Trae learned ‘skills for life’ with his diet through his 12-week transformation

I’ve learned some lifelong skills that are sustainable so I can just be my overall best…mentally, physically, emotionally.

37-year-old Trae feels set up for life with the knowledge of how to eat and train after his 12-week transformation.

He was no stranger to the gym…having done CrossFit and HIIT, as well as worked with PTs in the past.

But with a family history of heart problems and getting older, he wanted something with tangible health outcomes he could carry on himself.

Ultimate Performance helped him realise his goal of becoming the best version of himself.

With expertise and accountability from his trainer, Trae was able to successfully overhaul his diet, build his strength for more intense workouts, and reduce his stress levels – while losing 9kg (20lbs) in the process.

He has a newfound love for walking and exploring the city and has found that the combination of a solid program, healthy diet, hydration, and enough sleep, has helped him get into the best shape of his life.

In this Q&A with his trainer, Trae discusses how his training program helped him achieve his goals nearly nine months sooner than he expected…

What was your main motivation for joining U.P.?

Before coming to U.P. I had several different fitness routines. I’ve tried CrossFit, and I’ve done high-intensity workout training sessions, as well as working with personal trainers. I knew that training with U.P. would allow me to be very honed and specific on the goals I was looking to achieve. My overall goal was to get in the best shape of my life. I also wanted to develop better habits overall in terms of my diet and to learn something that could be sustainable for the rest of my life and not just for the duration of the training program.

How did you find the training on the first day?

Thinking back to my first day at U.P. I would say the training was more focused and intense than it had been with the personal trainers I’ve worked with in the past, which I quickly realised would remain consistent throughout the program.

You can train a lot harder now than you could back then, but how would you say your mindset has changed?

Since coming to U.P. I feel like my mindset has been expanded in a few different ways. Firstly, I’ve really got in tune with the diet that is necessary to meet my goals, and secondly, I’ve become much stronger. I feel like I can lift for a longer period and not burn out as quickly as when I originally started. Lastly, I feel I’ve learned some lifelong skills that I can take with me that are sustainable, in terms of being aware of how food impacts the body, how much water I need to consume daily, and how much sleep I need to have so I can just be my overall best.

That’s great. Have you noticed any mental benefits from training too?

I would say in general that working out is great for stress relief. It does help to keep things in check because we all lead very busy and demanding lives in America. I feel like we work a lot, so having the gym as an outlet is just overall healthy.

Absolutely! Initially, you expected it to take five to 12 months to reach your goals. Does it surprise you that you achieved them in just 12 weeks?

In terms of challenging myself, I exceeded my expectations of what could be possible in a relatively short amount of time. I would say, going through the process and working with a U.P. trainer made me believe that anything is possible that you put your mind to.

Have you noticed any other surprising benefits since joining U.P.?

I would say that one thing that has been a pretty big change is the number of steps that I’ve taken. Even over a 30-day period in April, I did 339,000 steps. I counted it to 152 miles. And I would say that I’ve learned that I actually enjoy it. Just walking around the city, exploring and seeing new places just makes the time go by. It’s super relaxing. I think in the process of getting the steps in, I’ve learned that, hey, I do like to walk.

Are you pleased that you’ve achieved your goals through diet and hard work rather than through quick fat-loss gimmicks?

I feel good that I put the work in to get the results that I achieved. I think in life there’s always going to be opportunities to maybe take a shortcut or not fully go through the process and do the hard things to accomplish your goals. I’m proud that I committed to the process and made it happen for myself.

You’ve completely changed your old eating habits. Do you think this has helped you feel better about aging?

There’s a history of heart disease in my family, and I think it’s important to be healthy not only for yourself but so that you can be there for other people who need you. Every second that goes by, we’re all getting older, and we need to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, mentally, physically and emotionally. I think that having a solid program, a solid diet, hydration, sleep – all those things really come together to help us be our best selves. Going through the program, I’ve learned a lot of useful tools, and fine-tuning my diet and being more focused has really helped.

How did you find working with your U.P. trainer compared with personal trainers in the past?

I felt like my trainer here at U.P. went above and beyond. There was a high level of accountability and I think it’s key to work with a trainer to get that consistency in your training program. Working with my trainer at U.P. there was no chance to hide. There’s a lot of tracking, a lot of metrics and I really appreciated that. When I went out to eat, he would provide useful recommendations in terms of meals I could enjoy but also helped me stay mindful that I was still on the program so I could still reach my goals at the end of the day. That was helpful. My trainer even sent me three recommendations of gyms near my Airbnb in Mexico so I could still work out while on vacation!

Want a proven blueprint to look and feel your best in 12 weeks like Trae? Start your own transformation journey with Ultimate Performance today.

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