“If you could turn me inside out, I would feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger”

Out of shape and out of time – then I found a carpark right outside Body Torque Gym!

Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that change your life, like whether or not there’s a carpark right outside the gym. This is the story of a former professional rugby player and successful businessman who found himself stuck in the fast lane of stress, sugar, and long workdays. From feeling broken and burnt out to becoming strong, almost pain-free, and 23kg lighter.

Here’s Rob’s honest account of how a carpark, a coach he saw on TV, and a decision to back himself led to one hell of a comeback.

You are an extremely busy businessman. What prompted you to start looking for a gym?
I used to play professional rugby and when I retired, I figured I needed to do something, so I got into golf. Golf was great but I liked beer and had a real sweet tooth, so I ended up socialising and eating like I was still playing rugby. As you can imagine I got out of condition very quickly. Then work took over (starting at 4am and finishing late – every day) and I got into bad habits. I also had lots of aches and pains from my poor lifestyle choices and old injuries.

I watched the TV3 Matchfit Series (Alex Flint was the Coach) and I said to my wife, “I should go and do that.” At the time I was a winger but looked more like a prop!

I am a superstitious kind of bloke. For example, I used to where the same jocks to every rugby game etc. So, I said to myself, I will drive past Body Torque Gym (which is where Alex is located) and if there is a carpark close by, I will stop and call in, if not then I won’t go. There was a carpark right outside!

How did you feel walking into Body Torque on that day?
I felt like it was meant to be because there was literally a carpark at the front door. I had seen Alex on the TV show, so I knew he had the credentials. Alex was there and I introduced myself. I liked the feeling of the place; I could see it had all the gear I needed, and Alex seemed like a hell of a nice guy who could relate to me. I didn’t want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger – I just wanted to feel better, and I felt like I was in the right place to get the help I needed.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Well, I joined Body Torque and started to go, but I hadn’t committed mentally. I was extremely busy at work and was constantly travelling from Auckland to Northland. So, I essentially carried on with my life but did a bit of training here and there.

Then I realised, if I didn’t commit, I was probably going to kill myself – because I actually felt like I was going to die. The worst part was, I knew I was making bad food choices, and I also knew it’s not good to always be on the booze and eating sweet stuff – but I still did it because it was fun and convenient.

It was at this point I knew I needed to take time off work to get myself right. I was in the fortunate position where I could promote my CFO into CEO, which I did, and then I took 8 weeks off work to focus on my health.

Stress was also a big thing, which I didn’t realise until I had this break from work.

What changes did you make?
I changed the way I valued my health, and I made a commitment to myself to make meaningful change. I knew I needed to make better food choices, but I didn’t want to diet. So, I stopped drinking booze completely and minimised the amount of sweet stuff I ate (because I couldn’t go cold turkey on that one). I started to train at the gym properly (3 days a week). And the best part was I had time to eat healthy lunches with my wife Kay.

What results did you achieve by doing this?
I lost about 18kg in the first 8 weeks. By the week 10 mark, I had lost about 23kg. I could button things up and do all sorts of things that I couldn’t do before.

Did you use the Body Torque Intel services?
Yes, I had the 3D Body Scan when I first started and got below average results which was expected. This was really helpful because it gave me an objective starting point so I could compare real dimensions and see real body shape improvements as I progressed on my journey. If you are interested in learning more about Intel Services, click here.

How did you feel once you started to make some good progress?
It’s hard to describe in words how I feel. I feel stronger internally and externally. I feel better than I did when I was younger. Maybe a way to describe it is, “If you could turn me inside out, I would feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

I was also experiencing pain from old rugby injuries and my poor lifestyle choices in my knees, back, hip, and shoulder. Using Alex’s expertise, I am now 95% pain free. This has helped me tremendously. I honestly feel like a different person.

What kept you motivated and committed to your fitness journey?
Joining Body Torque has been life changing for me. I am older now and need a higher level of expertise. Alex and the team genuinely care about the ‘betterment of you as an individual” – nothing is a problem for them and that’s made a big difference to me and my motivation.

The other members at Body Torque have also been a really positive influence. I have met so many like-minded people who share the same problems. There is nobody strutting their stuff or saying, “look at me”.

Then, I have a MyZone Heart Rate Monitor which I live on and love. This is a good motivator because it allows me to see how hard I am working and how lazy I can be. It keeps me honest.

But ultimately, I have got my head in a better space. I have seen what good looks like in the way of how well I feel and what I can achieve. I know what I can do now. I am always glad after I’ve been to the gym. I’ve also had good feedback from friends outside of the gym which helps me to keep motivated.

Have you noticed any differences in your mindset or day-to-day habits now compared to before?
Mindset is a big one. I spent 34 years being reasonably fit, then the next 28 years getting into a poor health position. I acknowledged I had got myself into that position and knew it was my responsibility to get myself out of it. Nobody was going to fix it apart from me and I knew a pill wouldn’t work.

If you could go back and give advice to your past self, what would you say?
I had more fun instead of harnessing my natural ability. If I could have found an Alex when I was younger, I’m sure I would have had better guidance. I was a winger and had a lot of pace and believe I could have been much better at rugby.

I would also say to myself to keep doing things when you are younger and particularly as you hit midlife. I say this because it’s much easier to maintain what you’ve got versus starting from a negative position.

What would you say to other people who have busy lives but feel a bit rubbish inside their body?
Just do it. You’ve gotta just start. The longest journey starts with the smallest step.

Closing statement from the team at Body Torque
We help superstars like Rob every day to feel strong for life and we’d love to help you too. Whether you’re a former athlete, a weekend warrior, menopausal or a hard-working individual who’s lost sight of your health, we can help you get back into good health.

As Rob said, “start small”. You never know, the next carpark might have your name on it. We hope to see you sometime soon. To learn more about Body Torque Gym click here. Alternatively, if you are interested in learning more about Body Torque Online click here.