this story does not have a happy ending yet Reuben got diagnosed with cancer at 24 it changed everything his hair his entire body what do you think of your own physique I think it's uh not defined as much as I would like you feel like you you got smaller yeah yeah he lost 10 kg and a lot of muscle it impacted everything and everyone around it we are on our way to the hospital I'm very nervous I think everybody's very nervous but finally there was positive news he is cancer free is he yeah and now he wants to share his comeback story and maybe Inspire others so we wanted to help him boom nice get fit how do you feel right now like right after a set like this ah my cardio it's so bad be himself again but even better and this guy works hard I went heavier more weight or repsa it's the first exercise already tired he was still struggling with his cardio and sometimes his body told him to slow down my body feels pretty tired you can also see I'm a little bit tired give my body some rest one of his goals is to be able to play in a football match again together with his friends he also started me prepping he started lifting heavier and heavier sing 70 again for the first time and his gains were coming back fast my physique is not that bad it's actually I feel pumped it's looks good and also his hair was coming back my hair is coming back but in weird places so we're shaving it oh n and after only 15 days he was looking completely different oh I have look at my look at my hair yeah here we go this giv some sick light that in 15 days 15 days what the hell he continued me prepping he is lifting heavy stuff now and he was working hard on his cardio to reach his goal I had a really good workout I did a 90 kg Squad again two sets maybe I'm hitting 100 next week but his 30-day transformation was something no one expected to be this my blowing it's the same shirt I wore and on day one oh it's the same shirt do you remember the fit on day one yeah it was loose it was loose it was loose let's not lose anymore he gained almost 7 kg look at how happy he is your face has a different structure kind of I think I have more fed than my in my face and we compared measurements to day one and he grew 5 cm bigger everywhere you gained muscle everywhere and Reuben got so much stronger again smash it 90 felt heavy but okay okay 10 kg left until the final goal but the physical change completely stole the show I just want to show you the before look at this picture to this it's so different I'm getting emotional offici it give it up man I hope it motivates a lot of people that's a comeb back story everything is going great he still needs one last checkup scan just to be sure this scan will happen in a few weeks J date 31 I'm tired Ruben was tired but he listened to his body and got back ated when he was ready and he's also working more and more and I also work today I felt good but I'm a little bit tired now I want to fix that he really wants to focus on his diet and eat more trying to eat a little bit more to gain some more weight and muscle 100 G of oatmeal scoop of protein powder of course get protein banana peut butter around 800 calories the next days work quite hard for him to stay consistent and eat more eating more is is different because it takes time and I've been very busy my two jobs and also football in the gym so I need to work on eating more and I almost forgot look at my hair it's getting really dark which is really nice I'm very happy about that Ruben is doing really well Ben's held even wanted to share his inspiring story and he's now even in the magazine today I had a very good day I had a shoot for Men's Health did an article about me on their website and now they also want me in their magazine which is very nice we can show some pictures from The Men's Health shoot it's 4 in the morning right now oh oh and we're going on holiday the last one was months ago that is also where he started noticing symptoms we are here Ruben and Laura needed this holiday and they really deserved it too it is super rainy today so we went to the gym it's a very friendly gym everything's yellow I know they didn't skip the gym the full body workout sticky and uh warm inside but it was nice for last evening in SOS yeah yeah and back home he got into his flow again so we came back yesterday we already hit the gym today and now I'm in meal prepping making beef with rice because I have a busy week more and more he is trying to live his normal life again I hate biking I have to bike for 25 minutes I went to Amsterdam today with my friends it was very nice and I went home at like 5: I was tired and then I took a nap and I went back again to the city just a short break and then he's back with his friends he is also setting new goals he wants to do a muscle up hopefully I can do it at the 90 days without a rubber band and he is also about to hit one of his goals so today I did my first H football training this Saturday I might play some minutes so today Saturday and right now going to my football match we'll see what happens but yeah I'm excited to go again and then it was [Applause] [Music] [Applause] time he played in a football match [Applause] again good morning today Sunday it's one week before day 60 I'm going to check how much I weigh so let's do that 83 but we pain it's pretty good in the morning so yeah I'm happy and Ruben was just Unstoppable he was improving his lifts he was pushing himself trying out new things and he was definitely having fun that it was already day 60 big man how you feeling very good oh look at the look at the hairs ha feel it's getting curly now let's go inside 60 days ago you looked completely different how does that feel for you first of all it feels good I think to become myself again and and feel stronger and do things myself but um still living with the fear of I don't know what I've been through you know what I mean and also next week I have another scan my last one to see if my body is completely at ease a little bit nervous for that but I think it will be well I know it will be fine I mean I feel good no one wants to have this progress CU it means you've been through something close to hell it's just beautiful that with the heart work you can actually it pays off the heart work you've put in it pays off it it it does he's this almost this day 90 are you ready to show your V I am yeah I I am what the chest the chest is probably I think five times the size of wasn't they W literally Everything Everything Jesus they've always been good oh can it get better I think it's it's getting very close my strength's not the same yet 74.3 Kg on day one to 83.6 kg does this mean you're back at your old weight I am yeah I am yeah I think I am show us your muscle up right now right now I will be here to save you all [Music] right okay