8/16: 194.6lbs and 17.5% body fat
11/23: 180lbs and 11.3% body fat
Dr. Sam Elguizaoui, an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon in New York City, was feeling uninspired by his workouts during the pandemic and experienced a plateau that led to some unwanted weight gain. He set out to make a change and committed to a 90 day transformation under the guidance of ARENA board member and Registered Dietician, Albert Matheny.
The question was “How much can someone be transformed in 90 days?” Dr. Sam used ARENA to track his work, intensity, and overall output. Levels monitored his glucose in response to Matheny’s nutrition plan and Whoop measured Dr. Sam’s sleep and recovery. With body composition scans from InBody the results were indisputable.
ARENA was a key tool in Dr. Sam’s development because it’s perfect for making adjustments to weight or intensity as one progresses. “We weren't going for purely maximal strength gain, so we were able to keep rest periods short with ARENA and move between exercises in a circuit style so Dr. Sam was able to train strength, but also improve his cardio,” says Matheny. Dr. Sam grew up playing sports, so he’s familiar with the process of putting in work to see results. These workouts though, were “challenging and efficient, which made them something [he] looked forward to everyday.” Plus, the added layer of data made the transformation “both eye opening and motivating,” says Dr. Sam.
As we all know, exercising is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to health and fitness. The main goal for Dr. Sam was to lose body fat. The culprit? Mindless snacking at work. Matheny says, “The way we addressed this was getting in a lot of protein and fat at breakfast to get him through his day and in the evening after training. This strategy, in combination with training, resulted in significant fat-loss.” Matheny and Dr. Sam established a few other habits that led to his success including drinking more water and cutting down on alcohol and vegetables that weren’t supplementing his nutrition and were causing digestive issues. Dr. Sam says these small changes had a huge impact and helped him “more clearly understand the relationship between what you eat and reaching your goals.”
At the end of the 90 days, not only was Dr. Sam’s body transformed, but his mindset was as well. Down 14.6lbs and 6.2% body fat, he learned that it was possible to work as an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon, maintain a healthy relationship with food, and stick to an efficient workout schedule all while reaching his goals. “I've now incorporated all the things I've learned into my daily routine to work towards my next goal!”
Lauren Wellinger, ARENA Head of Performance
