"My confidence has improved in all areas since the start of this program"
Mike's Progress
Before
4 Months
4 Months
After
How many months’ progress do your pictures represent? What were your stats for each picture?
4 months progress. Starting weight was 195 lbs and 17% body fat and end weight was 170 lbs, 10.7% body fat
What has happened so far on the program?
I started my cut on May 23rd and ended on September 26th. I lost 25 lbs and about 7% body fat. I used the recommendations for cutting and tailored them appropriately to my body. I was accustomed to eating over 3,000 calories so I didn’t want to reduce my calories all the way to the suggested recommendations.
I was also a little scared that I would lose muscle mass by decreasing my calories but eventually, I learned more about this as I read further into Bigger Leaner Stronger. I started my cut at 2,500 calories and eventually reduced my caloric intake by 100 calories every 3-4 weeks, ultimately ending at 2,200 calories.
Not only did I see progress in the mirror but also in the gym as my strength increased. My bench press increased from 185×6 to 195×4, back squat from 210×4 to 235×5, deadlift from 315×4 to 345×4, and weighted chin-ups from 25×4 to 60×4.
What workout split from the book did you use?
5-day split.
What, if anything, almost kept you from buying the book or starting the program?
I knew the diet component of this program might be a challenge but I was ready to do whatever was necessary to see the results. I have made programs for myself in the past and have noticed that I included too many sets and reps which led to over-training.
What do you like most about the program?
The program is much easier to follow than expected. I love the Bonus Report and how each phase is broken down with the determined amount of sets and reps. I also like the simplicity of how progressive overload description and knowing when to add weight to the bar. I was honestly surprised by how fast I saw results.
I made sure to take pictures of myself once a week and over time I was really amazed at what I was accomplishing. The immediate success motivated me to keep going and push even harder in the gym and with my diet as I knew this program would lead to long-term success.
How does this program compare with others you’ve tried?
I’ve only created programs for myself before and the Bigger Leaner Stronger program blows my programs out of the water. The programs that I made in the past led to overtraining, fatigue, and very little muscle gains.
I would also change my routine around too often before I would see real progress. At the same time, my diet wasn’t nearly as healthy as it is now. With the proper nutrition and workouts, I made more progress in these past 4 months than I have in the previous 4 years.
The workouts on the Bigger Leaner Stronger program are difficult but doable. I really like the approach of adding 10 lbs to the bar once I reach 6 reps. It really motivates me to push myself during the workouts so when I hit that workout next, I can do more reps and hopefully add more weight.
How has what you’ve achieved with your body changed other areas of your life?
This program vastly improved my confidence. I am naturally an extrovert, but my confidence has improved in all areas since the start of this program. Specifically in the gym, I feel very confident as I know people are watching me do some exercises such as weighted chin-ups.
It feels good when people come up to me and say, “Wow you look amazing, I can really see you lost fat!”. Sometimes the diet can be a little difficult if I eat too many calories during the day leaving less for the nighttime. However, it really pays off with the compliments others give me as well as just looking in the mirror and being proud of what I have accomplished.
Who would you recommend this program to and why?
I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in fitness and has goals of getting stronger, increasing their muscle mass or shredding fat. I have never read a book that provided so much detail and really enjoyed how to make these healthy changes to my body. A lot of people believe that it is difficult to obtain that “dream body”.
While it certainly isn’t easy and requires a ton of work, this book does a tremendous job setting you up for success, providing everything you need to get started towards your goal. I have already recommended this program to my sister and best friend and they both have seen strength gains as well as fat loss as they are currently cutting.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
For anyone who enjoys learning about fitness and wants to make healthy changes to their body, this book is for you. I was a little skeptical at first before reading the book because I thought I knew everything as I studied kinesiology in college.
However, this book taught me many tips and tricks I can do with both my diet and workouts that have enabled me to succeed. This book is truly life-changing and I plan on re-reading and using it as a resource in the future.
Did you use any Legion supplements?
I use the Legion Pulse pre-workout and love it. My favorite flavor is Green Apple but just purchased Blue Raspberry and Pink Lemonade, so I can’t wait to try them. I have never tried such a strong, great-tasting pre-workout that doesn’t make me feel awful afterward.
I always make sure to have some before my workout and the effects are seen immediately as I am full of energy and ready to crush my workout.
Want to become a success story too? Here's how he did it
The program that made this transformation possible:
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
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Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
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We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout drink.
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While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
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Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients’’—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
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