Testimonials / Client Profiles
Inigo - Male - 18 years old - GB youth team rower.
Inigo's Testimonial
One year ago, I competed at the Junior European Rowing
Championships in France and won Gold, my greatest achievement in the sport up
to that point. Anxious to do even better this year and make the squad for the
Junior World Championships, I contacted Darius, who I have known for many
years, and looked for some help through his business 100percentfitness.co.uk. I
spent two days with him before the start of the 2009-2010 season and went over
various things that could help me improve my game. As an elite athlete in a
sport where size counts, Darius was able to help advise me the best ways to
bulk, gain mass and size, and to keep this extra weight efficient and
functional. His phased weight training program, which I followed fairly
strictly for around 4-5 weeks, caused me to gain 2-3 kilos of lean muscle that
I honestly believe was a major contributing factor to my success in the winter
season in a single scull. As my school training program became more intense and
prescriptive I was unable to follow the program Darius set up for me exactly,
but I believe that at this point the advice he had given me, and the support he
continued to provide (despite the fact we live in separate parts of the
country) was just as useful in helping me get the best out of the training I
was doing. He gave me techniques and exercises to help improve my power as well
as dietary advice.
He also provided me with
certified Maximuscle products (important as a tested athlete) at seriously
competitive prices that helped me bulk up. Over the course of the season, I
improved steadily, closing in on my goal of the Junior Under 18 World
Championships. The step up between what I had had to do the year before for the
Europeans and what I had to do this year was marked and I believe Darius’
contribution was a key factor to me eventually making the team after gruelling
trials in July. Sadly, some great training and real hope for a World
Championship medal was stopped by a late injury to one of my teammates and
therefore substitution I our four-man team, but the Championships were an
incredible experience and one that I really want to repeat.
My next goal is the Under-23
World Championships, the next step along the road to the 2016 Olympics. I have
just spent several days working with Darius, again just before I start my
season. The first set of trials for the u23s is on 23 October and
Darius has been helping me set up a training plan that will peak at that time
and give me the best chance before the selectors.
Although as an elite athlete the
work I am doing at 100% Fitness is tailored to my specific requirements, I know
that Darius can tailor a similar program for anyone and much of the advice he
has given me is relevant to everyone, whether it be fat burning, increasing
metabolism, or gaining mass, and more. He knows his stuff extremely well and
the one-on-one style of coaching and training can achieve fantastic results,
and when I get the chance to be on the receiving end of one of his Personal
Training sessions, I enjoy every second of it. At 100% Fitness you get pushed
to your limits, and that is the key… it is YOUR limits.
From the PT's perspective
Inigo is a joy to work with. Such drive and determination. Hard work pays off!
Good luck on your route to the u23 World Championships, and beyond...
I look forward to watching you row in the 2016 Olympics!!! You're certainly going in the right direction to acheive this goal.
Alex - Male - 23 years old.
From the PT's perspective
Alex came to me looking to lose weight and improve his general health and fitness. He was a complicated case with many health factors and a disability to consider.
When he started training with me he weighed in at 156kg. Alex struggled mentally as well as physically at times, during the beginning phases of his training. We have gradually worked through his barriers and have acheived amazing physical accomplishments.
Through training with me, Alex has:
- Increased his 1RM bench press from 40kg to 95kg.
- Improved his resting heart rate (RHR) by 30 beats per minute (bpm). It is down to being in the 60's. An excellent acheivement considering the average for an adult is 70bpm and that Alex's RHR was approximately 95bpm when he began his training with me.
- Lost 16kg in weight (15/9/9 down to 143kg, 21/12/09 down to 140.3kg). Whilst increasing fat free mass - muscle. Therefore improving his Body Composition and helping increase his metabolism. A key factor in sustainable weight loss.
- Due to a disability and his fitness levels at Day one, Alex wasn't able to do much more than walk. Now he can jog, change direction, and even balance on his bad leg.
- Alex has also attained increased energy levels.
Psychologically, Alex has gained more confidence and improved his self-image, and is more determined than ever to keep progressing.
His next training goals are to continue to lose weight, improve his Cardiovascular fitness, to lower his RHR even further, and to further increase his balance and proprioception on his atrophied and nerve damaged leg.
Alex trains with me three times a week and has a Sports Massage every two weeks in order to keep his musculature in a healthy state. He also has my constant support in all areas of his training and nutrition.
From Alex's perspective
Over the last 9 months I have been a client of Darius'. In this time we have come so far. When I first started I wasn't very confident in my appearance and also I wasn't physically fit.
Before we began our training, Darius sat down with me and we discussed my training goals. He made sure we set realistic and acheivable goals. Every 2 or 3 months we re-asses them and we are constantly tweaking things to optimise my progress.
