Introduction
Simon, mid-40s, found the one thing that levels out a high-stress career in finance. Simon's life is busy in a way plenty of professionals will recognise; a stressful one. He works in corporate finance, where a big part of the job is looking after clients, which means long lunches, expensive dinners and regular trips into London to wine and dine them. At home there's a wife and two kids. It's a very stressful job, and the stress doesn't clock off when he does.
When he came to Steve, Simon had what Steve calls "your typical sort of dad bod."
The physical change that followed has been dramatic. But that's not the headline of Simon's story. Read how Simon's exercise and stress success story.
Simon's Stress-Busting Transformation
Vital statistics:
- Started: Early to mid-40s, typical "dad bod"
- Now: Physique and strength "changed completely"
- Job: Corporate finance, lots of client entertaining
- Timeline: Ongoing
- Service: 1:1 PT (in-person), twice a week
- Key insight: "If I don't come and train with you a couple of times a week, I'm not the same person."
- Transformation arc: Stressed and stretched → levelled out → "with you for life"
The Real Result: A Different Headspace
Ask Simon what training has done for him and he doesn't start with his arms or his waistline. He starts with his head.
"If I don't come and work with you a couple of times a week, I'm not the same person. I can't deal with the stress."
That's the transformation that matters most to him. With a demanding job and a busy family life, Simon manages and copes with stress a hell of a lot better after a tough session. "It kind of levels him out," says Steve. "It's not just the physical side of things for Simon. It's also the mental side."
If you're someone who carries your work around in your shoulders, lies awake running through tomorrow's meetings, or snaps at the people you love because the day has drained you, you'll know how much that's worth.
Why a Tough Session Works When Nothing Else Does
There's a reason a hard workout clears your head in a way a glass of wine or an evening on the sofa doesn't. Intense exercise burns off the stress that builds up through a pressured day and releases your body's natural feel-good endorphins. For an hour, there's no inbox and no client. There's just the next set.
And Steve's sessions are tough. He's upfront about that. "When they come to me, they'll work," he says. "And they will ache."
For someone like Simon, that's the point.
"You can't think about quarterly numbers while Steve's counting you through your last reps. You walk out tired, a bit sore, and noticeably calmer than when you walked in."
Built Around a Busy Life
Simon isn't in the gym every day. He trains with Steve a couple of times a week in Steve's private, fully equipped gym. There's no queueing for kit and no wasted time. He turns up, does the work and gets back to his day.
It starts, as it does for every client, with a proper consultation: measurements, body fat, blood pressure, lung capacity and photographs to set a baseline. Then targets for the next three months, and a review every three to four months to measure progress and set the next ones. The nutrition side is about accountability, not meal plans, which matters when so many of your meals are eaten out with clients.
More Than a Trainer
There's something else that happens in those sessions, and it isn't on any PT course.
"I'm older and a little bit wiser, shall we say," Steve explains. "And this isn't part of the job description, but I do sort of counsel him quite a lot."
For a man carrying a lot of pressure, having someone outside work and outside the family to talk things through with, someone who'll be straight with him, has become part of the value. Steve doesn't do flattery. "My job isn't to tell you what you want to hear," he says. "My job is to tell you what you need to hear." Clients respect him for it.
Then There's the Physical Side
The dad bod has gone. "His whole physique has changed," says Steve, "and his strength has changed completely."
That matters too. When your body changes, people notice, whether that's colleagues at work or other parents at the school gate. And when you feel physically strong, it's much easier to feel like you can handle whatever the week throws at you.
What Made It Stick
1. He found the real reason to train. Simon didn't keep going because of a number on the scales. He kept going because he could feel the difference in how he handled stress.
2. Twice a week is realistic. Even with a packed diary and regular trips to London, a couple of sessions a week fits. That's what made it sustainable.
3. Sessions that demand everything. A tough session leaves no room for work worries. That's exactly why it works.
4. Honest support, not just a workout. A trainer who listens, advises, and tells you what you need to hear is worth a lot more than a programme on a phone.
in it for the long term
Simon isn't training for an event or a holiday. He's training because it's become part of how he copes with a demanding life, and he has no plans to stop.
"I'm with you for the rest of my life now,"
If you're stressed, stretched, and convinced you don't have time, it might be the very thing you need. It'll be hard work, but you'll be glad you did.
Simon's exercise and stress success story
This exercise and stress success story shows how Simon transformed his 'dad bod' and leveled out his high-stress job. And so can you. Ready to take control of your stress? Work with Steve >
