Life Time,

Before the 60day Challenge, I had been in constant pain for 6 years. After serving in the Air Force, I was classified as a disabled veteran due to a series of acute injuries suffered during my time in the service as well as injuries incurred during civilian life. The prognosis was my injuries would result in permanent dysfunction of my limbs and eventually leave me paralyzed. My condition forced me to give up my passions: snowboarding, football, etc. My injuries were so severe that I was unable to ride a motorcycle without my arm and side going numb. I am a passionate Tai Chi instructor; however, punching a bag would cause pain for several days. My condition left me unable to sleep through the night without my side going numb. I had ruptured my C2-C7 plus L5. My labrums were destroyed. After an MRI on my shoulder, a doctor said, “It looks like a bomb has gone off” he told me I shouldn’t be able to move. I had an emergency surgery that week. I tried tirelessly for years to recover without success. Having been an active person my whole life: hiking, blacksmithing, the military, etc. An active lifestyle defined me. I tried for about 4 years to fight through the pain but 2 years ago, I gave up.

My life has been extremely busy, so rest was never an option. I was working 3 full-time DevOps jobs, running 2 companies, and building out a Hmong restaurant for my wife and a Boba Tea shop for my mom. As the GC for both projects, my schedule was overwhelmed. Hmong is a small culture that migrated out of the southern provinces of China. My love for my wife motivated me to refuse to allow pain to hold me back from helping her build this restaurant so she can share the cuisine of her people with our community. However, the inability to sleep, combined with endless pain, caused my confidence, libido, and physique to diminish. I was a complete mess.

A few months ago, my wife and I started going into Lifetime. Initially, we went to use the sauna to see if it could alleviate the pain. Even though the drive is an hour, I made it a priority to get there. One day in the sauna I met Nick, a trainer. He spoke with me about nutrition and recommended Life Time’s All-in-One blood work testing. After meeting with Nick and signing up for testing, I decided to hire him as my personal trainer and participate in the 60day Challenge. At the recommendation of Nick and Life Time’s RD, I started taking Life Time’s protein, AM/PM Performance Multivitamin, and Foundational 5 supplements. I was excited for this opportunity to turn my life around.

We started off with goal setting. I wanted to look like Henry Cavill, improve strength, recover my libido, and be able to live, sleep, and practice all my hobbies without pain/numbness. The beginning was difficult. Nick had me performing corrective exercises while making improvements to my nutrition. The 60day nutrition guide was incredibly helpful for implementing the new protocols. Nick had me perform 3-5 resistance training sessions each week depending on the mesocycle of training we were working on at a given time. We also added mobility and core work to my lifestyle along with 120-180 minutes of LISS cardio each week.

Slowly throughout the challenge, my body was taking shape, my pain was subsiding, and sleep started to return. If I started to slip out of my routine, the Life Time Training app would help me stay disciplined. My confidence started to return, my wife started looking at me with desire and my libido returned. I purchased a new motorcycle and started to ride again. I could finally cut wood and start to enjoy my hobbies.

I went from 233 lbs./24%BF to 210 lbs./9%BF. When we started, I could bench 135 lbs, hip thrust 200 lbs., and I couldn’t deadlift with a straight back. Now I can hip thrust 405 lbs., bench 235 lbs., and deadlift with great technique. After just 60 days with Nick, I am pain-free. I have overcome my injuries and reshaped my body. My wife calls me tasty which helps my confidence and overall, I am in a much better place.

My wife and I have been trying to have children but due to health issues, we decided to utilize IVF. I strongly want to stay fit so I can play sports with my kids. I refuse to allow the fear of losing my legs to overwhelm me. The 60day Challenge has given me hope that I will be able to play catch with my sons for years to come.

Going forward I plan to continue my personal training sessions with Life Time because they saved my life and gave me back the hope and happiness of a pain-free existence. I am forever grateful to Nick and Life Time for helping me regain myself. I choose to spend my only free time at Life Time because it is time my wife and I get to spend together, and I have had such a positive experience. Lastly, I want to shout out Kelly, the stylist at Life Spa, for always helping me look my best. Life Time is an amazing culture and community of lovely, helpful, and encouraging people without whom I would never have reached my