okay that was pure strength I think so you wanted to muscle through that I think you can do a muscle up today I'm very curious so for the muscle up so we showed him the basics try not to pull vertically up this motion instead of this okay that was already better like more aggressive and quite quickly he got the hang of it yes yes probably because he has the best and most handsome teaches yes yes that was really good we gave him some last tipss and tricks and up up up and over the bar yes yes my man first Muslim let's go you learn a Muslim hey so we celebrated by using his gift that we gave to him on day 15 escape room are you ready I'm ready I'm very curious I don't know what to expect I mean the time is all right we escaped we did we did we did it time for some gains dinner completed getting some more calories in he can use them but on day 90 going to be your best shape ever we just had a really fun day so now it was time for the checkup skin he is cancer-free it was gone so there should be nothing to really worry about but he was nervous because already on day one he told us this sometimes I see people um which got their cancer back um the for the second time or the third time and that's uh a fear of me a real fear so whenever I see those stories I don't want to read it or something my biggest fear right now actually that it coming back not looking forward to the skin I'm of course nervous for the result right now I have my skin for control so let's do it in the hospital I just got the fluids done again so we just got home from the hospital uh not really good news the doctor still saw some the doctor still s saw some limbs that were more swollen than the last time um which which was not expected so there's another doctor who will look to the scan and then they will decide if they have to take a biopsy hopefully it's nothing but yeah we already cried today with my family real punch in the face that's how it feels and I'm super exhausted now and I'm I'm I'm broken because of the news let's just hope this not yep I just got a message from Ruben saying that they might have found some activity in his neck again it's not good just that's so makes me angry because he doesn't deserve it it's really really up I've no clue what he's going through right now uh obviously I I can't even imagine he was so happy he doesn't seem to feel anything or have any any pain from it himself no discomfort he's actually feeling like he's getting better stronger healthier and then this news just up everything as I I'm so mad it's it's I don't want to think about it that's like I I I heard a few hours ago I wanted to stay in contact with him as much as possible but I also want to give him some space cuz I have no clue what he's going through I really want to help him where possible and we will we will do that sucks so much I mean we we we we will keep you guys updated today I'm supposed to get a call on the plan of approach what the other doctors and other hospitals say but mentally it really is uh a punch finding it so difficult to be positive I'm only thinking about what I have already done and what I need to go through again maybe finally get my hair back and I don't want to lose it again yeah I just don't want to go through that again we'll see what the call says then he got the call right now I'm in the gy I just got a call that on Wednesday next week I'm getting a surgery they I never move the he looked a bit more positive now last two weeks haven't been eating great because of the circumstances I had to accept the news and blah blah blah and then the eating went down a little bit but I'm positive now and I'm eating better let's see how much I weigh so 83 one that's fine today I'm going to the barber for the first time again it's super long I'm really happy I did a fate I never had a fate and I thought let's do it right now and even now he got in his last workout before the surgery good morning today should be the 88 today is also the day of surgery I'm nervous but I know I can do this at least my hair is nice the team Dad Mom chicky this was also his first surgery ever I just woke up a little cut eating a banana but doing good I still have to wait a week for a result obviously we had to cancel day 90 I planned some things for Ruben but they just wouldn't make sense today let's see how Ruben is doing Reuben you in there yeah I'm here you're here he lives in a maze I didn't know oh there he is it's am maaz here right he it's amaz here hey y so we visited Reuben he welcomed us to his new apartment and we sat down and talked how's everything going uh pretty good yeah right now yeah I feel a little bit tired from the operation is it going to be a permanent scar yeah permanent scar it is yeah might put a tattoo over it later 90 challenge logo something like that I'm kidding it's still a bit numb the anesthesia was I found it funny it's like Ruben how you doing and we literally just got not sure if you guys already no this but your hair darker and darker more color more muscular neck defined jawline you're still going up and up and up yeah that's the weird thing I I I feel good and I'm improving everything it's weird that now I'm getting pulled back you know what I mean I'm getting the results in a week and a half and I have no control over everything so you're looking positive are you positive yeah I'm really positive I have had a really difficult week the first week after I heard the news but now I'm fine whatever's coming I I can take it that's why the middle finger is in the back as well I was just about to say there's a very um prominent middle finger there in the middle of the screen the entire time yeah can you uh tell us a bit about that well I bought it two weeks ago 3 weeks ago in uh BR it's in Belgium shout out to Belgium the week after I heard the news and I was like yeah that's a big middle finger to the to the disease so I I remind myself every day today would have been day 90 yeah I was ready to press my PRS unfortunately you had to cancel all also the surprise that you will you will still get I still don't know what it is I think it's a very special series I'm very grateful for you guys to share it on your platform we're really happy you want to share it cuz I I would also understand it if people would you be like yo no go go away I will just rest here I will do my thing I need all the energy and I know I know you you will do it definitely we still did a quick physique update look at those arms give it give it a little flick hey look at those arms look at how massive he is see and then he got the news as kind of expected it was bad Ruben of course didn't Vlog a lot hey good so we invited him over to talk about what now so how you doing for now I'm good A lot happened a lot happened yeah definitely in a short time I got the