it gave Zhuang real-time feedback on his progress that kept him accountable.

“Right at the start of the transformation, I spoke to my friends about why U.P. is the most elite gym – it’s very simple. It’s not because it is elite for the sake of its name, but because of the structure of the programming, the mobile app, how it tracks your data."

“I’m a start-up founder – a tech guy – so this matters to see your weight drop, not just from the scales but seeing it on the graph as you log it in on the app."

“So, holding yourself accountable is something that I feel, other than the physical and aesthetic changes, is the key quality that U.P. and the training have taught me.”

Life-changing ‘before and after’ photos

Zhuang’s physical transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. He is 20kg (44lbs) lighter, he is stronger than in his 20s, and he has built up a raft of lifelong healthy habits.

It’s something he doesn’t just see in the mirror – he can feel it in his daily life as an active father.

He is a different man now from the one that walked into the gym 25 weeks ago.

His wife has a new husband, and his children have a new father – one that is fit, active and motivated.

"One of the key things that I noticed after the transformation was this; when I was fat, and my kids would sit on my shoulders, it was tough. After my transformation, I remember this one time my son sat on my shoulders and started doing lunges with him, all 15kg of him. I was quite surprised that I could finish three reps!"

“We can be a little bit more involved physically with the kids, rather than me being a fat dad lying around."