Fat Guy Becomes Fit Guy Becomes Coach, Becomes Dad, Becomes Fat Guy…

Hi, I’m Will.

When I was in my early 20s I was a big fat guy.

This was me circa 2002, a few weeks before I decided to start getting in shape:

There I was, tipping the scales at 125kg and not carrying it well. Loudly asleep in a public place (which often happened if I sat down for too long). I would get out of breath walking up stairs, I had acne, a crappy haircut, and lived mostly on beer & kebabs.

I think people assume fitness coaches were always in shape and everything came naturally to them...nope!

This second photo is me circa 2012:

I weighed about 83kg, looked younger than I did 10 years previously, had a 6th and 13th place finish in different years at the European Regionals for the CrossFit Games, won my weight class in a couple of national-level Weightlifting competitions, opened my own gym and became a full-time coach.

I certainly looked my healthiest back then, but really, I’d gotten there in a very unhealthy way. I was hyper-focused on food and exercise. Every meal had to have the right macros. I’d limit social occasions so I could fit in my workouts and stick to my diet. My joints hurt the majority of time from the inappropriate training volume and I’d punctuate this “healthy lifestyle” with heavy binge-drinking sessions every few weeks when I’d crack and have enough of it.

Eventually the joint pain became too much and I had to quit. That depressed the hell out of me. I had all my self-esteem eggs in the “fit guy” basket, and didn’t know what to do without it.

Third photo here is me in 2020:

I weigh about 100kg now (although I never check anymore). I’m softer around the middle, but I’ve recovered most of the muscle mass and am stronger than 90% of people. I had to learn a whole new way to train to dig myself out of the hole I was in. I still lift, but it’s just enough to feel good and stay healthy now. I eat pizza and ice-cream with my family, can easily throw my daughter 10 feet in the air and I haven’t had any joint pain worth speaking about in years.

I don’t look as “healthy” as I used to, but I’m living an infinitely more balanced lifestyle that’s more in line with my values. I’m also about 1000% happier than either of when I was obese OR when I had abs.

That’s why I am where I am with my coaching these days. My favourite thing to do is to help other adults who are ready to let go of all-or-nothing thinking start finding a middle road to incorporate fitness back into their lives.

I’ve tried “all” and I’ve tried “nothing”. I can tell you with complete confidence that both of them stink, but that there are a million shades of grey in between.

Fill in the application on this page anytime you’re ready to start finding yours.