Super Nova of the Month: Sean Vanderpol

Nova Health Club • February 28, 2024

Congratulations to Sean, our March SuperNova!


Sean has trained with Nova for almost 2 years. He has made a lot of progress over his training with us but in the last 6 weeks since joining the LeanDads program he has accelerated his progress and broke through all plateaus. Here is some of the results he has experienced:


  • Weight Loss: Sean was already a lean guy but had that extra ‘10lbs’ that has been hard to get rid of. In 6 wks he went from 186 to 175lbs.


  • Fat Loss: With a few small lifestyle tweaks he dropped his body fat % from 15.5% to now 10.7%. To drop 4% in this time is incredible and it is the lowest it has ever been!


  • Digestion: While fat loss was one of the goals, there was an underlying thing that has been bothering him and that was his digestion. Heartburn, relying on antacids, bloating, and other digestive issues have been a normal part of his life. However, in 6wks his digestive score went from a 4/10 to an 8/10.


  • Running: Feeling better and carrying less weight has made running become easier and much more enjoyable.


Read on to hear our interview with Sean and some specific strategies he has employed!



1)What motivated you to start your fitness journey with us 2 years ago?

 

I had never trained or exercised in a particularly organized way – for years I did running as my primary exercise, but I had picked up various nagging injuries that were keeping me from doing it regularly and when I started at Nova I wasn’t running at all because of that. So I started at Nova to try to rehab those injuries, and to try resistance training. And it's been a great experience – I’m back to running regularly (and pain free), I move much better, and I’ve never had the general strength that I have now.

 

2)In the last 6 weeks, since starting our LeanDads program you have got some amazing results. What are the biggest changes you have noticed through this program?

 

The biggest change has to be the weight loss and change in body composition – I’m amazed at the amount of body weight and body fat that I’ve lost while keeping my general muscle mass. A close second is the improvement in my digestion – I didn’t even realize how much better that could be than it was. For me this has translated into feeling and looking better, and improved athletic performance. I’m excited to continue this and see where it goes!

 

3)Can you share some key strategies or habits that helped you achieve this success? Any specific workouts, diets, or routines that made a significant difference?

 

I’ve introduced a number of new habits and focused more on things like hydration, but I think the most significant impact has come from the changes I’ve made to my diet – eliminating inflammatory foods (especially gluten), eating regularly, focusing on a balance of macronutrients, and incorporating more vegetables. I’m eating more food than ever, but my body is handling it better and all that food is actually causing me to lose weight. And feeling better has helped me to stay consistent – sticking to the program and avoiding the temptation to have “cheat days”.

 

4)In what ways has achieving your health goals made a positive impact on your life - for example are there things that you can do now that you were not able to before? Or are there people in your life who you are now better able to serve than before? 

 

Being able to run again, and with the progress I’ve made through LeanDads to run better, has been great – I’ve always really enjoyed it, and I’m glad I’m able to do it again and to do it well. And the whole experience at Nova and with the LeanDads program has opened up new goals for me that I want to continue to pursue.



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