Joe Wicks, AKA The Body Coach has been an internet sensation during the Covid19 lockdown and his YouTube show ‘PE With Joe’ attracts hundreds of thousands of views every day. He currently has a staggering 2.2 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, ‘The Body Coach’.
Joe isn’t just an overnight success though. He’s been working on his mission for a number of years, changing people lives along the way through his paid programs available at thebodycoach.com.
One of those people was a regular bloke from the UK called Lee Perry.
Aged 49, Lee was overweight, as unfit as he’d ever been and it was making him unhappy.
To make things worse, Lee was fearful of his upcoming 50th birthday and dreading the ‘old age’ that would follow.
That was until a friend put him straight with a few simple words that would change his mindset and send him on an entirely new trajectory.
I was intrigued to interview Lee after following his amazing transformation on Twitter, from tired and uninspired to energised athlete.
To get the full story, check out my podcasts.
An ordinary bloke with everything… almost
In 2018, Lee Perry was an ordinary 49-year-old bloke from the UK who had a lot going for him.
A successful businessman with plenty of time on his hands, a wonderful family and a lovely home in the picturesque town of Ascot, England.
However, nothing about Lee’s life was healthy.
Sugary breakfast cereals, snacks, beers and zero exercise.
A typical evening consisted of TV, crisps, biscuits a beer or two and bed. The recipe for the man that he had become.
If nothing else, Lee found his weight to be “mortifyingly embarrassing”.
Out of breath after 10-minutes of football in the garden with his youngest son and too big to fit onto rollercoasters with another.
He felt like he was letting the family down.
A few simple words
Lee had tried and failed many times before to get fit. His efforts usually lasted a few weeks before he went back to his old ways.
Then, Lee bumped into an old friend who was winding him up about his upcoming birthday. “What are you doing for your 50th, Lee? Big Party?”.
When Lee told him of his dread and fear, the friend stunned him with these simple words:
“A lot of people don’t get the privilege of turning 50, Lee, and you of all people should know that!”
He was referring to Lee’s older brother who had died in his mid-forties.
It struck a chord, and from that point on, Lee became determined to change his life, forever.
But how?
The plan
This time, it had to be different.
He didn’t immediately hit the gym. Instead, he spent time preparing himself and his family for a complete lifestyle change.
He took three months to focus on the following:
- Preparing himself mentally
- Explaining his plans to friends and family
- Searching for the right plan to follow
- Making himself accountable by joining Twitter
During our Podcast, Lee emphasised “The most important thing anyone needs to understand [if they’re making a lifestyle change] is that mentally you have to be ready. If you’re not, you will fail.”
Related: Why I’m getting fit in my forties and why you should too
Related: The Benefits of joining a gym – 20 reasons to sign up
Enter Joe Wicks, The Body Coach
Mentally prepared and with the backing of his family, Lee then discovered the final piece to his puzzle. Joe Wicks.
To begin with, he began consuming The Body Coach on Instagram and YouTube. It just seemed to tick all the boxes.
Then, on 2nd January 2019, Lee threw himself into one of the 90-Day Plans vowing to give it everything he had for three months.
The tailored exercise plan combined with simple, healthy recipes were perfect.
It offered Lee everything he was looking for. A real change in mindset, attitude, beliefs and lifestyle. Not just a gimmick.
The workouts were quick and easy to follow, and the meals were delicious and easy to prepare.
The results, Lee announced… “were dramatic.”
“I gave it everything for those 90 days and I’ve got to say, it changed everything. My mindset, my health, just everything.”
By following the plan every day, his consistency paid off.
By 2020 Lee had lost around 6 stone (38kg, 84lbs) and discovered that he was full of energy and instilled with a new lease of life.
He fell in love with running again (after enjoying it as a young man) and is now a regular competitor in 10k and half marathons.
Lee’s 50th birthday came and went, but rather than dreading it, he’s well and truly smashing it.
Lee blogs all about his journey (and running in particular) at Running with Mr. P