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How Dave regained his confidence and identity at 43.

The three-month strategy that brought him out of a hole.

Written by Mikaela Nguyen 13 February 2026 6 min read

Dave on the bench pressing dumbbells, with his Club Crux coach standing behind him in the South Brisbane studio.

When Dave first reached out, he was in a rough spot.

Recently divorced.
Single dad.
Working two full-time jobs.
105 kg. The heaviest he'd ever been.

He used to be a semi-pro footballer.

But over the years, his career took over. He was successful, but he didn't feel like himself anymore.

Low energy. Clothes didn't fit. Bouts of feeling real down. Avoiding social situations because he didn't like how he looked.

He knew he needed to change. He just didn't have the capacity to think about it.

That's where we came in.

He didn't need more information. He needed less to think about, and to start seeing results.

We got him lifting weights, sorted out his nutrition, and got him moving more. Bit by bit, he started to feel more like himself. All he had to do was show up and do the work.

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Here's what his first 3 months looked like.

The Strategy

Two focuses. One plan.

Primary focus

Feel good.

More energy. Better sleep. Present throughout the day. Fewer aches and pains. More confidence.

Secondary focus

Look good.

Visible progress in his InBody scans. Confident in how his clothes fit. Feeling like himself again.

Training

4 days per week. Built around his life.

MondayLower body

TuesdayUpper body

WednesdayActive recovery

ThursdayLower body

FridayUpper body

SaturdayActive recovery

SundayActive recovery

We started with private 1:1 sessions for 3 weeks so we could rebuild his foundations and dial in his technique.

From there, we transitioned him into our semi-private 3:1 sessions. His program stayed personalised, with the added accountability of coaching alongside two other members keeping the momentum building.

Phase 2 · 4-week block

Four lifting days, paired upper / lower. Active recovery in between.

Workout A

Lower body

Bodyweight KOT Split Squat 2 × 6 ea
Bent Knee Hollow Body Hold 2 × 20–30s
Zercher Squat 4 × 10 · 45–60% 1RM
Cable Rope Face Pull 3 × 6–8
Single Leg Hip Thrust 3 × 12 ea · 45–60% 1RM
Low Banded Deadbug 3 × 30–45s
DB Step Up 3 × 12 · Tempo 30X1
Harrop Curl 2 × 6 · Slow tempo
Sled Treadmill 3 × 60s push / 60s rest

Workout B

Upper body

Cable Straight Arm Pulldown 2 × 10
Side Lying Thoracic Rotation 2 × 10
DB Bench Press 4 × 10 · 45–60% 1RM
Serratus Wall Slide 2 × 10 ea
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown 3 × 12 · 45–60% 1RM
DB Shoulder Press, seated 3 × 10 · 45–60% 1RM
Ring Rows 3 × 12
Tricep Pressdown, rope 3 × 15, 15, 15+
Russian Twist 3 × 30–45s

Workout C

Lower body

Couch Stretch 2 × 20–30s
Jefferson Curl 2 × 6 ea · Dowel
Dead Bug 2 × 20–30s
DB RDL 4 × 10 · 40–50% 1RM
Prone T to I Raise 3 × 10
DB FFE Split Squat 3 × 12 ea · 40–50% 1RM
Butterfly Sit Up 3 × 30–45s
Supine Hamstring Curl 3 × 8
Goblet Lateral Lunge 3 × 10 ea
Bike 2:1 Intervals 4 × 40s @ 197w / 20s rest

Workout D

Upper body

Foam Roller Extension 2 × 5 ea · Warm-up
1/2 Kneeling Wall Ball Hold 2 × 20–30s ea
High Cable Pulldown 4 × 10 · 45–60% 1RM
Scapular Push Up from Elbow 3 × 10
DB Shoulder Press, 1/2 kneeling 3 × 12 ea
Cable Low Row, seated 3 × 12 · 40–50% 1RM
DB High Incline Bench Press 3 × 12 ea · 45–60% 1RM
DB Bicep Curl, seated 3 × 12
Swiss Ball Saw 3 × 12

A real Phase 2 block from Dave's program.

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Nutrition

Reduce body fat. Keep the muscle.

Dave did not want to think about nutrition. That meant no tracking, no cooking, no planning.

So we made it simple. We got his breakfasts and dinners sorted via a partner. Delivered fresh, twice a week, tailored to his macros and preferences.

No guesswork.
No meal prepping.
No cleaning up.

Just delicious fresh food, ready to eat.

For lunches, we gave him a few curated options close to work with minor add-ons to ensure he hit his nutritional target and held onto his muscle. He didn't need to track calories or macros. He just chose from the menu.

Lunch · curated

Green Street

Meal	Cal	P	C	F
Thai Hard	616	54g	36g	28g
Muscle Plate + extra chicken	572	68g	42g	11g
Chicken Satay Power Plate	550	49g	52g	16g
Shake 'n Bake	530	49g	18g	28g

Lunch · curated

Fishbowl

Meal	Cal	P	C	F
O.G. Chicken + 2× extra chicken	~590	62g	38g	20g
Miso Chicken + 2× extra chicken	~580	63g	35g	20g
Chilli Chicken + 2× extra chicken	~590	62g	38g	20g

Dressing on the side, or skip it to cut fats.

Lunch · curated

Guzman Y Gomez

Meal	Cal	P	C	F
Mini Burrito Bowl + extra protein	~566	48g	49g	20g
3× Grilled Chicken Tacos	~567	42g	39g	25g

Bonus tip Diet or no-sugar soft drinks when you want something fizzy. Zero extra calories.

Lifestyle

The non-negotiables.

Daily steps

8,000–10,000

Realistic for his hours, school pick-ups, and Saturday morning soccer with his son.

Sleep

7–8 hrs

5:15 am training meant asleep by 9:15 pm, winding down from 8:30 pm.

The Results

13 weeks. Two numbers that matter.

Fat loss

−8.7kg

Muscle gain

+1.4kg

Timeframe

13wks

Weight

Min 99.3 Max 105.6 kg

Skeletal muscle mass

Min 42.2 Max 43.6 kg

Body fat mass

Min 23.4 Max 32.1 kg

Data from the first 3 months. We scan members every 1–2 weeks to keep them accountable and on track.

Dave's results aren't rare. Or even that hard.

We simplified it for him. All he had to do was show up and do the work.

It's what we do, every day.

Looking to offload the thinking and start seeing some results?

Start your own personalised plan →