A 35-year-old man from London transformed his body in just a few months by switching to full-body workouts and eating smaller portions with a clear protein goal. Dr. Simon Doyle, a general practitioner, had maintained a steady fitness routine until a shoulder injury kept him out of the gym for more than a year. During that time, he felt out of shape and found it difficult to regain his previous fitness level.
“It happens gradually. You don’t notice until you think, ‘I don’t look like myself,’” Doyle told Business Insider. He wanted to build muscle and strength while also burning fat to achieve a leaner, more defined physique.
In February, Doyle began working with Adam Enaz, a personal trainer who specializes in helping men in their 30s and 40s build muscle and lose fat. Enaz helped him organize his workouts and diet over three months without increasing gym time or imposing strict food rules.
“I was doing my usual routine but getting more out of it,” Doyle said. With a few simple changes, he reduced his body fat from about 19% to 10%, according to a smart scale.
Previously, Doyle spent about an hour at the gym Monday to Friday before work, focusing on individual muscle groups, but he realized this was inefficient. He switched to full-body workouts that train multiple muscle groups in one session. He also incorporated supersets, which involve performing two exercises back-to-back without full rest, such as dips followed by chin-ups or chest presses followed by rows.
“It’s important for me to finish my workout in 50 minutes,” Doyle said. “I use my rest time to work different muscle groups.”
Tracking his workouts helped Doyle increase the weights he lifted steadily. His sessions typically involved three sets per exercise with no more than 12 repetitions per set. If he could complete all 12 reps, he would add more weight to keep challenging his muscles. This method, known as progressive overload, encourages muscle growth over time.
Before, Doyle struggled to increase his weights, but with Enaz’s guidance, he broke through plateaus by adding weight on the first set even if he could not lift heavier weights for all three sets. Over time, he adapted to the new loads. “You really have to track it to avoid plateaus,” he said.
Although Doyle had been working hard in the gym, he realized his diet was holding back his progress. “I focused a lot on workouts, which are essential, but they don’t work without good nutrition,” he explained. “What was missing was getting my portions right.”
Fat loss and muscle gain depend on how many calories and how much protein you consume. Even though Doyle made healthy food choices and prepped meals regularly, he had not been measuring his portions. He started tracking his food intake to maintain a calorie deficit, which means eating fewer calories than he burns.
He also set a daily protein goal of 138 grams, roughly 0.9 grams per pound of body weight, which matches research recommendations for optimal fat loss and muscle gain.
A typical day of eating for Doyle includes overnight oats with banana, peanut butter, and kefir for breakfast; a protein bar for a snack; mixed vegetables and marinated chicken for lunch; Greek yogurt in the afternoon; and chicken fajita bowls with brown rice for dinner.
Doyle says this routine allows him to indulge occasionally while staying on track overall. “I’m not adventurous with midweek meals, but I do treat myself on weekends,” he said. “I just plan it better instead of denying myself.”
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