Hear it from those who have felt it most!
Before I started working with David, I was in one of the darkest times of my life. I was really struggling with my health after my first competition season, and I had no idea what was happening to my body. I had terrible stomach pain every time I would eat, painful cystic acne, tons of new food sensitivities, irregular periods, and I was gaining body fat rapidly no matter what I did. I was so depressed, and I was losing hope. I went to five different doctors over a 6 month period, and no one could give me any answers or guidance.That’s when I had my consult with David, and he immediately knew just from speaking with me I was dealing with SIBO. David gave me a gut protocol that I followed religiously, and it took a lot of sacrifice and determination, but in a couple of months, we were able to eradicate my SIBO completely. I was able to eat all of the foods I loved again. I had zero pain, and my periods became regular. My skin slowly started clearing up, and I went from an inflamed 195 lbs to a healthy 165 lbs. My brain fog cleared up, and I no longer felt depressed-I was loving my life again.I will forever sing David’s praises because he got me my life back. I’m finally traveling again, my relationship is better, my performance in my career is better, and I can finally resume my competitive bodybuilding goals. You don’t realize how important your health is until it’s gone, and it’s only because of David that I have my health back. I learned a valuable lesson to hire a coach who knows what they’re doing and will keep you healthy beyond the stage. That’s why I will only ever work with David as my coach.
How did you feel before working with David?Before working with David I had just fired my coach and was prepping for a show David came in and definitely changed my perspective he was and is very positive and motivating. I didn’t have a coach that was positive at all and I often questioned if he even believed in me.What was your journey like?My journey was great. The great thing about David is he values the athletes opinion and makes sure that I am apart of the process I really respect his opinion.What made your experience unique or what did you learn in the process?I learned so much about my health and how I liked to be coached as an athlete I learned so much about what my body can handle and the best way to get to my goals over all. My physique had drastically improved he has definitely helped me get to another level.What have you accomplished now and how do you feel?I feel great, I feel confident and I know when I do start competing that I will bring the best package. My confidence overall grew and my mental health definitely improved.
My meeting with David was unexpected. He took a potential disaster and averted it with his functional medicine foundations and philosophies. I met David after competing at my first national show at the behest of a close friend who saw my potential but knew I wasn’t in the right hands to maximize it. I was at risk of developing severe, long-term health issues that would far outlive any trove of short-term bodybuilding wins or accolades. The main issues I struggled with were severe virilization, hormone imbalance, and gut dysfunction. After remitting my post-show lab results to David, he admitted my issues posed a degree of novelty he had not addressed in a woman. To that end, David took his time developing a thorough program based on my individual athletic needs and highly unusual experiences. The program encompassed a full diet, training regimen, and adequate supplementation to be reviewed in conjunction with my physician. Moreover, he provided a protocol to address the gut dysfunction. As any bodybuilder knows, post-show recovery is crucial to ensuring a smooth transition into an effective off-season. Checking our boxes, dotting our i’s, and crossing our t’s, I adhered to the protocol, keeping David in the loop, and about eight weeks in, I realized substantial reversal in the virilization effects I experienced. Crucially, physiological effects I thought were irreversible began to decrease week after week. David restored aspects of my femininity I thought I’d terminally relinquished due to the inherent risk of the sport. What this testimonial seeks to convey is that David’s methods are unique in the bodybuilding space—he prioritizes the athlete’s longevity and health while still maintaining a high degree of professional performance. In an age where many coaches and trainers are willing to place a woman’s health in a precarious state by encouraging PED abuse for a mere win or a qualification, David takes the opposite approach. In my experience, his priorities encompass achieving consistent, positive health markers custom to your individual needs and goals. Importantly, his methods have taught me that it is possible to be a high-level bodybuilder while maintaining and seeking to improve your health for the long-term. All that said, whether you’re looking to maintain a baseline level of health at a professional level in bodybuilding (I say baseline because inherently competing at the professional level entails some level or risk) or simply wish to improve your functional health, I couldn’t recommend David and his team enough. The crux of success in any health journey is consistency; while results will not magically appear over night, working with a team of individuals like the DeMesquita team committed to your health and performance goals will yield results far beyond your expectations. They did for me.