Darius is very involved in many aspects of my life, helping me with my diet and making sure I do my own sessions as well as the ones we have planned together. He is very good at helping to keep my goals challenging, but still realistic, and they are always specific to me.
Chris - Male - 50 years old.
From the PT's perspective
Chris originally came to me with a bad back. He had tightness in his lower back and had started to show signs of piriformis syndrome. After three massage treatments, one a week for three weeks, he was pain free and back to a decent range of motion.
Chris expressed an interest in improving his fitness levels as he had become extremely inactive. He was suffering from depression and would rarely leave his home. Physical activity increases the amount of endorphines, the happy hormone, in our bodies. Therefore, Chris's Doctor and I agreed that regular exercise would be one of the keys to overcoming his depression.
I can recall our first Personal Training session on March 11th 2009, which Chris and I periodically discuss to remind us of how far we have come, where we decided to do some boxing pad work. Chris was throwing the punches, landing them on the focus pads I was holding for him. After a warm up, we had planned to do 5 one minute sets of boxing with one minutes rest in between. We managed 4x1 minute sets before Chris almost fainted. This was just 28 minutes into our proposed hour long session. It is also important to note that Chris couldn't manage to jog for longer than two minutes without feeling out of breath and sometimes light headed.
NOW Chris can sustain hour long bike rides, 30 minute LSDR (Long Sustained Distance Running), ferocious sets of boxing, impressive resistance training sessions, aswell as being able to go back to playing the sports he used to love, squash and cricket.
All this has meant Chris has improved his Cardiovascular fitness, Body Composition, and his weight lifting ability. His nutrition has also improved immensely due to my advice and his dedication in acting upon that advice. Chris also has broken free from his depression and is back to work and living his life again.
Chris's next goal is to gain muscle mass. A periodised weight lifting programme awaits.
Chris trains with me three times a week and also has a massage once a week.
From Chris's perspective
I hate Daz... no, I really mean it, I hate him... he works me so hard and doesn't let up! Every time I have a session with him I tell him how much I hate him. But he did exactly what I needed to get back in shape and fit - he has done an amazing job with my fitness levels, that would have been cheap at twice the price. He blends exactly the right amount of personability and friendliness with a hard-nosed no-nonsence attitude at exactly the moment when you really are about to give up - a rare talent indeed. I highly recommend 100% Fitness and thoroughly endorse Daz as a great personal trainer and massage therapist.
(Thanks for hating me Chris. :) )
Michael - Male - 27 Years Old
Mike's Testimonial
I was very stressed at work and had
managed to focus it all into an extremely tight knot in my lower left
back. Darius deduced that the origin was very much to do with carrying a heavy bag off one shoulder every day travelling around London for the previous year or so. Therefore, increasing the strength and tension on one side of my core muscles. He decided this imbalance was the primary problem. There were a few other things wrong with my back that Darius worked on during the Sports Massage treatments.
Darius worked with me through his various
massage techniques to loosen the main knot. He also taught me some stretching
exercises to lenghten the problem area's tissues and therefore relieve pressure off that area and reduce the pain levels, and to help with my long term health and fitness he gave me exercises to build up muscle on the other side of my body to regain the
balance I had lost. He also told me how to manage the problem using Cryotherapy, and other scenarios where I should use cold or even heat.
The stretches now act as a coping mechanism so that
if I'm feeling under pressure, I simply go to a quiet area and employ
them. My colleagues thought I was mad initially but they've gotten used
to it now! My family was so impressed by the transformation that some of
them have started using Darius's services as well!
I only needed 4 treatments and I have been great ever since. My last treatment was over four months ago. He usually likes to keep seeing clients for a maintenance massage, but living around 100miles away makes that hard. Needless to say, if I ever have any issues with my back or anything else on my body, I would make the effort to see Darius again.
From the Sports Massage Therapist's point of view
Thanks for the testimonial Mike. I am very happy to know that you are doing so well, and you are a testiment to my massage skills, physiological knowledge and exercise prescription.
If you ever need anything health, fitness, massage, or nutrition related then I am here for you.
COMING SOON - the rest of my clients' profiles.
Simon - Male - 27 years old.
Debbie - Female - 49 years old.
Kate - Female - 50 years old.
Ann - Female - 74 years old.
Brian - Male - 80 years old.
Charles - Male - 26 years old.
Helen - Female - 40's.
Leigh - Female - 45 years old.
Will - Male - 16 years old.
Nick B - Male - 26 years old.
Emma - Female - 40 years old.
Richard - Male - 30's.
Katy - Female - 60's.
Tony - Male - 60's.
Sue - Female - 50's.
