Here are some words from clients and members of Function Well. We’ll let the words speak for themselves.
Hi, my name is Jason Adams, I started training with Darren at Function Well 8 weeks ago. Initially I started training with Darren because my fitness and weight levels had plateaued and my body was beginning to get really run down; I was very lethargic, my muscles and joints were aching, and I was always sick with a sinus infection.
Once having an induction with Darren it became apparent I was doing too much training and my diet needed correcting because my body had actually become acidic, thus my aching joints, muscles and fluid retention. I then started on Darren’s 10 day DETOX program and within 4-5 days I noticed a huge difference with my body. By the end of the 10 days there were major improvements to my body and general health. My mind set was more focused and positive, I dropped 8 kilograms of body fat, I was not as sore and my energy levels had improved. As well as this my sinuses were starting to clear as I had less mucous production.
Since then, I have followed Darren’s programs and have lost a further 5 kilograms and noticed considerable improvements to my physique. Cheers Darren and thanks for the help and guidance.
Jason Adams
I just wanted to say thanks again for getting me onto the Poliquin detox a few weeks ago!! I was really sceptical about the value of doing a detox, I’ve tried a few over the years and can’t say I really noticed any difference at the end, but this one is different.
As you know I’d been training consistently and eating pretty well for a while and had done the 8 week challenge a few months ago as well but my weight was stuck around the 70/72kg mark. I did the detox and stuck to it completely for the 7 days…it definitely wasn’t easy and I wanted to give up a million times but I hate to quit anything and I can 100% say it was worth it now!
In the 7 days I was on the detox I lost 2.9kg and have lost a further 3.1kg in the 4 weeks since I finished it so I’m only a couple of kilos off my goal weight. All my measurements have gone down as well – even my thighs, which for me is the hardest place to lose weight.
The biggest benefit for me after doing the detox is that it has completely changed my eating patterns and tastes. I’m on the paleo diet now, with a cheat meal here and there, and my weight is still gradually dropping. I’m not craving sugar, carbs or fatty foods since I did it either. I feel the best I’ve felt in ages and I’m back in my skinny jeans!
I’d definitely do it again and I’d recommend it to anyone who needs that kick start to get them on the right track with their diet and weight loss.
Donna
I have always led a reasonably active lifestyle playing competitive sport into my mid 30’s. I am a senior executive with a large waste management group and found it difficult to maintain a reasonable level of fitness. I made a conscious decision 8 years ago to put more effort into health and fitness and was introduced to Darren.
Darren has helped me a lot over the past 8 years. Within the first 6 months of training I noticed significant improvement in my strength, stamina, physique and my executive belly is somewhat smaller than it used to be. Darren’s advice in relation to my diet has seen me adopt better eating habits and made me more conscious of what I eat and drink in general. Whilst I have some gym equipment at home I do not get the same workout as I do when supervised by Darren who always seems to manage to get an extra rep out of me.
Having a personal trainer has made a large difference in the way I approach exercise. I find that I am more likely to keep an appointment with Darren than I would if it was something I had committed to do myself like a run or exercise session at home, it is all too easy to put it off until tomorrow.
I have four sons and can still match it with them in most sporting endeavors, something I am sure would not be possible if I had not opted for a healthy lifestyle. Too many people take their health for granted & it is not until they suffer a serious illness that they realise how important good health is.
Thankyou Darren for rekindling my interest to get healthy!
Harold Grandell
I have been training with Darren for four years. In that time I have had a lot of laughs, sore muscles, and most importantly results. I finished studying last year and decided over Christmas that it was time to get serious about my health and fitness. My liver and I were very excited about the possibilities. My enthusiasm was matched by Darren’s and I started my new training program.
