Eugene sought out Shifa Shift as a means to bring a clear focus to ambitions of returning to his previous condition having trained independently in the past.
Eugene was working long hours in a sedentary job and struggling to prioritise time for his own personal development.
The Shifa philosophy helped to clarify goals and maximise the impact of time spent on exercise.
Transformations
206kg - July 2024
146kg - June 2025
“…I was completely at a loss. I knew what I needed to do- I just didn’t have the structure in place or know where to start again with training.
Saif made what seemed impossible at 206kg the reality of everyday. Five days a week of hard work yet fun every step of the way and a brother for life.
I never went a day without his guidance and support.
I never thought I would change my life in the way we did during these nine months together.”
Eugene Tikholov
Lloyd was at a crossroads in his life, lacking purpose in his training and missing the mark with his diet. Together we:
-set up a full, nutrient-dense rotation of meals he could cycle each week.
-implemented progressive, targeted exercise that would provide the structure his training sessions had been lacking.
-had twice weekly check-ins in which we ensured that outside of the gym Lloyd was focusing attention in places it would serve him best, to meet the needs of both himself and his growing family.
69kg. October 2024
85kg - April 2025
“…Saif came to me when i needed him most. I had never been as thin, or felt as weak as I did at that point in time. My job is physical so I was feeling the loss of strength. My head was all over the place and I knew i needed to invest in someone who had my best interests at heart.
I got this sense from Saif straight away, as he would often spend more time than we had arranged in our check-ins, making sure my mind was in the right place. This made all the difference in my training and my body soon followed lead. I’m overwhelmed with the changes I was able to make, and feel so much more capable..”
Lloyd Thompson
Neil came to me as a complete rookie with regards to training his body. He was at a transitional place in his life, changing jobs, starting at the gym and wanting someone to help light the way for his training.
It was refreshing for me as a coach to take onboard someone who was starting from point zero and needed total direction and guidance, but undeniably had the hunger to strive to become the strongest version of himself.
A year on we are deadlifting 190kg, bench pressing 90kg, squatting 130kg; superbly strong all-round. From a novice to a genuinely exceptional lifter. In that time to have lost 14kg while being much more muscular and capable as a man. Our coach-client relationship has exemplified the intense value of trust and honest coomunication at the heart of progress.
104kg - April 2024
90kg - May 2025
“…I’ve been training with Saif for a year now, twice a week, the transformation I have experienced both mentally and physcially has been incredible. When we first started I was genuinely terrified of gyms and had zero confidence around weights, but thanks to his guidance I am now confident and actively enjoy it.
What makes the training even better is the relationship we have built. It’s more than just trainer and client - we’ve become good friends and that makes me eager for every session.
Training with Saif hasn’t just changed my body, it’s improved my mindset too. I feel more body confident, which has had a huge impact on my everyday life, especially in my new job. Working with him has been one of the best investments I’ve made in myself.
Neil Aitchison
