Joel’s 18kg weight loss helped him get back into the finer things in life like playing football with his younger brother.
yasmin’S STORY
The Challenge is definitely life-changing, I was initially worried about the meal portions and did not want to starve myself. My meals were very filling and I spent less time in the gym than ever before (45 mins a session) and saw a drastic change on a weekly basis.
Once I got into the routine it became very straightforward and the guide has become the basis of my fitness life.
I’ve always felt like I have the cheat code to weight loss ever since I did the challenge.
Joel’s 18kg weight loss helped him get back into the finer things in life like playing football with his younger brother.
Joel was a fit young man who took part in a lot of sports. Just before lockdown he mentally wasn’t in the best place and then lockdown didn’t help at all. His weight tipped 110kg at his heaviest living with stress and fatigue from work and life in general.
He came to me for professional guidance with the goal to find a space which would help him destress and then in turn start to focus on weight loss.
We started with boxing and mobility and over time added strength work too. Now Joel is fighting fit and taking on his younger brother in 1 v 1’s down the local park.
“I lost around 18kg. At the last work event (I work for Nike) before lockdown I couldn’t fit into any clothing, I had too wear tracksuit bottoms”
“Ola did something magical, just his understanding, knowledge and most importantly patience was what was needed and I’m proud of the change”.
“I still train up until now not to change my body first but that is happening, however, Ola has taught me to train just to be better”
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.”
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.
As the founder of a tech company, Zhuang was really impressed by the app technology developed by U.P.
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.”
Zhuang knows the power of good data to elicit positive outcomes – and on his transformation, it was no different.
He says the U.P. app gave him the power to closely track a host of key progress metrics that were integral to helping him achieve outstanding results.
“I am learning the importance of logging the data, not just to see your progress but because it holds you accountable, that integrity.
“I’m in tech, we deal with data learning, with artificial intelligence, we know that whatever nonsense data you put in, nonsense results you will get out.
“So, if I’m not consciously, diligently, truthfully, and honestly putting in my weight daily, whether it is high or low, if I ate crazy the night before, I’m going to have a lousy result going forward.
“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.”
Zhuang’s physical transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. He is 20kg lighter, he is stronger than in his 20s, and he has built up a raft of lifelong healthy habits.
“I joke that it is much harder to go from fit to fat. It took me nine years, in which I never worked out, I never ran, never went to the gym, but it only took me eight or nine months to completely turn my lifestyle around and complete my transformation.
“We are very focused on making sure that we are healthy, not just to look good.”
It’s something he doesn’t just see in the mirror – he can feel it in his daily life as an active father.
“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.
“In terms of what I can accomplish in the gym now, I can bench press about 60kg. I’ve never done deadlifts in my life, and now I can do 95kg.
“When I was 18 or 19 years old, when I was in the army, the maximum pull-ups I could do in one go was 7, which is not a lot. But now, at 37, I can do 10 in one go, and that’s all due to U.P.’s structured programs and the data that we put into the app.”
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.
Fion has noticed the difference in her husband, too – he is energized in everything he does.
About Our Result
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We show you the best, we don't show you the worst.
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We show you people who follow the plans, not those who are all talk.
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We show you those who inspire even us with their commitment to their results.
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You cannot get results exactly like these. You are unique and that means you can only get your own best possible results.
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Oftentimes the lower your starting point (poor fitness, terrible body composition) the better your results.
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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.
