Here is my essay and photos. What hard and fun 12 weeks its been.
Well, its been quite a run these last 12 weeks. I have been trying to keep my body in shape for over 15 years. However, I have always struggled with my overall look. I am the epitome of the stocky guy you see in the gym that never seems to really change his body, sans a little muscle gain or some fat loss in prep for a vacation or something.
Over the years, I have attempted to cut the bodyfat down to a level I could really enjoy the look of my body. However, I constantly seem to fall short. For me, it never has to do with the time in the gym. I can bust it for 6-7 days a week without any issues. My problem comes back to one thing, my diet.
After many years, I have finally figured something out which Craig has said in the past, “You can’t out train a bad diet”. That one statement can’t be more true.
I turned 39 this year, and I made an overall goal that I wanted to lose 40 pounds before turning 40. Now, 40 pounds might be a little more than I need, but I knew with that 40 pounds, I would finally have the body that I should have after all these years of training. I also want to be leaner and meaner as I roll into my 40s. The joints have paid the price of all my training and less weight on my frame can only benefit my body pains.
I discovered Craig’s programs a few years ago, prior to his first TT Transformation contest. I was very intrigued by his techniques, and I have been practicing them consistently for the past few years. I love the superset and interval training he promotes. It gets you out of the gym faster and with fantastic results. I actually entered the very first Transformation contest, but came up very short in my results, mostly due to my inability to adopt a better eating style to go with my training.
This time I decided I was going to do it. I pulled out all the stops, that Craig and his partner sites described as a good diet. With this knowledge, I used Craig’s TT programs: “2K8”, “2K9”, and “TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks”.
I piled in lots of intervals to go with these workouts. The intervals was something else Craig turned me onto a few years ago. Ever since he introduced them, it seems many trainers and magazines now promote them for most efficient cardio. I finally feel like I really did what I needed to do to succeed.
My overall goal for this contest length was 25 pounds of lost weight. I can honestly say I just made it at 199 pounds. That is a loss of 26 pounds from the start. I have listed below the other stats on my body that have changed.
My biggest change was in the belly measurement around the belly button. I was able to really decrease my fat belly. My bodyfat is not quite in the single digits yet(still very happy with it tho), and that can be seen in my pics where my abs aren’t fully visable yet. I also seemed to keep my muscle mass as I trained and dieted during the 12 weeks.
As I stated above, my overall goal this year is 40 pounds. With Craig’s plans and advice, I am well on my way. I really think I will finally achieve my body goals, so I can finally be proud of all the training I have done over the years. I won’t be that stocky guy in the gym who never changes anymore.
For all those struggling out there, I must say that for me a clean diet of eating and plenty of those intervals was the key to it all. You must keep it clean and workout hard and you should be able to reach your goals. I feel I experienced the essence of this contest, I have truly transformed the way I look.
Thanks Craig, I have been reading and researching fitness my entire adult life, and your principles have worked better than anything I have come across.
BEFORE Measurments
Weight: 225 lbs (horrible)
Bodyfat: approx. 20 %
Around Belly Button: 40 1/2 inches (ick)
Waist: 37 3/4 inch
Legs: 24 inches
Biceps: 16 1/4 inch
AFTER Measurements
Weight: 199 lbs
Bodyfat: approx. 12 %
Around Bell Button: 35 3/4 inches
Waist: 35 1/2 inches
Legs: 23 1/2 inches
Biceps 16 1/4 inches
