Before’n’After Interview #58 – David Karl

Before'n'After Interview #58 – David Karl

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your everyday life

My name is David Karl, I am 28 years old, born and raised in beautiful Lower Franconia near Aschaffenburg/Würzburg and have been living in Stuttgart for 5 years.

I love to spend my free time with sports, my passionate hobby, cooking and eating out with my friends.

In my day-to-day work, I've been a pilot with Lufthansa for 5 years and fly from Frankfurt on the Airbus A320/321 in the continental area, ie throughout Europe and the Middle East.

This is my absolute dream job and you see the whole world, but the strain on the body from shift work, night flights, irregular sleep and the dry air on board should not be underestimated.

Of course, this does not make the implementation of a regular and ambitious fitness program any easier, but it can be implemented with a lot of ambition, will and a bit of organization.

How did you come across the Before'n'After program?

During my training in a fitness studio in Stuttgart, I met personal coach and trainer Goran Sirovina, whose advice and know-how I valued very much, and it was through him that I became aware of the YPSI and Wolfgang in January.

Which sport did you do before the Before'n'After program?

Up to the age of 19 (2005) I rode my bike for performance reasons and then from 2007 to 2011 switched to running and especially the marathon.

I was enthusiastic about this sport very intensively and also quite successfully and was even able to achieve a best time of 2:23:55 in 2009.

In 2012 the decision was made to end this chapter, because I was physically and mentally exhausted, emaciated and empty and my body was literally crying out for a break.

After a 6-month break from sports, I've been going to the gym regularly for the last 1.5 years to gain a few kilos.

What motivated you to start and follow the program?

I read your Facebook articles and reports and was immediately amazed at the successes Wolfgang will achieve with his clients in the foreseeable future.

In the last 2 years I've managed to gain weight from 66 kg to 94 kg, of course not without gaining some fat, which didn't bother me much at first.

But now I wanted to get rid of my excess body fat and simply be fitter and more defined. This fitted in perfectly with your program, which I had already heard about through Goran and Facebook.

Motivated by the YPSI successes, I made an appointment at the beginning of February and have never regretted this step.

How did your sleep develop during the program?

My sleep is incredibly good at the moment thanks to the program.

I go to bed and am gone 10 minutes later, whereas I used to lie in bed for more than 1 hour before I fell asleep.

I sleep the whole night through and wake up in great shape after 8-10 hours of sleep!

How did your energy level develop during the program?

In general, I no longer have phases of weakness throughout the day and I feel absolutely fit, no matter what time of day, so my energy level is absolutely positive!

In the evening I'm exhausted from training and can sleep wonderfully around 11 p.m. when I'm free and have a regular rhythm!

What was the biggest change for you?

The biggest adjustment for me was giving up my beloved Swabian pretzels and a piece of cake or two with coffee at Schlossplatz.

I also swapped the heavenly good homemade pasta for meat and fish at my favorite Italian restaurant, Sante de Santis in the Heusteig district.

What's your favorite breakfast? 

My favorite breakfast is a large omelette with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and fresh herbs combined with a double espresso and 1 glass of water with fresh lemon or lime juice!

How often and for how long did you train?

I trained 5 times a week for 1 hour each time.

When I was flying and there was no fitness available at the respective destinations, I also sprinted from time to time.

What is your favorite exercise?

My favorite exercise is squats in all variations because I don't have a more versatile and harder exercise, preferably in the 5+5 version (5 with heels elevated, 10s rest, 5 without heels elevated)

Have you also done endurance training to lose fat?

I didn't actually do any endurance sports except for a few jogs (max. 30 minutes) due to the lack of suitable studios during work

What is the reaction of your environment to the change in the last few weeks/months?

In my home studio in Stuttgart, I've received a lot of praise lately about my ambition and the physical changes/developments.

Within family and friends, many people find it difficult to accept if they do without alcohol, sweets, pasta, etc. and generally devote themselves to the so-called "Paleo diet".

(Only eat what you can catch, hunt and gather….so no processed foods)

Many see it as a blatant renunciation of pleasure, but I see it as a certain attitude to life and I'm not missing anything at the moment, on the contrary, my body gives me back a lot more physically and mentally.

And what happens now?

I want to continue working with Wolfgang in the future and the goal is to gain 5-8 kg to 93-95 kg over the winter while staying below 10% body fat.

It's going to be tough, but I'm looking forward to the new challenge.

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