Extreme Makeover: Chef becomes bodybuilder and personal trainer

LAKEWOOD RANCH — There’s not a day that goes by that Paul Evans isn’t surrounded by irresistible temptations.

As the executive chef at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, Evans spends his days whipping up lavish creations designed to trigger your taste buds.

But when it comes to food, Evans knows that the most succulent dishes can also be the most detrimental to your waistline.

“Everything good is around me, but I’m also (surrounded) by everything that’s bad,” Evans said.
“Temptation is always around me. Luckily, I have access to the chicken, fresh fish and vegetables.”

Looking to break the common stereotype that chefs are overweight and work too much, Evans began his own healthy transformation 14 months ago.

With a background in martial arts, Evans began working out as a way to maintain his competitive edge while still being able to spend time with his wife, Tara, and 4-year-old twins Christopher and Sarah.

He began hitting the gym in the evenings after his family was asleep, and shortly thereafter, he decided to push himself to the next level. Last April, Evans began bodybuilding.

“A chef I used to work with was into bodybuilding,” Evans said. “We were in the same position, and I thought, ‘If there’s a way for him to do it, then I can do it too.’ It’s hard every day.”

Evans trains six days a week for about one-and-one-half hours. During each workout, Evans does about 45 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes of cardio.

“It’s a change of lifestyle,” said Joey Perrea, a personal trainer and professional bodybuilder at the Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center. “Nobody wants to do what we do in the gym.”

But Evans admits being in the gym is only a quarter of the process. Diet also plays a vital role. Evans cut out soda, pastries and candy and instead began focusing on eating chicken breasts, fresh fish and vegetables.

“The diet is the hardest,” Evans said. “The training is kind of easy.”

Evans spent the first nine months building up before spending the next three months shedding the fat and trimming down.

On June 4, Evans competed in the Lakeland Classic — his first show as a professional bodybuilder. The following week, Evans competed in the Tampa Classic in front of his family.

And although Evans didn’t win, the experience proved invaluable.

“I didn’t make it to the top three, which I wanted to do, but I learned what to do for next year,” Evans said. “I learned what my strengths and weaknesses are in terms of symmetry and size.”

Evans now will spend the next year preparing his body for next year’s shows. In addition, he also is hoping to encourage others to make the same commitment to health and fitness.

As a certified personal trainer, Evans is now taking on personal training clients at the Athletic Center and also will teach personal culinary instruction in the clients’ homes.

“Hopefully, I’m an inspiration to a lot of people,” Evans said. “If a chef can do it, then anyone can commit their life to health and fitness. Our whole mentality at the club is to do things differently. There are a lot of ways to lose weight and get in shape. We want people to live a better lifestyle and have fun doing I with cooking. Our goal is to take the fear out of it.”

“My goal is just to educate people on living a healthy lifestyle,” Evans said. “Most chefs are overweight, out of shape and have horrible eating and time-management habits. I’m trying to eliminate that stereotype by being a role model to other chefs and families.”

For more information on personal training or culinary instruction, contact Paul Evans at 812-5173.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].