After 22 weeks of structured coaching with Physique Academy, Joel reached a point that perfectly represented not just a physical transformation, but a personal one too. His recent professional photoshoot marked the culmination of months of consistency, learning, and discipline, capturing the strongest, leanest and most confident version of himself to date.
Starting at 77kg and finishing at 70kg, Joel didn’t come into the programme as a beginner. He’d been training since the age of 16, running over 1,000 miles a year for two years straight, and already had a solid foundation of discipline and work ethic. What he wanted from Physique Academy wasn’t “help”, it was education, structure and optimisation. He wanted to understand nutrition properly, master cutting, and push himself beyond what he could do alone.
With Neil’s guidance, Joel refined his training, learned how to use macros strategically, built routines around his work and lifestyle, and steadily leaned down while getting stronger, even pressing 42.5kg dumbbells for reps. The process taught him patience, consistency and the value of long-term thinking, lessons he now applies beyond the gym into other areas of his life.
The photoshoot wasn’t just about looking good on the day, it was a reflection of what’s possible when experience meets expert coaching, when motivation meets structure, and when short-term effort aligns with long-term growth.
How long have you been with PA?
22 weeks of training with Neil.
What was your start and end weight?
I was 77 kg before I started, I’m now 70 kg.
How did you come across the Physique Academy?
Instagram- I saw a post of physic academy and must have like it. I got a message then from a trainer (not Neil) and that got me thinking. I signed up and was matched the Neil. I’ve been training since I was about 16 years old. So there was a lot of stuff I already knew. I want to challenge myself and learn more particularly about nutrition and cutting. I already had that inner drive and discipline- signing up to the program helped me use what I already knew, teach me what I didn’t know, and set all of that on the right tracks and set a goal.
What was your goal?
To learn! Get in the best shape I’ve been in and el good about myself…more than I usually do. I wanted to develop my disciple and training even further. For 2 consecutive years prior to me signing up to Physic Academy I’d run over 1000 miles a year. I have training and listen weights since I was 16 - physic academy took what I knew, added to it and with Neil’s help, guidance and encouragement we added a bit of rocket fuel and got all the way to today!
Why did yu reach out initially?
I read something once that said, if you go to ‘help’ you’ll be constantly disappointed but if you go to learn, you’ll get the most out of it, something you can carry on into the future. After all knowledge is power and we can always learn something new.
What areas of life did the program help you with?
One the newest areas the program took me into was nutrition and macros. Days on low calorie intake and at work were a challenge. I found finding my routine was a real help, things like, timing my meals and exercise.
What is your biggest win?
Biggest wins for me we’re losing the weight and getting stronger. I’m now pressing 42.5 kg dumbbells, that’s more than my body weight. The days when you wake up and weigh in and it’s down, seeing the transformation in the mirror. No it’s not instant, but with consistency and hard work it’ll come. I think I will take that lesson and apply it to many other areas of my life, be it financially, relationally etc. looking back I’ll always have this lesson and this time when I worked hard and it paid off and continues to pay off, this journey is part of the wider journey one which I hope continues in this form (fitness, workouts, nutrition) but also in life in general.
How was it working with Neil?
I found Neil very encouraging - he’s got that northern up beat endless optimism. There were days when I needed that big time!
Would you recommend the academy?
Yes, I would happily. I have enjoyed tell people I have a coach and that has sparked so amazing conversations.
So staying lean and mean are definitely things I want to do. This was an education journey as much as a physical one of being able to further my knowledge of macros and nutrition.
What’s next for you?
Physically, I’d like to continue to get stronger, I’d also like to run an ultra marathon. Living in a different etc time zone to Neil has at some points been amusing, I remember at least one occasion when Neil told me to lay off the cardio a bit, but because I’m 3 hours ahead, I’d already run my 7 miles and burnt my 800+ calories…oooops.
“Here's how I got client Joel photoshoot ready
Joel was already a regular gym goer but needed more help with nutrition and proper guidance to get in photoshoot condition which was a main goal of his. We started off building a progressive weight training program throughout the week along with a macro and calorie based diet plan to follow which was easy and straight forward for him.
He managed to lose 9kg during this process. Then on the lead up to the photoshoot I kept a eye on him daily as we did a carb up protocol 2 days before the photoshoot to fill him out and look much fuller on the day to bring his physique alive.
I kept a close eye on his training footage by asking for videos of his exercises to make sure he's training with great execution to maximise retaining muscle during this photoshoot prep. Also carbs came down and we increased cardio slowly, once we started to stall on losing weight to put him in a bigger deficit. Every 2 weeks he took progress pictures so i can keep a close eye on his condition and progress.” – Neil, Coach.
If Joel’s journey has shown you anything, it’s that you don’t need to start from zero, you just need the right structure, guidance and accountability to unlock your next level.
Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, a photoshoot, a race, or simply becoming the best version of yourself, Physique Academy is here to help you build a plan that actually fits your life, and gets results.
