Ever since he was young, fitness was a big part of AJ’s life – he was an athlete in college and was always in great shape.
Off the back of an injury, he developed a rare disease which led doctors to tell him to steer clear of the gym.
Twelve years away from gym training, a hectic schedule and a less-than-optimal diet left him out of shape and in a poor state of mind about his fitness.
Partnering with the experts at Ultimate Performance helped 38-year-old AJ conquer his fears, return to the gym and learn how to train safely and effectively around his condition.
Now he’s in great shape and feeling good again too.
“I saw results immediately. When I looked at myself, I felt firmer, stronger and I started to see ‘AJ the athlete’ of 18-20 in college. I was looking the best that I had ever looked like in my life.
“I would recommend U.P. to others, no questions asked. It has been by far one of the best investments I have ever made in my life and this is coming from a guy who has made investments in his life across four continents and 22 countries.
“I’ve invested all over in a variety of different things in my life and this ranks in the top three of investments.”
The catalyst for starting a transformation program at U.P. was feeling down about his current state of fitness.
He seemed to be exercising non-stop, but not seeing the results of his hard work – and as a former athlete, that was tough to take.
“I felt horrible about myself. I’d gotten to a stage where I was really out of shape. I used to be an athlete and I was doing everything I could to hold it together, but I felt terrible about where I was physically in life.
“I never ate a carb to keep even what I had before, which now I realize how horrible it was in terms of body fat percentage. I would go out to breakfast be the guy ordering avocado toast and not have the toast.
“From an eating perspective, it was like those diets that are very unhealthy for you although they could keep fat off, you’re just hacking the system in terms of training. I did callisthenics, a 45-minute spin class, high intensity, and walking a ton. So you’re talking about maybe four hours of exercise in a day.”
He knew enough was enough. Signing up for a transformation at U.P. was a line in the sand – no more excuses, he was ready to make big changes in life.
But still, he had the fear and trepidation about getting back training in a gym lifting weights with his condition.
“The challenge for me during transformation was an injury I got 12 years ago which was a blood clot.
“I developed Paget-Schroetter disease which is caused by thoracic outlets and that scared me off the gym because I had a thoracic surgeon tell me ‘you can’t ever go back to the gym’”.
“I used to work out when I was a kid. As an athlete, I used to be fit and for 12 years I never went to the gym until I stepped into U.P. and because I was terrified of going back in the hospital.
“That was a big challenge. But with the guidance that I got from Gary, my trainer, just limiting the range of motion intelligently, and avoiding certain exercises and attacking others, it made it completely palatable to be able to be in the gym without fear.”
It felt good to be back in a gym. Under the watchful eye of his trainer, who created a bespoke program with exercises tailored to his body, he was able to confidently train with real intensity and purpose again.
The body fat quickly melted off and AJ felt like he did back in his athletic days.
Getting back to the shape he was in during his late teens has been incredibly gratifying and seeing the results of his hard work captured in a photoshoot was the icing on the cake.
“Showing my photoshoot to my wife after we got done and then showing her the before, she just couldn’t believe it. Just that alone is such validation.”
Feeling back to his best again has been priceless for AJ. But the real return on investment from U.P. was learning the tools to maintain that feeling for life.
“The greatest thing that I received was the knowledge transfer and that’s what I was looking for because for me dedication is not a problem, but it’s just knowing what to do and what quotient to do it. I’ve already started to transfer that knowledge to people I know that are unhealthy.
“I feel better; I’ve got more energy and more time back. I look like I did when I was 18 years old!”
IF YOU’VE BEEN INSPIRED BY AJ’S STORY TO TAKE UP PERSONAL TRAINING, FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN U.P. TODAY…
- 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.
Like these results? Send us your details in the form below to receive information about our programs
