“My wellbeing, health and fitness have just completely transformed! I’m fitter, stronger and happier than ever before.”
Samantha’s incredible 33kg transformation has helped her overcome pain and anxiety to give her a new lease of life at the age of 54.
She had gone through a traumatic few years in the years that followed Covid-19.
And after her son was diagnosed with cancer, she found herself living in an anxious, ‘fight or flight’ state.
Throughout that time, she’d gained a lot of weight and her fitness was at rock bottom…and a painful slipped disc in her spine made changing things on her own feel impossible.
The moment she knew ‘enough was enough’ was on holiday when she struggled to stand up from her sun lounger…and she quickly made an appointment to speak to Ultimate Performance.
Now she’s completely unrecognisable from the woman she was just 34 weeks earlier. She’s gone from someone with zero confidence who was held back by anxiety to becoming strong, fit, and motivated again.
Her back pain is gone, she’s out running for the first time in years, and it’s given her mental strength to take on all sorts of exciting new challenges in her life.
In this Q&A, Samantha shares how she overcame her fear of the gym to get fit in her fifties and find happiness again after years.
What was your main motivation for joining U.P.?
I had hit a wall with my weight, and my general health and wellbeing. I felt really unfit and was really overweight and I just decided I needed to do something. I still had clothes in my wardrobe that I wanted to slim back into one day – and I just felt like the day was never going to come. We’d gone on holiday, and I was struggling to get out of the sun lounger, and I just felt that there were no more excuses to be made. I’d heard about Ultimate Fitness on Instagram, and I knew as soon as I’d made the appointment then I would commit to it, and I’d have to come and see it through.
You’d been through a traumatic few years prior to U.P. How do you think that time impacted you?
I’d worked with a personal trainer, and I really hurt my back. I had a large disc pronation (or herniation) in my back, and I was off my feet for months. It completely knocked my confidence and absolutely floored me. That was about five or six years ago. Then we had all the stress of Covid-19, and then my son was diagnosed with cancer and that was very traumatic. I just felt I was in a state of ‘fight or flight’ constantly, I had high anxiety and was stressed out which wasn’t helping with my weight. We got through all that and I felt like I was settling and didn’t think I could go on this journey on my own. I needed somebody to make me accountable and to support me and give me momentum and enthusiasm for myself again to get me to where I wanted to be.
You’ve done incredibly well. Have you found any challenges along the way?
I had a little wobble where I was worried about my back. As I mentioned, before this, I went on holiday and there were low sun loungers and I really struggled to get up. It was embarrassing. There was a lot of heaving and huffing and puffing. I started to do some walking then but the inflammation in my body made it hard. Everything ached, particularly my knees and my hips. The side that was damaged through the disc, the calf on that side was incredibly tight and my knees were so tight, I had no range. I think maybe that was the only challenge. I thought, how am I going to get past this to do all the exercises we’ve been doing? But it was a moment and then I just moved on.
Have you noticed improvements in those areas from your time at U.P.?
I don’t think anything hurts anymore. I’ve knocked not just minutes, but tens of minutes off my walks and I’m jogging again which I never thought would happen. There’s a little bit of tightness in the back of my calf but even that has pretty much disappeared. With all the exercises I’m doing, I can feel the improvement and my total wellbeing, and health and fitness has just transformed.
That’s amazing. How would you compare yourself now to day one?
I’m unrecognisable. The person I walked in as is somebody completely different to the person sitting here now. I was barely stepping out of the door. I wouldn’t go anywhere; I wouldn’t get in front of the camera. When I was walking the dog, I was huffing and puffing up the hills and now, instead of the dog dragging me around, it’s me dragging the dog around. I really look forward to coming in here and doing my training sessions. My mental health is off the scale different. I mean, you couldn’t even compare it!
When I first came here, my confidence was zero. I was reacting to everything, and in a state of high anxiety. I felt like I was going from zero to 1,000 in a nanosecond. It isn’t just about the weight, I wanted to feel mentally and physically stronger. Those were my two major goals, and the weight loss is a bonus. Obviously, that increases your confidence as well, but mentally and physically feeling stronger has impacted everything. I just want to go out and keep doing more and take on new challenges. It just feels like it’s created this really positive momentum.
That’s great to hear. You’ve worked with a personal trainer before. How would you compare your previous experience with your trainer at U.P.?
I can’t speak highly enough for my trainer Paul at U.P. for anyone embarking on a fitness journey. We’ve worked together really well as a team, and he’s kept me really accountable, and pushed me and encouraged me. Paul had no doubt that I’d get there, and that’s given me the belief too.
34 weeks ago, I was filled with nerves and uncertainty as I began my 12-week transformation. Today, I’m not just 33kg lighter – I’m also fitter, stronger, and happier than ever before, all thanks to my trainer’s incredible guidance and expertise.
What truly sets my trainer apart is his unwavering dedication to his clients’ success and his relentless commitment to keeping me on track. Each training session and meal plan is meticulously tailored to push my boundaries and ensure I exceed every goal. Through his challenges and goal setting, I’ve not only transformed physically but also gained confidence and knowledge that I can carry forward in my fitness journey.
If you’re feeling like Samantha – anxious, unfit, and stuck in a rut – see how you can transform your life with our help. Enquire today about your own personal training program and start a life-changing transformation journey.
- 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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