How Brian Lost 26kg and got a 6-pack at 41

Dec 11

When Brian walked into Lockeroom, he wasn’t starting from zero… but he was stuck.

Mid-VO2 session at Lockeroom Circular Quay

Before joining, Brian already had a strong lifting base. With coach Andrew Ponce (now a Lockeroom coach), he’d gone from being a 100kg+ guy who couldn’t shoulder press 4kg…to hitting:

130kg back squat
140kg deadlift
100kg bench press

But then everything changed.

A dirt-bike crash hyper-flexed his knee and triggered Patellofemoral syndrome.

The pain immediately capped how hard he could train.

His volume and intensity dropped and his progress stalled.

Because his nutrition hadn’t shifted to match this new reality… fat loss became almost impossible.

Brian knew he needed a new system.
Something structured, personalised, and centred around data.

Lockeroom became the obvious next step.

Here’s how he did it:

1. The Training Program

a. The Training Goal

Primary: Lose body fat while maintaining muscle
Secondary: Train around knee injury, rebuild function, and improve conditioning

Brian already had strength.

The missing links were:

Consistency with cardio
Training intensity that fit his recovery capacity
A routine that prioritised knee-friendly movement
Systems that kept him accountable

“Tracking my VO2 numbers activated a chase instinct I didn’t know existed.”

The bike, the apps, the numbers - suddenly cardio became a game and he hasn’t missed since.

b. The Weekly Routine

Monday – Strength (full body)
Tuesday – Conditioning
Wednesday – Strength (full body)
Thursday – Rest or light cardio
Friday – Strength (full body)
Saturday – Light activity / weekend steps
Sunday – Rest

The only rule:
Train early.

His Whoop showed that evening training tanked sleep and recovery.

c. Full Body example session

2. The Diet - Rapid Fat Loss

a. The Goal & Challenges

Primary Focus: Drop fat. Maintain lean mass. Support recovery.

But there were two big challenges:

His knee restricted high-intensity expenditure.
His previous diet was no longer matched to his new output.

b. How We Structured It

At ~94kg bodyweight, Brian needed high protein intake to stay full, maintain muscle, and control hunger.

Before tracking, he always felt a background “food anxiety” — searching for snacks, never feeling satisfied.

Once he started hitting his daily protein needs, everything changed:

Hunger dropped
Energy stabilised
Body fat loss accelerated

c. Typical Daily Structure

Daily Totals

2,460 calories per day
Protein: 247g (40%)
Carbs: 162g (26%)
Fat: 95g (24%)

Breakfast

2 squares dark chocolate
Instant decaf with oat milk
50g quick oats, 4 dates, PB, oat milk, vanilla
2 scoops lactose-free whey
Hydralyte Sport
Metamucil
Morning supplement stack: creatine, citrulline, taurine

Training Fuel

600ml Gatorade
2 scoops whey post-session

Mid-Morning

Decaf flat white
Hydralyte

Lunch

Papamacros meal
Decaf flat white

Afternoon Snack

Tin of salmon
2 scoops whey
Hydralyte

Dinner

Papamacros meal
Metamucil
Evening stack: collagen + glycine (for optimal ratios)

Weekends

Flexible but controlled:

Pub steak Friday
Café breakfast (eggs, bacon, avocado)
Barbecue or GYG (chicken-based choices, no cheese)

No alcohol — a major accelerator in recovery and fat loss.

“~207g of protein per day…which for me was simply not an intuitive amount i could grasp until i started actually counting up the daily grams. i made this priority number one for each day's meals and supplements.”

3. The Lifestyle Shifts

Brian’s biggest breakthroughs came outside the gym.

a. Sleep Became the Priority

His Whoop “Age” hit 44.3, despite being 41.

Training was solid… but the numbers didn’t lie.

He rebuilt everything:

Earlier bedtime
No eating close to sleep
Morning training
Consistent wind-down routine

Result:

Whoop Age 44.3 → 36 in six months.

b. Training in the Morning

Evening sessions crushed his sleep.

Morning sessions improved:

HRV
Restorative sleep
Recovery scores
Consistency

c. Steps & Daily Movement

Minimum 7,000 steps per day
Cycling to work everyday added extra incidental cardio

d. Data Became the Driver

Brian is a numbers guy.

So the program we built around metrics was perfect for him: recovery, VO2, sleep debt, nutrient timing.

e. Commitment Through Skin in the Game

The upfront payment for Lockeroom wasn't just admin — it was leverage.

He was all-in.

“My trajectory wasn't sustainable. This forced me to prioritise sleep and restructure my schedule”

4. The Results

Bodyfat %: 25.3 > 9.7 (dropped 15.6%)
Fat loss (kg): -21.6kg
Muscle mass increase (kg): maintained

“Seeing that I can control a number has been singularly motivating.”

Below is data captured from Month 1-6 on the InBody Scanner

(we use this device for all our clients to accurately track their body composition over time)

Brian’s Closing Thoughts

”This isn't something you can push through with will power or resolve. it's about the systems and habits you construct, and reconstruct, around your priority of getting fit, strong, comfortable, lean, healthier, or whatever.”

Brian’s results aren’t rare. They’re repeatable.

At Lockeroom, we use data, world-class coaching and personal accountability to help executives and founders take control of their health—without sacrificing their career or lifestyle.

Looking for your own transformation?

Speak with our team today to learn more:

🔗 Book a consultation at Lockeroom today.

Lachlan Rowston