IT WASN’T THAT long ago that Lance Alaalatoa, a 40-year-old event planner from Sydney, was really struggling.
When shown a photo of himself from before he started his transformation journey, Alaalatoa recalls the period as a dark time. “The photo on the left, I think, really represents just a lot of stress in my life,” he tells Men’s Health.
“I was having late nights, drinking, bad food and not really moving or exercising,” Alaalatoa continues.”In hospitality, things weren’t really working out and I was letting down a few people, a few staff, and just trying to figure out how to turn things around.”
The work-related stress had a detrimental affect on Alaalatoa’s diet. He began turning to unhealthy options due to a lack of time. “It was just fast food,” he says. “I never had time to sit down and cook a meal or eat anything new.” As a result, he ballooned out to 153kg.
More importantly, he wasn’t the man he wanted to be. “I just wasn’t sharp,” he says. “I was letting people down at work, I was letting down my family, and that had a massive impact on my health.”
Alaalatoa decided it was time to make a change. He began training with Jono Castano, owner of ACERO gym, who put him on a program that emphasised a sustainable approach to training and nutrition to build discipline and achieve long-term results.
How Lance Alaalatoa lost 34kg
Alaalatoa’s new routine was built around fast-paced, high energy workouts with plyometrics, bag work and strength circuits. Below, you’ll find a sample of some of his workouts.
Workout 1
1. Warm-Up (10 min)
• Jump rope: 3 min• Shadowboxing (with head movement & footwork): 3 min• Mobility: 4 min (shoulders, hips, wrists, ankles)
2. Rounds, 3-min each
• Round 1–2: Heavy bag power shots• Round 3–4: Plyometric circuit – 5 clap push-ups + 10 squat jumps + 5 burpees, repeat nonstop• Round 5–6: Partner or bag drills – 30 sec nonstop hooks, 30 sec nonstop uppercuts, repeat• Round 7–8: Sprint intervals – 15 sec sprint + 45 sec jog on treadmill/track• Round 9: Medicine ball slams & rotational throws• Round 10: Shadowboxing
3. Finisher (5 min)
• 100 push-ups for time• 50 sit-ups for time• 30 sec plank hold
Workout 2
1. Warm-Up (8 min)
• Dynamic stretch & band work (shoulders/hips): 3 min• Jump rope double-unders: 3 min• Shadowboxing with slips/rolls: 2 min
2. Rounds (3 min each, 1-min rest)
• Round 1–3: Technical heavy bag (jab–cross combos, head movement, pivots)• Round 4–5: fast bag• Round 6–7: Partner body sparring or conditioning bag (30 sec high pace / 30 sec light)• Round 8–9: Strength circuit – 10 kettlebell swings, 10 push press, 10 pull-ups, repeat nonstop• Round 10: Core blast – Russian twists + V-ups + plank punches• Round 11: Fast feet cone drills + sprawls• Round 12: Shadowboxing
Cool-Down (5–7 min)
• Light jog or jump rope: 2 min• Full-body stretch: 3–5 min
Alaalatoa droped 34kg in just six months by following a consistent diet and training routine, but the benefits haven’t been purely physical. “Since I’ve done this [transformation], I feel a lot sharper, I’ve improved my relationship with my family and that’s translated to a healthier approach to fitness too,” Alaalatoa says. “I feel much better now.”
For anyone looking to start a similar transformation, Alaalatoa’s advice is simple: focus on mindset and building discipline. “I think the most important thing for me and for anyone that is trying to lose weight is that you have to make time for yourself and work on your mental strength,” he says. “You need to prepare yourself, mentally, for the journey. It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight. You’re not going to get fast results. Once you get to the point where you believe in yourself, things start falling into place.”
Even with all he’s already accomplished, Alaalatoa insists the job’s not finished. “I’m surprised that I still have so much fight in me and all this drive considering what I’ve already achieved,” he says. “I still feel I’ve got a long way to go.”
