Published on:
02/09/2026

Mustafa, 30: Stronger than ever with training during lunch break

Mustafa has a demanding IT job and knows he can't make it every time. Fixed times during lunch and an outsourced program gave him better results than ever.

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.
Each story shows a real process — what the client struggled with, how we structured the training, and the results that followed.

Mustafa, 30: Stronger than ever with training during lunch break

Mustafa had always trained. Running, cycling, gym. But never with a plan. And never with someone in charge of it.

As an IT engineer with a demanding job filled with meetings and deadlines, he knew he needed structure. Not just in his training, but in the way training fit into his daily life. Otherwise it would never last.

"I wanted to get stronger and build muscle mass," Mustafa told us. "But I also knew that I needed someone who took care of all the technical stuff, so I could just show up and train."

The solution was simple: 3 fixed training times per week, scheduled during his lunch break. Not because it was the most convenient time. But because it was the most realistic. The lunch break was there every day. It couldn't be moved by a meeting, but if a session was lost anyway due to something unforeseen, that was okay. The results still came.

Mustafa knew from the start that he wouldn't hit 100% attendance. Work and life were too unpredictable for that. But he also knew that fixed times would mean far more completed sessions than if he could freely book, move and cancel from week to week.

He was right. 88% attendance, not 100%. But the fixed times secured him 126 good training sessions over 12 months that he never would have gotten if the times weren't fixed and booked in advance. And results that speak for themselves.

Client Mustafa
Client
Mustafa, 30, IT engineer
Goal
Get stronger, build muscle mass, get structure in his training
Before
Trained unstructured (running, cycling, gym), no plan, no progression
Plan
3x Full Body per week during lunch break
Duration
12 months
Results
88% attendance (126 of 144 sessions), Hack Squat 40 kg → 80 kg (+100%), Leg Extension 30 kg → 60 kg (+100%), Seated Leg Curl 30 kg → 55 kg (+83%), Machine Chest Press 50 kg → 80 kg (+60%), Cable Pulldown 52 kg → 80 kg (+54%)

Show up. Relax. Let someone take care of it.

Mustafa spends his entire working day solving complex problems and making decisions. When he started with us, the most important thing for him was not just a good program. It was not having to think.

"The best thing about training at Nordic is that I don't have to think about anything," Mustafa said. "Simon has everything under control. I show up, and then we go."

Simon, his trainer, was in charge of everything. The program. The progression. The technical adjustments. Mustafa's only job was to show up and give his best in the hour he was there.

And that hour quickly became more than just training. For someone who makes decisions all day, it was a sanctuary. An hour where he didn't have to assess, analyze or choose. Just do what Simon said, feel his body work and leave with more energy than when he arrived.

"The training sessions are one of the highlights of the week," Mustafa told us. "I go there with my head full of work, and after an hour I feel mentally reset. It's not just training for the body. It's a break for the brain."

The exercises Mustafa trained:

  • Machine Chest Press
  • Cable Pulldown
  • Hack Squat
  • Seated Leg Curl
  • Leg Extension
  • Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Same exercises. Same structure. Clear progression from week to week. It was exactly what he needed: something simple, effective and well thought out that he could trust.

"I spend the whole day solving complex problems. The training hour is the opposite. I just show up, Simon takes care of the rest, and I leave with more energy than when I arrived." — Mustafa

Fixed times beat flexible bookings

The decision that did the most for Mustafa's results was not an exercise or a program. It was the timing.

By scheduling his 3 weekly workouts during the lunch break, he made training a part of his working day. Not something that had to be fit in after work, where meetings run over and the couch beckons. It was in the calendar, on par with meetings and deadlines.

"I was most unsure about whether fixed times would fit into my work life," Mustafa said. "But it turned out to be the best part of the whole concept. Because it's in the calendar, it happens. If I had to book from week to week myself, half the sessions would never have happened."

It is a point many underestimate. People hesitate to commit to fixed times precisely because they are afraid of missing sessions. But the opposite usually happens: Loose arrangements without commitment, where you have to take the initiative to book from week to week, almost always lead to fewer workouts. There is always a reason to postpone.

Mustafa completed 88% of his planned workouts. Not the 95-98% we normally see. But 126 sessions over 12 months. That is far more than most would have completed with an "I'll train when it suits me" approach.

And the results? They were unaffected.

When the numbers talk

Mustafa is an engineer. He appreciates numbers. And the numbers were part of what kept him motivated week after week.

"One of the best things was seeing that I was getting stronger from session to session," he said. "It's hard to see in the mirror from day to day. But when the numbers in the app go up, you know it's working."

