Testimonials

Overcoming Obesity: Eric Conn’s amazing progress from June 2022 (~298 lbs.) to November 2023 (~218 lbs.) 80 pounds down!

First photo was taken June 5th, 2022

Second photo was sent courtesy of Eric on November 2nd, 2023

From Cancer to Confident: "I never took good care of myself. I was ok with me gaining weight and having this life of complacency. This program has helped keep me consistent. I couldn’t do even one pull-up. Now I can do 12 chin-ups! I feel more in control of what I eat and don't feel like I'm on a diet. I feel like I'm in a lifestyle.”

- Joshua Naputi, Cancer Survivor

“I was eating like a king and I was losing weight...one of the biggest challenges that I never had gotten over previously was that I didn’t seem to get results…literally all of that just went away when I met you David…the nutrition plan was absolutely phenomenal…everything you guys provided was exactly what I needed. There’s so much in my track record of progress…even my conventional deadlifts I’m at 225 and I could barely do like 55 pounds before. Mentally I have a way stronger demeanor to perform than I had before.” - Trevor Brown, Former Marine

Daniel Brashear’s Amazing Side Progress

• (~25 pounds down in just 5 months time!)

• Losing ~14 cm. on the hips

• Gaining 4 cm. of muscle in the chest

• Losing ~14 cm. on the waist as well!

“I thought I knew what I was doing, but I found out that there were a lot of things I was doing not right…It’s such wasted time…I’m very happy we talked and I joined and it has been an amazing transformation. I’m 58. I’m not a young kid. I can tell you I’m in the best shape ever in my life. I never thought I’d get here. And I’m so happy.” - Dr. Wehbeh, MD, MBA, FACP

“I never thought in my life I could go as heavy as I could now working out in a gym...now when I go to the gym I can lift 80 - 85 pounds for a dumbbell chest press…I never thought I would be at 28 inch waist size…it’s crazy.” - Derrence Lim, Business Owner

Richard’s inspiring journey as a martial arts teacher and cop in St. Louis.

“My strength has in some cases dang near quadrupled…looking at myself in the mirror, I can see the cuts in my body. I can see the strength of my abdominals.” - Richard Green

“I’m 42….I feel like I’m 25/26…I actually started to see my abs…I started that definition that I didn’t ever expect to see, especially at this age.” - Dan Marsden, Police Officer and Author

“I gained 15 pounds of lean mass while decreasing my waist size by an inch or two. I started at 141.4 and the other day I measured myself at 156.4. I ended up smashing my goal of wanting to gain 10 pounds in 4 months. - Eugene

Chris Durand’s Incredible Progress: Before (~196.5 lbs. in February 2021) = Left; After (~165.5 lbs. in August 2021) = Right

Rem’s Life-Changing Health Win Share on a Client Community Table: From severe hypertension 2 to normalized systolic blood pressure through positive lifestyle change. Scroll down below to see more of Rem’s inspiring story.

“I was starting to gain weight at a rapid pace and…I started to develop severe acid reflux. You guys gave me a certain breakdown. Once I got on track with that, I started to see significant weight loss. I lost a total of 36 lbs. in 4 months. - Richard Arradaza

“When I started, I was in a state of feeling helpless. Every week, I feel like I have more self-control, every week I feel more confident, and every week I feel happier.” - Fitz

“I’ve worked with other trainers before…some have been nice people, but not really folks who had the knowledge around what I needed to do and my lifestyle. It’s like night and day. I feel so much more confident in what I know. I feel a lot of support from all sides.”

-Dr. Lee Bynum, PhD

“I was pushing 80 kilos (~176 lbs.) when I started, which was kind of like the heaviest I had been in my life. I’m 72 kilos (~159 lbs.) now. I am definitely happy with my weight loss. I feel better about myself.” - Jack Lee

In 2022, Actor Hanbit Yi (@hanbity) applied for help to achieve his “Fight Club” physique.

“I’ve had that same goal for like 4 years now and didn’t really make much progress. In the last 3 months, I’ve essentially been able to get there,” he shares.

Prior to the program, I didn’t know how to workout so I overpushed myself multiple times. Pain worsened dramatically. We were able to find a set of exercises that were pain free. My workouts have been a lot more goal-oriented because I don’t have to be worried about working out, dealing with discomfort and pain. - Philip Chao

My life was so busy and so chaotic that it was just so unorganized. I had gained weight, I had not been working out. I spent a good amount of money on things that just didn’t work. I was really on the fence myself. We identified what my concerns and fears were and I felt so much better. - Dr. Troy Syverson, MD

“The blood pressure (severe) was probably the worst of it. It led to crippling headaches. Weight gain led to snide comments in my work. My doctor then asked, “Would you like to live to see 40?” This was a wake-up call for me. In less than 16 weeks, I’ve lost over 25 lbs. I went to my doctor and almost all my blood and health-related values are now normalized. I’m probably going to need to buy new pants soon as I’m on the last notch of my belt now. I feel better than I have in a very long time. For anyone who is on the fence...your health is your most important asset. Take the leap and it will be worth it.” - Rem

Before this, I was sad about my body. I saw my gut getting bigger and bigger every day and felt depressed seeing my gut all the time. In 2 months, I’ve lost 20 pounds and now, my gut is just gone. I feel amazing, way happier, and more confident in myself. - Irwin

Michael’s inspiring fat loss progress from April 2021 (Left) to July 2021 (Right). “I wanted to lose the extra weight, I think I’m the lowest I’ve weighed since I’ve graduated from college…I’ve lost over 14 lbs. so I feel great! All of my clothes feel loose on me now.” - Michael Lawrence

When I first started with David, physically I was very low.
I was at a very low body weight and I wanted to gain weight.
What made me commit was I had a moment to myself of thinking, “If not now, then when?”
In 4 months, I gained 10 pounds and put about 4 inches on my chest, and am more optimistic and hopeful.
I’d recommend this to someone who’s been stuck and who needs accountability to achieve their goals.

