Every transformation here is real — written by the client’s own coach.
These stories show how structured, consistent strength training works across different goals, ages, and starting points.
How Doug, a 62-Year-Old CTO, Finally Got Rid of His Back Pain
Doug walked into our Private Gym in Copenhagen at 62 carrying over a decade of low back pain and a list of things healthcare providers had told him were wrong: an uneven pelvis, weak back muscles, poor posture from years at a desk. As a Chief Technology Officer, he was used to solving complex technical problems. But when it came to his back pain, every solution seemed to focus on managing his limitations rather than building his capabilities.
"Everyone kept telling me what was wrong with my back," Doug explained during his free start-up conversation. "Uneven pelvis, weak stabilizers, sitting too much. I had a whole list of things I supposedly needed to fix before I could think about getting stronger. I just wanted to feel normal again."
Doug had never strength trained consistently in a structured way before. At 62, he assumed he'd missed his window. Combined with the healthcare messaging about his "fragile" back, he'd accepted that his best option was learning to live with chronic pain and limitations.
After 12 months of systematic strength training 2x weekly, Doug is completely pain-free, visibly stronger, and feels younger and healthier than he has in years. The transformation didn't come from fixing what was "wrong" with his back. It came from building what his back was capable of.
Here's how a 62-year-old CTO discovered that the solution to his back pain wasn't more caution—it was more strength.
10+ Years of Managing Lowback Problems
Doug's back pain had started gradually about 10 years earlier. Nothing dramatic—just persistent discomfort that slowly became constant.
Over the years, he saw multiple physiotherapists, chiropractors, and specialists. Each had a different theory about what was wrong and what needed fixing.
"One told me my pelvis was uneven," Doug recalled. "Another said my core was weak. They all agreed I needed to be very careful and focus on corrective exercises before doing anything challenging."
So Doug spent years doing exactly that: careful mobility work, core activation exercises, postural corrections and a lot of manual therapy. Things that felt "safe" but never actually made him stronger or eliminated his pain.
"I was managing my limitations instead of building my capabilities," Doug reflected. "But nobody ever suggested there might be a different approach."
What Made This Approach Different
When Doug started training with Simon, the approach was completely different.
Instead of cataloging everything wrong with his back, Simon asked: "What can your back do right now, and how do we build from there?"
Simon focused relentlessly on the positive. Even on days when Doug's back hurt, the conversation centered on what was working, what was improving, and what his body was proving it could handle.
"Simon would say things like, 'Your back is getting stronger every week,'" Doug said. "Not 'Be careful of your weak back.' The language shift seemed small, but it completely changed how I thought about my body."
When adjustments were needed, they were framed as optimization rather than accommodation. Not "We need to work around your broken back," but "Let's find the variation that lets you train hard today."
The key insight: Doug's back didn't need more fixing. It needed systematic strengthening and Simon who believed in what it was capable of becoming.
What Actually Worked
Simon built Doug's training around the same systematic approach we use for all clients:
The exercises:
- Dumbbell Chest Press — upper body pushing strength
- Cable Pulldown — back strength and posture
- Hack Squat — lower body strength without excessive spinal loading
- Leg Curl — posterior chain development
- Glute Bridges — extra posterior chain development (our standard is leg extension but due to Doug's lower back issues we opted for extra strength around the lower back area)
- Lateral Raise — shoulder health and development
2 focused sessions per week. Same exercises for months. Gradual progression using our proven progression method.
"The consistency was crucial," Doug said. "I wasn't constantly learning new 'corrective' exercises. I was getting genuinely stronger at movements that mattered."
Within 8 weeks, Doug's daily back pain had noticeably reduced. By 6 months, it was barely noticeable and by 12 months he had forgotten about it.
"I realized my back didn't need more protection or correction," Doug reflected. "It needed progressive challenge with someone who believed it could handle it."
Doug's Transformation
After 12 months of 2x weekly training:
Strength gains:
Dumbbell Chest Press: 10kg → 27.5kg (+175%)
Hack Squat: 30kg → 50kg (+67%)
Visible muscle gains
Pain elimination:
Chronic low back pain completely resolved
No limitations in daily activities
Can lift, travel, and move without constant worry
Quality of life:
Feels younger and healthier than in years
More energy for demanding tasks
Confidence in body's capabilities
Identity shift:
From "62-year-old with back problems" to "someone who's strong and getting stronger"
From managing limitations to building capabilities
"I started at 62 with very little strength training background and a decade of back pain. Now I'm stronger than I ever imagined possible at this age. And my back feels better than it did in my 40s." — Doug
Why This Worked at 62
Doug's transformation shows that starting strength training at 62 isn't too late. His 175% increase in chest press and 67% increase in hack squat demonstrated that his muscles responded remarkably well to systematic training.
"Age gave me patience the younger version of me wouldn't have had," Doug reflected. "I wasn't trying to prove anything or rush results. I just trusted the process and showed up consistently."
Other healthcare professionals had focused on troubleshooting what was "broken", "dysfunctional" or "fragile" in Doug's back. But systematic strength training built a stronger system instead. His back pain wasn't primarily structural — it was from deconditioning combined with a decade of limitation-focused messaging.
Ready to Get Stronger and Pain-Free?
Doug spent 10 years managing back pain through cautious exercises and problem-focused healthcare. At 62, he started systematic strength training and eliminated the pain completely.
If you've been told you need to "fix" things before getting stronger, or that your age makes strength training too risky, Doug's story offers a different perspective.
Maybe your body doesn't need more fixing. Maybe it needs systematic strengthening with coaching that believes in what you're capable of.
Book your free start-up conversation at our private gym in Copenhagen and discover how optimistic, systematic strength training can work at any age, with any history.
You're never too old to get stronger — you just need the right approach and someone who believes in what your body can become.
Table of Contents
Other Client Stories
I’ve worked as a personal trainer and physiotherapist for many years and I specialize in making complex training concepts simple, practical, and easy to apply — whether the goal is building muscle, improving performance, or training with more confidence.
My focus is on combining clear communication with evidence-based methods, so clients not only know what to do but also understand why it works.
On this page, I share real client stories — so you can see what structured, consistent training looks like in practice.
Other Client Stories
.svg){kind=icon}