John:
I’m a 60-year-old man that has always been in fair shape who would occasionally go to the gym to workout. I have undergone several surgeries including ACL and more recently in a two-level spinal fusion to fix two ruptured disks in my neck in 2017. After my spinal fusion, I completed my recovery and physical therapy, but I had lost significant muscle mass and strength. So in 2018 I started going to the gym again (1-2 times a week) and resumed my same old routine of using the circuit weight training machines. I saw some improvement but was unhappy with my progress. I honestly lacked the knowledge and the motivation to do much more than I was doing at the gym.
My wife and I talked about it and she suggested I start by getting a iDXA scan to determine my body composition (percentage of muscle and fat) and so I did and was shocked to learn that I while I was 6 ft tall and weighed 177 lbs., my percentage of body fat was 27% classifying me as “overweight”. My wonderful wife then surprised me for my birthday this year with a starter package to see a trainer, Diana Paul of Diana’s Fitness Lab, and after my first session I was hooked!
Diana first evaluated my physical state and then designed a workout plan catered to me to improve my strength, increase my endurance, improve my flexibility, and teach me the fundamentals of weight lifting. I had no idea what it meant to hip hinge, or what pelvic tilt meant, or how to engage my glutes and core until Diana taught me. Diana and I discussed diet and how to fuel the body properly by improving my nutrition. I even started tracking my food using the FatSecret app.
For the first time in my life, I was enjoying my time at the gym even though I was exhausted and sore from the sessions. I was motivated, committed and looked forward to my sessions three days a week.
After two months of workouts and improved nutrition, I had another iDXA scan performed and was amazed at the findings. I had lost 11.5 lbs. of body fat and gained 2.1 lbs. of muscle mass and I now weighed 168 lbs, 9.3 pounds less. I felt better, had more energy, my knee hurt less, and I was in better shape than I had been in for decades. I also had to deal with the fact that my clothes were baggy, and I had to get my suit pants taken in to fit better.
I continue to work with Diana and my results are amazing. For the first time ever, I am deadlifting, back squatting, front squatting, hip thrusting just to name a few. Diana is excellent as a trainer that engages with her clients the entire time of your workout. She closely watches me to ensure that every rep of every set during our weightlifting sessions are done in proper form always encouraging me to complete the last rep.
Diana Paul is an outstanding and knowledgeable trainer that has taught me how to safely lift weights, helped me to gain muscle and lose fat, who makes my workouts fun and challenging.
After six months of working with Diana, I’ve lost 18 lbs. of fat and gained 5 lbs. of muscle AND have six pack abs for the first time in my life! Thank you Diana!