"I'm more motivated, confident, and got in the best shape of my life!"
John's Progress
Before
Before
Before
3 Months
3 Months
3 Months
How many months’ progress do your pictures represent? What were your stats for each picture?
There are 90 days between my before and after pictures. I did the 90 day transformation program following the Bigger Leaner Stronger protocol.
What has happened so far on the program?
My coach provided a custom meal plan that had me at a 25% caloric deficit (40% carbs / 20% fat / 40% protein).
I followed the Bigger Leaner Stronger 4-day split strength training program. Over the 90 day program, I dropped 11 pounds (about 1 pound per week), lost 3 inches around my waist, and dropped about 5% body fat.
I accomplished this and was still able to increase the weight in all of my big lifts:
Bench Press: 24% increase.
Deadlift: 40% increase.
Squat: 21% increase.
Standing Barbell Military Press: 33% increase.
What workout split from the book did you use?
I used the 4-day split.
What, if anything, almost kept you from buying the book or starting the program?
I have always been athletic. I played football and basketball through high school and rowed crew in college. I didn’t think I needed someone to tell me how to get in shape. I had been hitting the gym, pushing weight around, and doing some cardio. I didn’t really follow a program and didn’t have a nutrition plan.
The before pictures show the unimpressive results of not having goals. If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time. As I approached my 50th birthday, I wanted to get serious and see if I could get in the best shape of my life.
I had followed Mike for years, but never committed to the Bigger Leaner Stronger program. After receiving an email that there were openings in Mike’s 90 day personal coaching transformation program, I decided to call the next day.
What do you like most about the program?
What I like most about the program is its simplicity. My coach and I joked that dropping weight is very simple at its most basic principle: eat less and move more. However, in order to achieve a lean, muscular body there is a bit more to consider–but it’s still not complicated.
Do the right exercises in the gym and have a meal plan that includes the right number of calories and the macro ratios that support your goals. This program cuts through the thousands of programs out there, lays out exactly what exercises to do in the gym, and how to pay attention to what you eat.
How does this program compare with others you’ve tried?
It is the only program I have been on that provided a complementary, scientifically designed strength and nutrition program. You need both if you want to get bigger, leaner AND stronger.
If you don’t integrate strength and nutrition, then you might just get bigger, leaner OR stronger… but not all three.
How has what you’ve achieved with your body changed other areas of your life?
Looking the way you want to look impacts your entire life in all the ways you already know. When you are happy with the way you look, you are motivated and more confident, which are both vital personally and professionally.
I am not talking about what society or the Internet thinks about how you look, it’s when YOU are happy with the way you look.
Who would you recommend this program to and why?
Would I recommend this program to anyone? For sure, and I have! Some people are intimidated by the amount of material in the book. It goes deep into science and but also busts common gym-bro myths.
If you are not an exercise-science nerd and don’t want to read the entire book, just pick the number of days you can go to the gym, follow the workouts provided for that split, and track your nutrition (calories and macros). Whatever your goals might be, whether it’s bulking or cutting, this program will show you the way.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
This program was a complete eye-opener for me, especially realizing I wasn’t eating nearly enough protein! I began tracking everything I ate with MyFitnessPal which has a premium version where you can track exact macros. I tracked my workouts and body goals with Mike’s Stacked app.
The two biggest takeaways for me from this program were: 1. Nutrition has a massive impact on how your body responds to training 2. Lifting heavy weights necessitates bringing a high intensity to execute the lifts, which triggers the physiological response necessary to build muscle.
I have been fit, and I have been out of shape (I have been over 230 pounds). Feeling fat and out of shape sucks. If you follow Mike’s program, you can literally transform your body in 90 days. You will only regret not doing it, so go do it!
