7 months ago, Dan decided to change his life. As a former pro cyclist, he had drifted away from his healthy habits and active lifestyle, swapping them for not much exercise, too much drinking, and nicotine use. But in April 2024, Dan decided to make a change—not a drastic one, but a realistic plan to get back on the right path.
Now, after months of progress, he’s redoing his health and fitness tests and seeing just how far he’s come—and sharing the next steps in his journey! 💪
In association with Whoop 🤝 https://gcn.eu/-Whoop
⏱️ Timestamps: ⏱️
00:00 – Dan’s decision to change his life
00:00 – Recap of Dan’s fitness tests
03:15 – Dan’s total exercise over the last 7 months
06:00 – Dexa scan
06:32 – Fat lost and muscle gained
09:27 – Back to the tests: What effect has Dan’s new lifestyle had?
10:25 – Thank you Whoop! 🙌
11:23 – VO2 Max test
13:20 – Is Dan stronger, fitter & healthier?
19:44 – Dan’s reflections on his journey
22:03 – What YOU might want to consider
23:49 – What’s next?
24:28 – Conclusion
Useful Links:
Join this channel to get access to perks 👉
https://gcn.eu/JoinYTmemberships
Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! 👉 https://gcn.eu/subscribe
Insurance: Viewers in the USA and UK can explore GCN Insurance products 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNinsurance
Sign Up To The GCN Newsletter 👉 https://gcn.eu/Newsletter
GCN Uploader 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnuploader
Visit the GCN Shop 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnshop
GCN WhatsApp Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNwhatsapp
GCN Instagram Broadcast Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/instagrambroadcast
Join the GCN Club on Zwift and ride with us! 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNClubRides
How have you been getting on with your own journey to health & fitness? 🏃🏻 Did you join in with Dan back in April? What else would you like to see Dan do? 🤔
Watch more on GCN…
📹 I Quit Alcohol For A Month & This Is What Happened 👉 https://youtu.be/apGpkBUBZ50?si=T8WjiIlUaT8hlO0V
📹 Watch all of Dan’s Journey Back to Health & Fitness here! 👉
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 https://gcn.eu/editorschoice
📹 Or why not check out our Features Playlist 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnfeatures
🎵 Music – licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Singing Birds, Distant Traffic – Epidemic Sound
calling my father (Instrumental Version) – Ingrid Witt
Feels like Summer – Staffan Carlen
Frostbite – Yellowbase
Hud Zoom In, Zoom Out, Short – Epidemic Sound
Le Loft – El Flaco Collective
More Waiting – Remodal
#gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #fitness #health #longevity #fit #whoop #healthylifestyle #healthylife #vo2max #nutrition #challenge #healthyfood #sleep #healthtips
📸 Photos – © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images
The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling.
Our videos bring fans compelling daily content including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind the scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more.
Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans – everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races.
Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside Cycling
Thanks to our sponsors:
Pinarello Bikes: https://gcn.eu/Pinarello
Topeak Tools: http://gcn.eu/Topeak
Canyon Bikes: http://gcn.eu/-Canyon
CamelBak: https://gcn.eu/Camelbak
Pirelli Tyres: https://gcn.eu/Pirelli
Orbea Bikes: http://gcn.eu/Orbea
Vision Wheels: http://gcn.eu/Vision
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: https://gcn.eu/VW
Wahoo Fitness: http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness
Park Tool: http://gcn.eu/-parktool
Selle Italia: https://gcn.eu/SelleItalia
Zwift: https://gcn.eu/Zwift
Silca: https://gcn.eu/Silca
MET Helmets: https://gcn.eu/methelmets
Strava: https://gcn.eu/strava
Precision Fuel & Hydration: https://gcn.eu/precisionhydration
AGU: https://gcn.eu/AGUxGCN
Elitewheels: https://gcn.eu/Elitewheels
Watch our sister channels:
GCN Tech – https://www.youtube.com/@gcntech
GCN Racing – https://www.youtube.com/@gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network – https://www.youtube.com/@gtn
GCN Italia – https://www.youtube.com/@gcnitalia
GCN en Español – https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch – https://www.youtube.com/@gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Français – https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenfrancais
GCN Training – https://www.youtube.com/@GCNTraining
Global Mountain Bike Network – https://youtube.com/@gmbn
GMBN Tech – https://www.youtube.com/@gmbntech
Electric Mountain Bike Network – https://www.youtube.com/@embn
31 Comments
How have you been getting on with your own journey to health & fitness? 🏃🏻 Did you join in with Dan back in April? What else would you like to see Dan do? 🤔
go back and show them Visma guys what you got
I really enjoyed this series of videos. This is the kind of content that GCN does so well. Keep on with it Dan!
I really enjoyed this series of videos. This is the kind of content that GCN does so well. Keep on with it Dan!
