Adam Thomas beats arthritis to build his best-ever body
Adam Thomas, the Waterloo Road actor and I'm A Celebrity... South Africa winner, beat years of arthritis pain to build the best body of his life in 14 weeks, landing a Men's Fitness cover after losing almost 19lb and cutting body fat from 19.2% to 12.2%.
The Manchester-born star, 37, shared the milestone after training with Ultimate Performance coach Steve Chambers. For more celebrity updates, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub.
Key Takeaways
- Adam Thomas lost almost 19lb and cut body fat from 19.2% to 12.2% in 14 weeks.
- Fortnightly biologic injections eased arthritis inflammation enough for consistent training.
- He averaged three strength sessions a week with no running, aiming for 15,000 daily steps.
- He says he is the first person with arthritis on the Men's Fitness cover.
- Thomas credits the journey with making him a better husband, dad and happier person.
How did Adam Thomas overcome his arthritis pain?
Diagnosed around age 34 ahead of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, Thomas has spoken of constant pain that sometimes left him unable to get out of bed. Training slipped, nutrition suffered, and the physique he wanted felt out of reach.
In February 2026 he targeted a men's magazine cover, helped by newly prescribed biologic injections every fortnight. "The first time I had them it honestly changed my life overnight," he told Men's Fitness. Flare-ups remain, and he feels tired for a couple of days after each shot, but the pain drop unlocked training again.
What did his body transformation involve?
Working with Chambers at a Manchester Ultimate Performance gym, Thomas followed intelligent programming rather than endless gym time. Sessions mixed heavy compounds, hypertrophy work and metabolic conditioning, with wrist-friendly adaptations for arthritis.
Nutrition was planned, weighed and tracked: higher protein, a lower-carb fat-loss phase, then more carbs while keeping a modest deficit. He skipped running, favouring incline treadmill walks and up to 15,000 steps a day, kinder on his joints.
"I always thought I was fit and active until I started this transformation," he said, admitting years of cardio without effective resistance training. Chambers praised his intensity and consistency across the 14 weeks.
Why does the Men's Fitness cover matter?
On Instagram, Thomas said arthritis had stopped him training for years and left him "a shadow" of himself. After getting the autoimmune disease under control, he called the cover symbolic: not just abs, but proof of what is possible.
"If you're living with an autoimmune disease, don't give up on yourself," he wrote, thanking Ultimate Performance. Twin brother Scott and I'm A Celebrity co-star Gemma Collins were among those cheering him on. Next, he has floated HYROX unfinished business from the injury that sparked his joint inflammation.
"Getting into the best shape of my life hasn't only changed me physically – it has made me a better husband, a better dad and a happier person," Thomas said.