-Andrew

Kendrick’s Lean Mass Gain! 17 lbs. of lean mass gained while shrinking his waist size in 4 months time (155 lbs - 172 lbs from Mar. 2021 - June 2021)

When I started, I wanted to look bigger and get stronger. I didn't know I would progress this far. I never was able to do a one-arm push-up before. In a few weeks, I can now do one-arm push-ups for reps. I can even do handstand push-ups for reps. I'm seeing more muscle mass and my waist is tighter. I'd recommend this to anyone who was like me, looking for accountability and guidance.

- Brandon

David is not just a fitness trainer trying to get you on a short-term program but rather a mentor who guides and equips you with the knowledge and experience to achieve the best version of yourself for the long-term continuous growth in life. Thank you David :) - Yaj Vaj

A Glimpse of Actor Ryan Potter’s Progress for Titans Season 3 as Beast Boy

“A few flights of stairs winded me. I thought taking diet pills was all I needed to do. I started going to the gym and had no idea what to do. I stumbled on David’s social media and there was a “mentality” part I realized I did not have. I have lost 32 lbs. in 32 weeks. Take a chance for yourself, and I think you’ll find wonderful results.”

- Brandon Alana

“Since my time with David, I've actually been able to implement fitness as a lifestyle. We accomplished this mainly through changing my mindset. Looking back a month and a half ago, my mindset and outlook on life has taken a complete 180 for the better.”

- Brandon Saraniti

If you’re debating whether getting fit is worth it, I can’t express how much it is. If you’re stuck like I was, in a negative and toxic cycle, this small step can help pivot you into a way better life. There is no shame in asking for help, and it’s not embarrassing to try.

- Phillip Kim

I would recommend this process to anyone who wants to get in real shape and is ready to commit to him or herself and a more fulfilled sense of life.  Anyone that has tried everything you can think of and seen limited results, this is the program for you.  Anyone that wants to build confidence or change his or her outlook on life needs to do this program.  Anyone that wants to actually LEARN how to take ownership of his or her physical fitness needs to sign up.  If you’ve tried other programs and gotten temporary results due to unrealistic or unsustainable requirements, then you know it’s not just the work you do in the program, it’s what you LEARN from it that you can apply to your everyday life after you leave the gym.  There is no coach like David and I’m thrilled with the process and progress I’ve achieved since joining Team Rise Above!

-Michael Roman

Eduardo Siriarte

“It’s nuts. I feel like a completely new person. I’ve lost 55 pounds (in ~4 months). That’s more than 3 Costco bags of cat food.” - Alejandro Sanchez

“I feel energetic! I’m so much lighter and that’s just the tippee-top of it. I am ridiculously stronger. I can do a one-arm pushup. It’s incredible how much strength I have! I feel great…I feel like the world is my oyster again…Having this program as a resource has been such an immense boon for me…If you’re unsure what a good nutrition plan is, what a good exercise is…this is the program will clarify that for you…It more than well than pays for itself and it’s such a powerful investment in yourself that will pay for years to come. So make that leap.”

- Alejandro Sanchez, SpaceX Rocket Scientist

Alejandro went from 231.4 lbs on February 21st, 2022 to 178.2 lbs by June 11th, 2022. After over a year, he shared this message with me on LinkedIn (and gave permission to share this update) as he has accomplished incredible feats while continuing to progress through the skills he learned around building a sustainable fitness lifestyle.

“It’s an investment and the dividends will come on every facet. My confidence has improved, my love life has improved, my physique has improved, and my financial situation has improved…”

-Michael Roman

“I started at 191 and now I’m 164, and my waist size has gone down about 6 inches...I just started to see improvements so much faster.”

- Dr. Hamid Pour, DDS, MBA

"I would look into the mirror everyday and think to myself, 'Oh my gosh, this is just embarrassing.' I tried making changes but felt like I was putting in a lot of time for not a lot of results and was frustrated. Now, I've lost over 30 pounds in the past 6 months. I wish I had done this years ago, but it's better later than never. It's never too late to get started. I started DJ-ing when I was 47 when most people are in their 20s and 30s and it's the same thing with fitness. I would recommend working with David for pretty much anyone. I feel like if I can do it, anybody can.

- Chris Durand

“I went from 186/187 and now I’m 148/147…clothes don’t fit anymore! I get to go shopping during Christmas! Yay!”

In the process over working with us, Chance lost weight and got stronger as well. Even after completing his initial program with us, he continued to implement what we taught him…

And he continued to lose more weight, make more progress and went from 186/187 to 148/147 (~40 pounds of weight loss)..

-Chance Sims, Veteran

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