This year has proven to be very successful, as I have made changes to my diet, lifestyle and exercise regime, all of which have helped to make me feel great! Darren and the other trainers are friendly, fun and seemingly intelligent, however their inability to count at times can be a concern. But in all honesty, I have learnt a lot about health and fitness which has educated me to make the right lifestyle choices for my long future ahead
Lesleigh Toohey
Thanks Darren! Like most people I can easily find an excuse not to exercise. 9 years ago I had a gym membership but was uninspired and was therefore it had little impact on my fitness level. I decided a personal trainer might improve my motivation and therefore my fitness. Darren was exactly what I needed, I began to lose body fat and see improvement in my muscle tone. Not only was I receiving exercise programs and goals but also nutrition advice – suddenly I had direction.
A year later my partner also started with Darren. Whether we are unmotivated or motivated at different times we are constantly supported by Darren. He and his team organise group outdoor sessions as well as health retreat weekends dedicated to our health and fitness.
Function Well keeps us on track to achieving our health & fitness goals. As much advice as you need to live a healthier life, it’s best decision I’ve made.
Llian Godfrey
When I first started training with Chris I thought I was quite fit, however he has taken me to a new level of fitness and health I didn’t think I was capable of. Chris has provided me with inspiration, encouragement and energy in an environment that is a whale of fun. I now feel like no physical challenge is beyond my reach. I have been training with Chris since November 2006.
The results and more importantly the improvement I have experienced has been nothing short of dramatic. Chris consistently changes the programs to challenge you, never one to let you rest on your laurels and combined with his focus on technique, the experience has been overwhelmingly positive and has had the effect that I desired at the outset. I have had no hesitation in referring friends and colleagues to Chris for those very reasons.
Kate
I started training with Chris in August 2007 and my friends didn’t think I would stick it out! Well it’s now over seven months later and I’m still training and enjoying every minute – well almost every minute! Chris knows exactly how far he can push you and what you are capable of, he ensures every session has a good combination of hard work (sweat), variety and fun.
He has a never ending supply of encouragement and information providing me with an overall approach to my fitness and health which is paying off. I feel healthier and fitter than I have in years and somehow find the strength and energy to do one more rep or go faster, further or longer.
I now actually look forward to challenging myself physically and enjoy the results. There is no way out of slacking off when training on your own either, as the first question Chris always asks is… ‘so what have you been up to?’ And he doesn’t mean on the dating scene! He makes me accountable for my activity and health even when not at FW, which provides me with great motivation and support in achieving my lifestyle goals. Oh… and if he tries to tell you bear crawls are fun, don’t believe him!
Sue
I have trained with Matt for over three months and he has greatly transformed my life for the better. Within the first year I was the healthiest, fittest and leanest I’ve ever been, losing up to 11kg of body fat in the process. Matt’s unfailing good humour and endless commitment and dedication to my health and fitness is impressive and commendable and so I have no hesitation in regularly recommending him as a trainer to others. He has the emotional intelligence to know exactly how to push me, as a feisty, strong woman, to my absolute limits, and then some.
It is, in part, his background and training as an elite athlete and his understanding of how mind over matter can transform your life which makes him such a good, learned trainer. What’s more, our sessions are always varied, and so are interesting and even fun (at times!) so I’m never bored. I feel empowered and strong and am now addicted to our sessions. Matt is a top bloke first and excellent trainer second.
Nicole Carrington
Most Brisbanites start their Thursday mornings with a small sleep in, repeated snooze button hits, coffee and a quick breakfast before work. Dedicated Function Well clients are up early for a 5:30am wake-up workout!
This metabolic class not only has given me a positive shift in momentum for an amazing day to follow; but also re-instates my healthy outlook and genuine desire to maintain continual healthy habits.
The environment and energy in the personalised Health and Fitness centre is energized and invigoratingly infectious! I am a qualified Personal Trainer and Darren’s group sessions (Function Well group sessions as a whole) are just what a novice/moderately fit/performance excelling individual needs. The trainer’s guidance is crucial in these sessions. However, throughout the session, it is ultimately up to you how much you want to put in and as a result, receive in dividends at the end.
