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BEFORE
- December 18, 2006 |
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AFTER
- May 7, 2007 |
Every
so often, I work with a client who is extremely motivated
and really wants to make a change in their appearance.
Sometimes, this client doesn’t realize that they
have what it takes to make such an extraordinary transformation.
They merely have a desire to get in shape and get back
on track. Then, somewhere along the way, they find within
themselves a motivation and desire that they didn’t
even realize they had and they go on to accomplish something
that is incredible. That was the case with Mike Deagle.
Mike came to
me in December of 2006 with the desire to get back in
shape. Mike used to be a workout fanatic several years
ago when he was younger and living in the city. However,
after getting married and then becoming a parent to two
young children, Mike had relegated his workouts to the
back burner and focused instead on becoming the best father
and husband he could be.
Mike had actually
competed in a bodybuilding contest seven years earlier
before he got married. Since it was his first contest,
he had made some novice mistakes like cutting back on
his calories too much and doing too much cardio. As a
result, he didn’t place as high as he wanted and
he felt like he could do much better if he prepared differently.
When Mike came
to see me for our initial workout, the first thing we
did was take his bodyweight and measurements. This is
what his stats were on Monday, December 18th, 2006:
| January
30th, 2005 |
| Bodyweight
|
194.5
pounds |
| Chest |
46
1/4” |
| Waist |
41
1/4 ” |
| Arms |
16
1/2" |
| Thighs
|
23 1/2” |
Mike
was shocked that his waist was up to over 41 inches. He
said the pants he was wearing were 38” pants so
he thought his waist would measure under 40 inches. This
is a mistake that many people make, equating their actual
waist size to the waist size they wear in their clothes.
Since
Mike had continued training throughout the years, I started
him out on a four day a week training program. This was
somewhat of an advanced program because Mike had been
training for over 10 years. His problem was that he was
no longer pushing himself in the gym like he had years
ago. His motivation had faded because he was putting so
much energy into his job and his family.
On
his new training program, Mike was training chest and
triceps on Monday, abs, back and biceps on Wednesday,
shoulders and calves on Thursday and legs on Friday. It
was my job as Mike’s trainer to make sure that he
used more weight each week or did more reps with the same
weight he had used previously. I wanted to gradually increase
the intensity of each workout week after week. This would
force Mike’s muscles to get stronger and bigger
as he was eating to lose the fat.
As
for his diet, I gave Mike two diet programs. One was for
the days when he weight trained with me (4 days a week)
and the other was for when he was not weight training
(3 days a week). On his training days, I had Mike eating
7 meals a day. This included breakfast, lunch and dinner,
3 protein drinks and one post-workout drink. On his rest
days, Mike was eating a similar diet but he eliminated
the post workout drink and only ate his three whole food
meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and his three protein
drinks.
His
diet was high in protein, and moderate in carbohydrates
and fats. I don’t believe in the zero carb diet
or even a very low carb diet. I think you need carbohydrates
(the right kind) for energy. Weight training is an anaerobic
exercise that derives its energy from glycogen which comes
from consuming carbohydrates. The trick is to eat the
carbs at the right times so you have the energy to do
an effective workout and feed the muscle cells the nutrients
it needs while, at the same time, you stay away from carbs
at other times of the day so the fat cells become depleted
and begin to shrink.
Mike
obtained his protein sources from lean complete proteins
such as egg whites, chicken breasts, round steak and salmon.
He also used protein powder for his protein drinks. He
used a protein powder that was made of a combination of
whey, egg and casein protein powder for the highest quality
source of protein that was also slowly digested to help
keep his blood sugar levels stable in between meals.
Mike
also ate a moderate amount of fat (55-65 grams per day)
in order to also help stabilize the blood sugar levels
and obtain the proper amounts of the important Omega-3
fatty acids. The Omega-3 fats are essential fatty acids
that must be obtained from the diet and studies have shown
they offer positive benefits to the heart and brain. Mike
focused on fats obtained from flaxseed oil (which he added
to his protein drinks) and salmon for his Omega-3 fatty
acids.
So,
how did the training and diet work, you ask? Incredible!
Even I was shocked at how fast Mike responded to his new
program. On Monday, January 15th, we measured and weighed
Mike again and this was the result. Compare his progress
to when he started:
Not
only did Mike lose 3 ½” of fat from his waist
in one month, he also increased his muscle mass and his
strength. Notice that he only lost a total of 2 pounds
of bodyweight while he lost 3 ½” of fat from
his waist! This is the right way to change your body.
Lose the fat by eating correctly and add muscle and strength
through an intense weight training program. The increase
in muscle stimulates the metabolism and makes the body
operate at a more efficient and faster rate. This adds
up to a leaner body.