It’s not about how long you workout per day but how consistent and intense you workout. High intensity and heavy lifts will be greater benefits for longevity. Oh and stop drinking alcohol and sugar drinks and eating processed sugar “food”. Or take a brisk walk/bike ride every single time you drink/eat poison.
That's a huge amount of muscle gain, well done. I've always weight trained but never used to do proper cardio until 4 years ago when I started riding. I gave up drinking 6 years ago and now I am putting more effort into diet and sleep. Each thing plays a part and improves health and wellbeing I think.
If Dan had focused on eating a lot more protein and healthy carbs with heavy(safe) lifting he would’ve had much more hypertrophy..muscle mass.
Thanks! 👍
7:19 Why does this remind me of Alan partridge? 😅
3 years ago , just after retirement I noticed pain in my chest whilst walking up small inclines. Doctor sent me for tests and
discovered I had coronary heart disease with a 99% blockage in my (LAD) heart artery. Within 24 hrs, I had a stent placed in
the artery and consider myself very lucky. This would have been totally avoidable if I had made better lifestyle choices previously.
Since then I have turned my life around loosing 28kg , improved diet and regular exercise, no alcohol or smokes. Great work Dan!
It is so easy to become complacent with our lives, this highlights how important it is take stock of ourselves. I look forward to seeing
any follow up videos ,on your journey.👍👍
You are quite humble about your courage. Opening your soul, warts and all, to 3.3 million subscribers is quite brave. You should be proud of yourself. Chapeau.
Excellent job, Dan! So good that you shared your journey (back) to health & fitness and served as an exemplary example and inspiration to thousands of people.
Thanks!
Wow! Amazing! Thank you for sharing and I will be absolutely making some changes. You said that you are proud.. and you should be. This has been really inspirational. 💪
Well done Dan, I’ve been on a health and fitness journey for the last 4 years and have a solid routine, I’ve stayed healthy and injury free throughout, by cycling, running and strength training. I’ve got plenty to improve but I’m on a decent place today and I hope to keep it is as well
Thanks!
Well done Dan. Congratulations on a great series. Keep it up as you now have so many new Strava followers who may want or need the continuous inspiration.
I've never been a drinker, or a smoker, I've never even had a cup of coffee… Maybe I should start, and then stop to get these massive improvements. (Good for you Dan!)
Thanks
Dan you have inspired me to make more changes in my life. Cycling does not do it alone, I am now paying Morse attention to my diet and am adding weight training back into my exercise routine. Thank you for the inspiration.
Love it ❤ whilst this is truly inspiring to myself I'm sharing with my parents as I believe it's so crucial to find this motivation at any age, especially 30+ years and later on to find your own path to health & fitness for the longevity, mental health, well being and all other benefits. Thank you so much
Great job Dan, and thanks for the inspiration! It's made me realize how many of GCNs videos have inspired me, not only to get more involved with biking, but also with my own health and personal wellbeing. Inspired me so much so that I subscribed as a member. Thanks again for sharing something so personal. 👏
The cost of all this medical, strength, and all type of test?
Well done, man 👍
Excellent results Dan. Prioritizing strength brings incredible quality of life benefits. I did this same thing 3 years ago and today I am much stronger and useful than I was a skinny cyclist. I think your recent training regime ties in nicely with how a track cyclist might train. I would really like to see you transition to a track cycling plan that still maintains 4 hours a week in the gym and 4 hours a week on the bike doing track specific intensity. Will you be good at it? Probably not, but I do think this is the optimal way to train for the aging cyclists athlete. Strength and cardio intensity blend. At the very least could GCN cover a 3 week track cycling program. 😊
Well done Dan.
One thing you didn't touch on in your video is mental health. I was wondering if you think with boosting your physical health, did it make any difference with your mental health? I personally think that the two go hand in hand. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and I think it could make for an interesting video.
Thanks.
Thanks!
Glad to see that you are keeping your goals realistic, too many times I see these videos of very unrealistic claims and goals. As you have stated many times better health is a life long commitment, I am currently trying to get back on my healthy lifestyle.
Stick with it, Dan. I'm doing much the same as you, at 80 years-of-age. I'm down to one beer a week, I eat healthy food, and I work out for about an hour a day, (weights, and indoor bike in the winter), most days, and I also go for walks, and even jog a little, although I'm prone to niggling injuries. I do have minor flexibility issues, but I'm now working on that. I hope my comment adds to the positive message that the videos of your journey demonstrate.
Yes congratulations . However, I would have liked to see a few more specific results. e.g. Cycling is said to be of no benefit to bone density (BMD) so it is possible that at the start your BMD was relatively low but should have increased or at least stabilised. & months is probably a bit short to see much BMD change but it would have been interesting. Also it would be interesting to know your specific lipid profile but I understand that you may not want to release all of your health data. I'll now look at the previous episodes with interest. Again well done , very inspiring.
Great job! Keep up the good work. I would love to see some long-term updates on your progress.