result of the biopsy so from the operation and the doctor told me that the hotchkin is is back um I don't think it ever went fully away but that's my those are my thoughts right I don't think we will ever know no um so that's nothing to think about yeah what now what now I'm getting a new treatment for a year a year long a year an entire year an entire year yeah obviously you're now going into a 12we period where they will again basically destroy any cell mhm the bad cells the good cells muscle cells also yeah so chemos is the big destroyer and immunotherapy is pointed at the the bed cells only so sounds positive it sounds for me amazing because they are thinking about my life after the treatments yes and it's something completely new that's why it's in a research group so I'm one of the people that will validate it with the money that we collected it has a purpose for me the treatment that you are getting is a completely new treatment it basically exists because people donate to cancer research ex and they are researching and this seems to be one of the new better ways of treating watchkins this might help others and might actually make it a valid option for people to choose in the future yeah it helps me also with my positive thinking because I don't need the radiation I don't need any transplant or or something or so great to see you keep smiling always yeah but what what do you think about like this is it's bad news I would rather be done with it because you expected to be done with it yeah and I've been living normal for 3 months you feel great you look great yeah I feel great but the reality is like the the cancer is back yeah but I don't have any side effect yet because in the beginning when the the first time cancer got detected you definitely felt something you had night sweats night sweating I was super tired like exhausted tired night fever and a big bump I had it really difficult the first two weeks after hearing that there might be some new activity but now I I don't know I I got over that I cried now I'm feeling okay how are you feeling about the decision of going back to working out and and and going giving in 110% only positive think yeah I think um I was planning on doing it you guys really gave me more motivation I know I have a lot of discipline but motivation is sometimes important if you lose the motivation you guys were there to like back me up and I'm really grateful for Bob to in introduce me to you guys honestly I I followed Ruben uh Ruben did a lot of this himself he puts in the work and we sometimes just had to say hey Ruben maybe do a little bit less cuz he was so motivated super amazing friends and my girlfriend my mom my family which I can talk to that's I think even more important than just working out and feeling good how are you feeling about the the the physical aspect because BL also destroyed the muscle cells again probably I well I think I'm not sure what the new treatment does to me but I think I can't work out for at least a week or two every treatment right and I think I cannot build muscle I don't want to build muscle because I also want to give my body rest during the treatments but building muscles also building tissue so you rather probably just have your body get rid of tissue in a face like that I think so yeah I'll see how much I weigh after 12 weeks and I'll just do it again I just do I just do it again I mean you've done it once I can do it twice I'm positive and muscle helps and a good mindset helps positivity help friends people family help anybody who has a difficult time is not alone as well that's why this entire series exists we're trying to tell your story but also hopefully people find their story in your story but wait I have something for you guys it's super small sign of my like gratitude I have one at home I can't see it yet oh so that's for you look at the picture you played a big role in this today is the last day you can train tomorrow I have to like rest my muscles today's the last day we should definitely make something out of it let's pump up let's do it let's do it oh juicy let's see how muscle up goes all right yeah just going for it what that is insanely clean multiple c one more one more oh it's three muscleups prettyy nice and he only has one goal left what is the goal it's 100 kg bench 100 kg bench and you're set and up wow oh second second rep back into two play Club again thank you sounds good ready to make an epic picture I am but we still wanted to give Ruben some sort of after pictures show how much progress he made and how much heart workk he put in because when calling with Reuben I kind of noticed that he really wanted some sort of day 990 look at that you're a Dorito bro give that leg Flags what those are still what we also heard that Ruben getting back to working out and strengthening his body like this might actually be beneficial because his body is now stronger and can handle [Music] more we are sharing this story because Ruben wants to share this story together we came to the conclusion that it would be weird to leave you guys in the dark and not share anything for months and this episode is not to scare you guys I know Reuben and he can [Music] fight oh wow that's insane straight up modeling picture damn look crazy and it's nice with hair is even better this is what you did in what is it 110 20 days something like that I think you got your physique back maybe this is even your best physique ever I think this is my best physique ever what is next I'm not going to cry this this episode what is next I think I just try my best and nothing else I can do no just try my best stay strong be strong and yeah kill it I mean beat it again there's one big thing this guy started his own YouTube channel if you guys want to have more updates definitely subscribe to him but also check out Instagram cuz I don't know about you but I post most of my stuff on Instagram like faster I think you you're very active on Instagram so if you want to be more up to date make sure to check us out on Instagram what do you guys want to see from Ruben's Story how often do you want to be up to date you guys can let us know in the comments down below it's going to be 12 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks will battle 12 weeks will battle he he keeps smiling he keeps smiling um I'm already thinking about after again everything all the money these episodes make will be donated so make sure you check out the fundraiser is in the description below as well and whenever you need us we're here I know where to find you let's battle this let's do it and to end this episode even more positive you guys also had amazing Transformations and we gave away $2,000 to these winners in our app thank you for joining and if you haven't already make sure to start today