If you are looking for a metabolic rebirth/kick start for the next 24 hours/new outlook on 2010, come to the Metabolic Sessions here at Function Well!
Alanna Dall’Alba
Thank you for helping me reach my peak’ – Cara
Well Done Cara!! Congratulations on conquering Mt Everest Base Camp
Cara
U-turns permitted!
Gradually over the past 5 years I have been helping my brain and body perform a u-turn on health and fitness – it only took 30-odd years to do it, so better late than never! The beginning of this so called u-turn happened when I decided to join a local gym so that I could start to become a little fitter. In early 2007 I made the decision to start what was then termed, personal training. Back then I believed I needed someone to not only physically and mentally push me, but also make me do those damned exercises. After a few months of this, although it hurt, I knew it was doing something good for my body and me as a person. Skip forward to June 2008 and along came an opportunity to switch training facilities on a permanent basis. Both Darren and Matt already knew me from my previous gym, the change to be with these boys also brought about a change in my mindset. Somehow, way back in the far reaches of my brain, a little spark that flickered became a bigger spark. To this day, I don’t know what it was, but whatever changed was a good thing.
Not only have they dragged that inner “personal coaching client” well and truly out of me, they’ve managed to get me thinking about a number of aspects in this health and fitness caper. We attended a seminar that Darren ran on Bribie Island just over 12 months ago and that was the day the health part started to kick in. I thought I was doing ok with the fitness side of things and then during the day at Bribie, started to realise that there were a few more things in my daily routine I should/could change. It was either following day or the second day after the seminar I started implementing those changes.
I made my own decision in 2008 that my two-sugared coffees should become one sugared and then from the seminar with Darren, I knew I had to totally ditch the sugar. I also started to become friends with things like Vital Greens, higher quality protein powder, cleaner food (eg organic, less fat, higher fibre, lower sugars, less processed etc) and now had a much clearer idea of what I should be doing to complete my u-turn. By no means am I a goodie two-shoes in terms of food/exercise. There are days where we go out and I have a couple of beers or wines, maybe chips with a steak, eggs benedict or I don’t feel like that run/bike ride. But those types of days are far less than more now! Although I’ve never been a big drinker or massive fan of fast food, I still had changes I felt I wanted to make. Oh yeah, I still road test the occasional chocolate or ice cream too.
Since grasping this health and fitness idea and running with it, I’m proud to say that being conscious of what I eat and doing some form of exercise is no longer “something I’ll get around to later”, it’s something I now do without too much thought. This combined with Darren and of course Matt pushing us harder and further than before, I’ve managed to get the u-turn completed faster than I could have done on my own. They’ve put up their fair share of challenges for Nat and I, some that we thought at the time couldn’t be done but somehow they knew we’d succeed. Now when I finish the Bridge to Brisbane or a mini triathlon, I contemplate what my time will be in the next event – something that years ago, I would never have thought about until moments before the start of the next one.
Strangely I’m enjoying it all now and can’t thank Darren and Matt enough for their guidance and supervision. Of course there are some aspects that should be tweaked a bit more, but right now I’m very happy with what I’ve managed to achieve.
So if you are wondering if you can or should do it, just try it, you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve if you try! Good luck with your own challenge.
Brett Coughlan
My body shape has changed dramatically & I am a lot stronger. I have lost 15cm around my waist and can do 4 times the number of push-ups I used to be able to do. I feel great.
John
When I started at Function Well I was unfit, overweight & unwell. Dave has helped me reach goals with my fitness and health that I didn’t think would be achievable. The program has taught me how to focus on what to eat & how to train away from Dave, as well as making me believe and expect to achieve new goals each and every week. Thanks everyone at Function Well.
Chris
Since joining Function Well we’ve noticed a great improvement not only in our training but also our mental approach to it – thanks to Matt and Darren. All the trainers have respect for all of the Function Well clients and vice versa. I think this goes a long way in allowing us as clients to achieve our personal goals as well as the ones set by our trainers
Brett & Natt