Hack Squat: from 40 kg to 80 kg. Leg Extension: from 30 kg to 60 kg. Chest Press: from 50 kg to 80 kg. 100% increase in two of his exercises.

That shows something important: You don't need perfect attendance to get significant results. You just need to show up often enough, consistently enough, with a program that works and a trainer who makes sure every single session counts.

"I can definitely feel that my body has changed," Mustafa said. "I've gotten broader across the shoulders, my arms are bigger, and I generally feel stronger. Others have noticed it too."

"I was most unsure about whether fixed times would fit into my work life. It turned out to be the best part of the whole concept. Because the times are in the calendar, it happens." — Mustafa

Mustafa's transformation

After 12 months of structured training, 3x Full Body per week:

Strength gains:

  • Hack Squat: 40 kg → 80 kg (+100%)
  • Leg Extension: 30 kg → 60 kg (+100%)
  • Seated Leg Curl: 30 kg → 55 kg (+83%)
  • Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 6 kg → 10 kg (+67%)
  • Machine Chest Press: 50 kg → 80 kg (+60%)
  • Cable Pulldown: 52 kg → 80 kg (+54%)

Body change:

  • Broader shoulders
  • Bigger arms
  • More muscular and solid body
  • Visible change that others have noticed

Mental capacity:

  • Training sessions as a sanctuary from a decision-filled work life
  • More energy and mental capacity after training
  • A fixed hour in the week where he doesn't have to think

Consistency:

  • 88% attendance (126 of 144 sessions) with planned holidays along the way
  • Fixed times during the lunch break maintained the structure, even when work was unpredictable
  • Showed up to far more sessions than if he had to book from week to week himself

Identity shift:

  • From unstructured training without a plan to a system he trusts
  • From having to make decisions about training to letting them go entirely
  • From "someone who trains a bit" to visibly stronger and more muscular

Why it worked for Mustafa

Mustafa's story is not about exceptional discipline or willpower. It is about making it easy for yourself.

He didn't find extra hours in his week. He used the time he already had and put it into a system. Fixed times. A program he didn't have to think about himself. And a trainer who made sure every session was an hour of peace from work and an hour of investment in his body.

126 good workouts in 12 months. That is more than enough to become significantly stronger, build visible muscle mass and change your body, when the program is right and the trainer makes sure every single session counts.

Simon
By Simon
Personal Trainer & Licensed Physiotherapist at Nordic Performance Training
The fixed times and structure made sure Mustafa showed up. But it was what happened during the hour itself that made him keep coming back.
Mustafa spends his entire working day analyzing, assessing and making decisions. My most important principle with him was to make the training hour the opposite. He shouldn't think. Shouldn't assess. Shouldn't choose. Just come, and then I took care of the rest.
It may sound simple, but it is actually crucial for many of our clients with demanding jobs. When you spend the whole day being in control of everything, you need a place where someone else is in control of it for you. It creates an entirely different kind of energy in the session. You let go of control, are present in your body and leave with more capacity than when you arrived.
The program was deliberately simple. Same exercises. Clear progression. No surprises. For Mustafa it was liberating to know exactly what was coming and see the numbers rise from week to week. As an engineer, he appreciated the transparency: he could see that the system worked, and that built trust.
His results confirm it: 100% increase in Hack Squat and Leg Extension, 83% in Seated Leg Curl and 60% in Chest Press. 126 good workouts in 12 months.
What others can learn: If you have a demanding work life, training doesn't need to be yet another thing you have to manage. It can be the opposite. A place where you let go of the responsibility, trust a plan and just be present. That is often what makes the difference between sticking with it and giving up.

Ready to make training a fixed part of your week?

Mustafa had a demanding job and knew he couldn't make it every time. Fixed times during the lunch break and a trainer who took care of all the technical stuff gave him 126 good workouts in 12 months that he otherwise never would have gotten, and results that speak for themselves.

If you have difficulty fitting training into a busy daily life, you may not need more motivation — but a system.

Book a free start-up conversation at our private gym in Copenhagen, and experience how fixed times and structured strength training can fit into even the busiest calendar.

Because the best training plan is not the most ambitious. It is the one you actually follow.

Hi, I’m Simon

Personal Trainer & authorized Physiotherapist at Nordic Performance Training

I have worked as a personal trainer and physiotherapist for many years, and I specialize in making complex training principles simple, practical, and easy to apply — whether the goal is to build muscle, improve performance, or simply train with greater 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 how structured, sustainable training builds strength, confidence, and lasting results.

All client stories feature real people and real results.
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