By: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS
(I started this blog post on August 21st and I am finishing it now on September 17th, just keep that in mind)
Another few weeks have gone by and I am at a crossroads. The results so far with Leigh Peele and the Fat Loss Troubleshoot have been nothing short of fantastic. Today I am leaner and more muscular than I have ever been in my 23 years. So yeah, I am pretty happy. This all started in March. MARCH! That makes it almost six months that I have been “dieting” and training for this.
Think about that again.
Six Months.
Remember that when you want to get a six pack in a month or two.
Not only have I been able to shed body fat, I have put on a substantial amount of lean muscle. Most notably on my upper body on my arms, abs, back, and lats. In the pictures on this post I have day one and something like Day 160 (I lost count). During this program I did things that sucked:
- Doing a full body workout on 1550 calories is hell
- I went through dozens of cartons of egg whites
- I spent 2-3 hours a week just walking on a treadmill. BORING!
- I gave up diet soda (not by design, I just wanted to limit artificial sweeteners as much as possible.
- Body part splits….
Back to those body part splits. Were they effective? Yes. Did I enjoy the workouts? No. I missed being able to visit the guys at Cressey Performance and do a upper body day with the guys, or a heavy GCB squat session with Brian St. Pierre constantly reminding me to keep my knees out.
Thanks for sharing this with us Kevin, I am one of those people who has been really inspired by not only your progress and results, but your dedication to your plan. it’s refreshing to hear from someone else how yeah, walking on the treadmill can be boring, and yeah, missing out on the hard workouts you used to love can be tough, but if you have a goal, you have to follow a direct path to get there, and it’s not always the shortest route. Thank you!!! I have a feeling i will be referring back to this post often when I need a boost.
Oh, and before I forget, well done, and congrats on reaching your goal!
“Full body workout on 1550 calories is hell” I can only imagine. Ive been following your progress kevin. Why did it take you so long to get this blog post up? Roll on the pictures!!
I just started listening to the podcast and I love it. Keep up the good work. I lift weights, run, and ride my bike to stay in shape. I am in the middle of my cyclocross racing season (look it up, it is freaking awesome)and it will be nice to focus on running and weightlifting over the winter when it is done.
About the “dread”mill, why not just walk outside? I hate the tradmill and I decided to run outside rain, snow, sleet or hail. It is extra nice when it is sunny out… Anyway, once you make the commitment to be outside the weather really doesn’t make much difference.
How about bike riding? I started riding my bike a year and a half ago. I am 37 and I have not been this lean since I was 21. It is an amazing workout and if you go fast enough it is NEVER boring!
Keep up the good work!