Before working with David I felt like I had a big goal and a lot of passion. Which are great to have, but kind of useless without a plan you can TRUST to get there. I was about to go into my first competition feeling the worst physically and mentally I ever had, chasing a division I wasn’t actually ready for and didn’t know what it took to be able to make it in.The way I’d explain my experience with David is transformational. Working with someone truly knowledgeable in a topic WAY too many people claim to be experts in was so eye opening. David showed me the difference between top level coaching and local level coaching. The difference as to why some people burn out after 1 or 2 shows, or rebound insane, or don’t get on stage the way they should’ve in the first place. Throughout a quite tumultuous year for me personally, David time and time again reminded me how important it is to keep the mind right to be the competitor I want to be. He has not only invested his time without rushing me to get on stage immediately- but has taught me the importance of investing in myself to show up my best- both on and off stage. I can now confidently continue pursing my dream, with the peace of mind I’m doing it the healthiest way I can, under some of the best guidance I could ask for. I couldn’t recommend working with David enough whether entry level looking to start or a seasoned pro ready for a new experience.“First checkin with David to now (6weeks out)Red suit vs blue suit was old coach 6 weeks out vs David 6 weeks out in blue
Working with David over the past year and a bit has been incredible. I knew for a full year before reaching out that he would be my next coach, and I’m so grateful I made that decision. Before working together, I never truly felt taken care of as an athlete, and that was my top priority when looking for a new coach. David did not disappoint. We’ve done two shows together, and throughout both, I could rely on him completely—both in person and from afar. It was a very successful first run together, with a top 3 placing at North Americans, and finished the 2024 season at Canadian Nationals as runner up to the pro card. Beyond competition prep, there have been multiple times when life outside of bodybuilding has been tough, and David has always been there with support and guidance. I’m grateful to have a coach who truly cares, and I can’t wait to take on the 2025 season together!
I’m a coach myself, who’d started working with David after meeting him at the show where he turned my boyfriend pro - he’d shared with David the health issues I was dealing with that put me pretty far back with competing, and David and his wife Caroline had been super helpful when I’d asked for their input about my health situation. Before starting with David, I’d worked with one bodybuilding coach who messed up my hormones, adrenals, and gut issues pretty bad, then another who made them worse. It got pretty bad to where I had lost a lot of weight/muscle, and was at the point where I was struggling even making it through the work day. Once I started with David, he fixed my yearssss long gut issues completely in about 4 months, and hormones following that. He was then able to help me regain the muscle I had lost while improving my body composition very quickly. I’d also had prior injuries that made training for the bikini division difficult - he was able to help me work through those as well, to the point where they are no longer affecting my training. I genuinely can’t thank or recommend David enough, for both his expertise in bodybuilding and functional health. He’s a phenomenal coach, and human.
For 19 months (both in and off prep), I felt like my body had betrayed me. Losing my cycle was more than just a missing period—it was a sign that something was off. But the coaches I had worked with before made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, focusing more on aesthetics than actual health. That led me down a path to find someone who truly understood the bigger picture—someone who could help me heal.That’s when I found Caroline. In just three months of working with her, my cycle returned. But more than that, she helped me shift my mindset, guiding me through the transition into my offseason and post-surgery recovery. She reminded me that true progress isn’t just about how you look—it’s about how you feel, how you function, and how you take care of yourself for the long run.Caroline is more than just a coach—she’s a mentor, a support system, and someone who genuinely cares about her clients’ well-being. She gave me back my health, my confidence, and a renewed sense of balance. I will forever be grateful.
So this is long overdue… I just wanted to give a huge shoutout to both David and Caroline Demesquita. I’ve worked with numerous coaches in the past and after working with the Demesquita team for almost a year now, I’ve never looked and felt better. When I first joined the team, I was dealing with chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, PMDD along with some gut issues. We started off with a gut protocol and an elimination type diet to get to the root cause of my ailments. We also took a slow and methodical yet very effective approach which got me to lose roughly 20 lbs (mind you, I’m only 5’2 so this is a great deal as 20 lbs is very noticeable for my frame). My PMDD is nearly nonexistent, my periods are more regular, my strength gains in the gym have increased, my mood is better, and fatigue is basically gone. I truly feel like a new person and never thought I would never be able to overcome these issues that have been plaguing me and feel normal again. David and Caroline are also what you call “functional coaches” so they take a more holistic and safe approach which sets them apart from other coaches in the industry. Never once have I felt like just another client. They both respond extremely fast, give their undivided attention and are very hands on and informative with helping you reach your goals… whatever they may be. I even got my friend and mother on board because of how drastic and effective my changes have been in less than a year. So if you’re been contemplating a good and reliable coach, but want someone you can trust who has your best interest at heart, look no further! The Demesquita team is the one for you!
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