But
Mike didn’t stop there. He was now motivated so
much that he made up his mind to compete in another bodybuilding
competition in October of that year. He continued to follow
the diet each and every day. Even on holidays or work
functions, Mike would bring his own food and eat his diet
according to schedule. When you are committed to changing
your body, you have to eat for yourself and not for others.
Parties and other social functions should not interfere
with your own personal goal. Mike is to be credited for
not caving into social pressure and sticking with the
game plan, NO MATTER WHAT!
I
continued to monitor Mike’s progress by recording
his measurements and bodyweight each month. I also wrote
down each and every workout and pushed Mike to use either
heavier weights or more repetitions to make each workout
more challenging than the last workout. Here are Mike’s
stats from March and May:
| Monday,
March 12th, 2007 |
Monday,
May 7th, 2007 |
| Bodyweight
|
180
pounds |
Bodyweight
|
172
pounds |
| Chest |
43
3/4” |
Chest |
42” |
| Waist |
35” |
Waist |
33” |
| Arms |
16
1/2" |
Arms |
16
1/4" |
| Thighs
|
23” |
Thighs
|
22
1/2 ” |
| Calves |
14
3/4" |
Calves |
14
3/4 " |
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By
March 12th, 2007,? Mike was down to 180 pounds and
his waist was 35", 5 inches down from when he
started.
|
On
May 8th, 2007, Mike's weight was down to 172 pounds
with a 33" waist. Mike was now 22 pounds lighter
and his waist was- a full 8 inches smaller. |
|
|
By
March 12th, 2007,? Mike was down to 180 pounds and
his waist was 35", 5 inches down from when he
started.
|
On
May 8th, 2007, Mike's weight was down to 172 pounds
with a 33" waist. Mike was now 22 pounds lighter
and his waist was- a full 8 inches smaller. |
|
|
By
March 12th, 2007,? Mike was down to 180 pounds and
his waist was 35", 5 inches down from when he
started.
|
On
May 8th, 2007, Mike's weight was down to 172 pounds
with a 33" waist. Mike was now 22 pounds lighter
and his waist was- a full 8 inches smaller. |
Mike
was really getting lean and losing a lot of bodyfat after
5 months of dieting. He had to go out and buy new clothes
because even his belt was not tight enough to hold up
those 38 waist pants of his. Everyone in Mike’s
social circle (co-workers, clients and family) couldn’t
believe the transformation that was taking place with
him.
His
face also looked completely different as he lost bodyfat
but developed and toned his muscles. This is in stark
contrast to those individuals who lose a lot of weight
through crazy eating methods (low carb or low calories
diets) or through excessive cardiovascular exercise. Mike’s
face looked healthy and lean as opposed to sickly and
gaunt.
By
June 18th, exactly 6 months after Mike started training
with me, Mike’s bodyweight was down to 168 pounds
and his waist was an incredible 31 ¼”! This
meant that Mike had lost an astounding 10 inches off his
waist in exactly six months time. What is even more impressive
is that Mike did it by eating correctly and losing the
fat slowly while increasing his muscle strength and size.
This resulted in Mike not only looking better but also
being healthier and happier.
As
Mike progressed along his journey of transforming his
body, he also noticed other positive changes in addition
to losing bodyfat and increasing his muscle mass. He became
aware of how much more energy he had. He was able to work
longer hours at his job with more energy and enthusiasm
because of his stable blood sugar levels and improved
nutrition program.
These
positive benefits also carried over into his personal
life. As Mike lost weight and increased his strength and
muscle mass, he had more energy for his children and his
wife. A better body composition (less fat and more muscle)
also increases the testosterone levels which leads to
a, uh, better sex life. I don’t want to get too
personal here but Mike broke the good news to me in May
that he was going to be a father again as his wife was
pregnant with their third child. Congratulations Mike!
Mike
has continued to improve as he moves toward his competition
on October 27th. In these latest pictures, Mike is now
down to 160 pounds and his waist has decreased to an astounding
29 ½”. That’s nearly one foot (12 inches)
of fat that he has lost off his waist since he started
this transformation process in December. That’s
12 inches of fat shed off his waist in only eight months.
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| 11
Weeks Out - Mike at 160 pounds with a 29.5 inch waist
on August 11th, 2007 |
Mike
Deagle will compete in his bodybuilding competition on
October 27th, 2007. His goal is to get his waist down
to 28 ½” with 3% bodyfat. I can assure you
that no matter where Mike places in the contest, he is
a winner in my book! Anyone who can dedicate themselves
to an improved and healthy lifestyle to completely transform
the look and appearance of their body is a WINNER!
For
information on how you can transform your body through
a personalized exercise and nutrition program, contact
John today at John@naturalolympia.com or call him toll-free
at his office hotline – 1-800-900-UNIV (8648). Change
your body now and start the New Year with a whole New
Body!!
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