Personal trainer for fathers wages war on dad bods in the UK through his ‘compassionate’ tailored training programmes

A father-of-two who runs an online personal training service specifically for fellow fathers is trying to reduce the number of dad bods and says there should be more “support and outreach” for the physical and mental health of fathers.

Chris Beavers, 31, who lives in Macclesfield with his wife, Katie, 31, and their two children, Beau, two, and Poppy, three months, put his health on the back burner when his kids were born, for the first time since he was 14, but is now helping other dads regain their fitness.

He thinks there is less pressure for “dads to get back to how they looked before” they had children, but says health should still be a priority amid their busy work schedules.

Chris’s health journey made him feel “more present” with his children, and he wants others to feel the same. He encourages fellow dads to be “positive role models for their kids and their families” by getting fit while balancing a job and father duties.

One clients went from being overweight to training for a triathlon, which he says is very “rewarding” and, despite him being a personal trainer for fathers full-time, he “never” feels like he’s working.

“I think there’s less pressure on dads to get back to how they looked before, and physically in general,” he said.

Chris began Father Fit in August last year after becoming “deeply unhappy” with a lack of time with his family, as his commute and work meant he only saw his son for around 45 minutes a day.

He said: “I wanted to be there to help my wife and spend time with the baby and support Katie, there wasn’t then any time in the day to go the gym.

“So my fitness stopped – I didn’t train for a couple of months because of the perceived lack of time and I didn’t have as much time to prepare food.

“And then I had a lightbulb moment where I just wasn’t feeling myself, I wasn’t feeling good, and I wasn’t feeling as comfortable in my clothes.”

This break away from the gym was the first time Chris had stopped exercising regularly since he was 14.

He said: “I was always a bit of a chubby kid, and just wanted to change how I looked, to be honest.”

To get back on track with his fitness, Chris began working out during his lunch breaks for 30 minutes and eventually got back into preparing healthy meals.

He said: “I realised that you can get fit, reclaim your health whilst working around, and without sacrificing family life.”

Once Chris made healthy lifestyle changes, he went from 78kg to 72kg, and his body fat reduced from 19% to 12%.

But the most rewarding aspect was being more active with his children.

He said: “I had the energy to play with him on the floor, take him to the park and not be tired.

“It was more just being able to be present with the family more and do more things.”

After speaking with fellow dads, he realised he was not alone in this and wanted to use his personal training expertise to help others.

He said: “All of these dads have the same issues of having loads of time to go to the gym, being able to focus on themselves, and then all of a sudden, they’re thrown into being a parent, and they’ve got all of these other competing priorities.

“Normally, one of the things that takes a back seat is their health and fitness and going to the gym and exercising and training.

“For me, I kind of fell into the same trap.”

Launching Father Fit, Chris wanted to make it clear that a healthy lifestyle in fatherhood is achievable – he creates flexible training plans and gives nutrition and lifestyle support by WhatsApp and weekly check-ins for clients that fit around their work and parenting duties.

He explained: “Some of my clients, for example, do three 30-minute workouts at home.

“I just wanted to simplify and provide solutions and help family guys become healthy, lose any weight they want to lose, but also improve mental health as a by-product so they can be positive role models for their kids and their families.”

Chris explained how his training is different to other personal training schemes: “It’s about tackling the unique challenges dads face – I understand what it’s like to be a dad and I understand if a dad can’t make it because of picking up their kids from nursery, for example.

“I’m personal first – I have a compassionate coaching side, as opposed to a drill sergeant, and can totally relate to my clients.”

Chris thinks the mental health of his clients is important, and he strives to understand the emotional reason behind dads wanting to get fitter rather than just the superficial aspect.

He said: “A lot of my clients say they want to feel confident by the pool – many feel self-conscious and say they are not fully present with their kids because of it.

“Kids can be ruthless – I’ve had one dad say that when picking up his kid from school, and the other children said he was big. Thinking about it, I’ve actually had three dads tell me that.”

Chris said he wishes there was more mental health support for new dads.

He explained: “Mums definitely need that additional mental support because of all of the changes they go through in the event of giving birth.

“I am forever indebted to Katie, my wife, for bringing our wonderful little children into the world.

“But also mentally, paternal postnatal depression is apparent for men too – I think there should be more support and outreach available for dads.”

One of Chris’s most memorable clients is a dad who has gone from 115kg to 94kg and is now training for a triathlon.

Chris said: “Day-to-day, he has more energy to be more present with his little boy.

“His nutrition has improved; he’s no longer snacking.

“He used to have brain fog and doesn’t have that any more.”

Chris explained how he feels when his clients improve physically and mentally: “I never feel like I’m working – I love it so much, and it’s super rewarding.”

Looking to the future, Chris hopes his work will improve the next generation’s health.

He said: “I know the impact it has on the next generation, which is another big driver for me, because fathers have a massive impact on the outcomes of their children, with nutrition, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

“If we can move the needle with dads with healthy habits, we’re going to move the needle with the next generation.”