"Through BLS, I’m much more confident. I’m not afraid to take off my shirt and I’m confident I can defend my wife and our family and that gives me a great deal of comfort."
Jesse's Progress
Before
9 Months
What has happened so far on the program?
I am 23 years old and during my 10 month transformation on Bigger Leaner Stronger I went from 150 lbs at about 15% body fat to 165 lbs at about 10% body fat. I mostly focused on heavy lifting and HIIT. I would lift 5 days a week and do HIIT 2-3 times a week.
In the beginning, I bulked for about 3 months and put on 20 lbs. Now, I’ve been cutting for about 6 months and lost 5 lbs while my strength on my exercises also increased significantly.
These numbers are from the start of BLS in July of 2015 to May 2016.
Dumbbell bench press from 50 lbs to 85 lbs
Incline bench from 135 lbs to 165 lbs
Barbell squat from 195 lbs to 235 lbs
Deadlift from 180 lbs to 280 lbs
Military press from 90 lbs to 115 lbs
So I’ve seen some huge gains in the past 10 months and honestly that’s with 2 injuries giving me major setbacks. After I had been on BLS for about a month and a half I got in a bad dirt bike accident and had 21 stitches on my left knee. No squats, deadlifts, military press, or anything like that until November.
Then I started back up again and was having great success until in late January I fell on my wrist during a soccer game and again had to put my training on hold.
What, if anything, almost kept you from buying the book or starting the program?
The book was a gift from my father, but I was skeptical at first because I thought it was another fitness guru promising huge gains, six pack abs, and an easy lifestyle. I didn’t believe it.
Especially since Mike’s workouts were so drastically different from mine (I had been doing 10-12 reps of almost every exercise so going heavy was a very foreign concept to me).
I honestly didn’t think it was going to be too hard, I thought it was going to be too easy. Mike’s workouts were around 45 minutes, while I was usually doing 90 minute workouts everyday doing super-sets, drop-sets and tons of crazy stuff. Mike’s plan was so simple.
What do you like most about the program?
In the past, I’ve tried so many different workout plans and diets and what not but they just didn’t work for me. I was in the gym every single day for hours, sweating my face off and working hard, but I wasn’t having anything to show for it.
Following the program was surprisingly easy. I had an extra 45 minutes everyday, I was less tired, and I didn’t feel like I was starving myself.
Of course, I wasn’t eating everything I wanted to like Dr. Oz might promise, but I was eating well and enjoying life! The results were super quick too.
I was making gains on my lifts every week or two as well, which was great compared to my previous year of working out everyday with no significant gains at all.
How does this program compare with others you’ve tried?
This program was initially more mentally grueling. I saw other people in the gym spending tons of hours, and I thought I was being a wussy when I came in after them and left before them. But I was growing and they weren’t!
Bulking has been the hardest part of the program for me. I was the fat kid growing up, so now that I look good and I like my appearance, it’s mentally difficult to eat more food and pack on the pounds. It’s helped a lot though!
How has what you’ve achieved with your body changed other areas of your life?
Through BLS, I’m much more confident. I’m not afraid to take off my shirt, and I think I walk a little taller. I’m confident I can defend my wife and our family in the future, and that gives me a great deal of comfort.
Because I struggled and I’ve seen so many other people struggle, I started my own website Fallout Fitness to help other people avoid the same pitfalls I did.
Mike and the BLS program were the biggest drivers for making me want to do this, so I usually cite him in my articles and link to him in my posts and whatnot. Without Mike, none of this would have been possible!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I recommend this program to everyone I know. I am always saying, “Well, Bigger Leaner Stronger says this…” or “Muscle for Life says that…”
I also like to help my friends and family personally with working out, so it’s been great giving them solid reference material when I’m helping them.
Don’t knock this program off if you don’t see progress right away. You’re body is yours for the long haul, so don’t try the 6-12 week transformation crap.
Take it easy, put in as much as you need to each week and be patient. The gains will come, you’ll lose fat, and you’ll look better.
