Imran Merza, a 43-year-old entrepreneur from London, explains how making small diet changes and doing just three hours in the gym each week led to him building the lean, muscular physique he has always wanted.
Ever since leaving university and working in the city as a banker, my weight has been yo-yoing. I would do intense workouts, lose weight, feel good, and then pile it all back on. The breaking point came after my divorce. I was already on a mega low, and the business I started was struggling, so I was down and out. I lacked energy and confidence. However, I was super motivated to never give up. I began walking to the office rather than taking the Tube, which helped, then I started going to the gym and doing three minutes of running, three minutes on the cross trainer, three minutes of rowing and another three on the cross trainer. This kickstarted a change. During Covid, I started to do HIIT workouts five times a week and I also bought a Peloton bike. However, my diet stayed the same, which meant that I might have been getting fitter and feeling good, but my body didn’t look the way I wanted. I wanted that Men’s Health look.
I was up for a game-changing approach and I knew it was now or never, so I signed up for a 12-week transformation with Ultimate Performance at their London St Paul’s gym. I was doing hour-long weight sessions three times a week, as well as four 45-minute Peloton workouts and keeping up with 18,000 steps a day.
I had done some weight training before, but never like this. The hack squat was my nemesis, I found it so bloody hard that I would have nightmares! Also, the pullups and split squats were painful. But learning all about proper technique and how the muscles worked made a massive difference. I also realised you don’t need to spend hours and hours in the gym to sculpt your body – I only did three hours a week resistance training.
The first two weeks were very tough; I was already a fairly healthy eater, but the habit of weighing foods and trying to fit in a variety of macros was confusing. Then I got into a rhythm of eating 170g zero-fat Greek yoghurt with a scoop of protein, UP Chocotrients with 40g blueberries and 40g strawberries. Lunch was 170g chicken breast with 130g broccoli and lots of other vegetables like aubergine, courgette, peppers and cherry tomatoes. Supper was either 5% lean mince or two salmon fillets with broccoli and veggies, which I batch prepared. Snacks were either weighed out cashews or almonds plus an apple or recently rice cakes.
After four weeks I was exhausted from the hard training and being in a caloric deficit. I was being really pushed to my limits. I managed to push through and then it was really tough again after the next four weeks, because the food was the same but I was lifting more and doing more Peloton and steps. The last two weeks, where I was pushing myself to a level I’ve never been to before, were even more difficult. However, the results in the final week made it all worth it.
I went from 20% body fat to 11%, and I dropped a total of 20 pounds, from 167 pounds to 147 pounds. I’ve learnt how to manage my food to live healthier, I know what it takes to keep a consistent beach body all year round. I have more energy, I wake up at 5am and work out at 6am for an hour and I’m walking 18,000 steps naturally and eating a balanced diet where I do eat cake, chocolates and pizza when I wish to. Now I feel like I can achieve anything I want to in life, regardless of what that goal may be. I’ve learned to more disciplined, determined, driven and dedicated to living the good life on my own terms.
I’ve been buying Men’s Health and Esquire since university, and always wanted that strong, six-pack body, but deep down I just couldn’t see how I could build a physique like that. Every year I would make the resolution of working towards having the body of a Men’s Health cover model, but I never really thought it would be possible until now. Working with my trainer Dave Moore at UP has proven that it was possible. It’s changed my life forever.
Health and wellness have now become my number one priority in life. Without a healthy mind and body, you can’t really live the good life. I want to live for as long as I can but in order to do that you need a healthy and happy mind and body. I feel like this is only the beginning, and I’ve got another fifty plus years to keep building and learning.
If you’re at the start of your own fitness journey, I would say: start with small steps. Just getting in 8,000 steps a day and then moving to 10,000 and upwards will make a huge difference. Then figure out what you need to be eating to get into a caloric deficit; being mindful in the kitchen for 60 seconds can save you doing 60 minutes of cardio. Be consistent, committed and conscious about your health and wellbeing, and start the journey right now. Just going for a walk around the block or walking up instead of driving will make all the difference.
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