My transformation story.

I’m a married father of 3 with a desk job, and in just 2 years and 5 months, I was able to transform from an overweight, depressed and anxious man with cardio-vascular health issues and a poor relationship with food and alcohol and on the maximum dose of my depression and anxiety medication — to a medication-free, teetotal, pro natural bodybuilder, winning classes, a show, pro cards, and even an amateur British title.

Back in May 2022, I reluctantly returned to the gym after a 7-year hiatus. I was 5 stone overweight, exhausted, diagnosed with high blood pressure (173/110 was my all time high score), and advised to start lifelong medication. 

At just 39 - and already on the max dose of my depression and anxiety meds, I decided instead to take responsibility and improve my health naturally.

Here's how it went...

May 2022:

I reluctantly returned to the gym after a 7-year break. A new PureGym had opened in town, so I signed-up and got straight to work. 

June 2022 (+1 month)

I was working out four times per week, tracking daily calories and protein intake and had already managed to wean myself off of my mental health medication. I already felt better than I had in years. 

October 2022 (+5 months)

I gave up alcohol after finally admitting to myself that my all-or-nothing drinking habits, despite being only an occasional thing, just weren’t serving me.

September 2023 (+16 months)

I had lost over 4 stone, my blood pressure and resting heart rate had come back down to a healthy level and I’d regained my energy and confidence. But motivation had  dipped, so I set a new challenge: compete in a natural bodybuilding competition. A stranger in the gym told me I should go for it, and I did.

February 2024 (+21 months)

I hired a bodybuilding prep coach to help me navigate the previously uncharted territory of bodybuilding competitions and to help me stick to the plan, if life tried to get in the way.

March 2024 (+22 months) 

I now had a resting heart rate of 44bpm and my blood pressure was (101/56). My cardio-vascular system was now the healthiest it had been in well over a decade.

May 2024 (+24 months)

After a grueling 16-week competition prep, I stepped on stage for the first time a s a natural bodybuilder and podiumed in one of the classes that I entered. A month later, I placed second in my next show, and then, at 80.9Kg (down some 32Kg / 5 stone from my starting point) I won two classes, two overalls, and my first Natural Bodybuilding Pro Card (Masters).

September 2024 (+29 months)

I competed at the NPA British Championships, winning an amateur British title and earning a second Pro Card (Open) in the process.

In my debut season, across six shows and nine classes entered, I had podiumed 6 times, including; three wins, two overalls, an amateur British title and two pro cards.

How did I do it?

💡 I took full responsibility for my health and made the decision to do something about it.
 If I was the problem, that meant that I was also the solution.

📈 I started with a plan.
 No guesswork, just a clear, structured roadmap and accountability systems built around my goals, my life, and my starting point.

🥗 I followed a sustainable nutrition approach.
 No fads, no restrictions. Just a personalised plan that would fit real life, and still does.

🏋️ I trained with purpose.
Every session had intent. The focus wasn’t punishment, it was progression.

📊 I stayed accountable.
Tracking against my nutrition plan and exercise plan, and when I took on a coach to navigate the bodybuilding prep, check-ins to keep me on track, especially when life got messy.

🔁 I kept reviewing and optimising.
As I changed, so did the plan, which kept me motivated. This made consistency easier which in turn meant that progress wasn’t just possible,  it was inevitable.

The pillars behind Reclaim Coaching weren’t pulled from a textbook, they were forged through lived experience. They worked for me, and they’ll work for you too.