"Without a doubt this transformation has made me more confident in my appearance."
Caleb's Progress
Before
1 Year
2 Years
4 Years
What has happened so far on the program?
I started my journey about 4 years ago using Bigger Leaner Stronger and went from 270 lbs down to 167 lbs at 8% body fat.
The first picture I was 270 lbs at 23 years old, the second I had cut down to 150 lbs at 24 years old, the third picture I was about 190 lbs (after bulking) at 25 years old, and the last picture I was 167 lbs at 27 years old.
In the beginning of my transformation I determined what I needed to eat to be in a calorie deficit without being too rigid. I mostly focused on making healthy food choices that were more nutrient dense and filling.
Most of my training was done at home because I was too embarrassed to be at the gym. A lot of my training was done with body weight movements because I figured I should be able to move my own weight before worrying too much about progressive overload.
Within a few months I purchased some free weight equipment and began my relationship with weight training. This is about when I found Bigger Leaner Stronger. I read the book cover to cover and was hooked.
That first year and half of cardio and weight training I lost about 120 pounds. However, all of that weight loss within a relatively short period of time did result in some loose skin. I was determined to get as lean as possible in order to reduce the appearance of the skin.
When I got down to 150 pounds and about 8% body fat, the skin was still there so I decided to start a bulk. This was a new experience for me because I had been dieting for so long. I was nervous and elated all at once.
I took advantage of the higher calories and lifted as heavy as possible. The first year of following BLS I had taken my bench from less than 100 pounds for a few reps to being able to get 185 for 4-6 reps.
My squat went from 135 pounds for some reps to 225 for 4-6 reps. And my deadlift went from 185 pounds for a few reps to 275 for 4-6 reps.
There was considerable progress but I wanted to be so much stronger. Over the year of bulking (with the occasional mini cut) I took my bench to 215 for 4-6 reps, squat to 275 for 4-6 reps and deadlift to 335 for 4-6 reps.
I was pretty stoked with my progress so I continued to move further with the bulking (with mini cuts) and as of now I can bench 245 for 4-6 reps, squat 335 for 4-6 reps and deadlift 385 for 4-6 reps.
When I recently tested my 1rm for each they were:
Squat: 390 lbs.
Bench: 290 lbs.
Deadlift: 455 lbs.
What, if anything, almost kept you from buying the book or starting the program?
Nothing.
What do you like most about the program?
The training splits in BLS and BBLS resonated well with me and was not difficult to adhere to. I have also implemented training routines from Layne Norton (PH3 and PHAT Training Protocols).
All share the same fundamental ideas of heavy strength training, progressive overload, as well as accessory movements (i.e. bicep curls, lat pull-downs, side delt raises)
How does this program compare with others you’ve tried?
N/A.
How has what you’ve achieved with your body changed other areas of your life?
Without a doubt this transformation has made me more confident in my appearance, and has led me to seek a position within this field to help others make the same changes.
I also believe that because of my issues with loose skin (which I still have) that I can help offer a perspective that many other fitness coaches/experts do not have.
It is a reality for a lot of people who lose massive amounts of weight in relatively short periods of time.
It has also given me the confidence to open up about being homosexual and I attribute it to me meeting my fiancé, of whom I had met soon after losing the weight.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I highly recommend this program, and more importantly the message that Mike Matthews promotes, to anyone looking to embark on their own journey. I have pointed many of my friends towards his website and supplement line.
When I first found Mike Matthews and Muscleforlife.com, Legion did not exist yet. So I looked to his recommendation on quality supplements, and found a lot of good products.
As soon as Legion hit the market with Pulse, I new I was going to have my one stop shop for supplements. Now my favorite stack is Pulse, Forge, Phoenix, Recharge, Triton, and Triumph (mixed and matched depending whether I am bulking or cutting).
Want to become a success story too? Here's how he did it
The program that made this transformation possible:
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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Many ingredients in supplements don’t have any scientifically validated benefits, and many ingredients that do are often underdosed to the point of irrelevance.
That’s why we only use the choice ingredients and precise doses shown to be effective in peer-reviewed scientific studies.
Clinically Effective Doses
You need more than great ingredients to make great products—you also need proper doses. That’s why we use the precise doses of ingredients shown to be effective in peer-reviewed scientific studies.
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That’s why all of our supplements are made in America in NSF-certified and FDA-inspected facilities that operate in accordance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations.
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That’s why we test every ingredient of every supplement we produce for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants and ensure they meet the strict purity standards set by the FDA.
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That’s why all of our supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and contain no artificial food dyes, fillers, or other unnecessary junk.
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Many ingredients in supplements don’t have any scientifically validated benefits. That’s why we only use choice ingredients shown to be effective in peer-reviewed scientific studies.
No Chemical Junk
“Natural” doesn’t always mean “better,” but in many cases, natural ingredients are superior to artificial ones for various reasons, including purity, safety, and efficacy.
That’s why all of our ingredients in all of our products come from plant and animal sources, including sweeteners, colors, and flavors.
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In consideration of the services and/or products offered by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) including, but not limited to, nutrition plans, exercise routines and coaching, and in addition to the payment of any fee or charge:
I knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and release of liability and hereby waive any and all rights, claims or causes of action of any kind whatsoever arising out of my use of Legion’s services and/or products, and I hereby release and hold harmless Legion and its consultants, officers, contractors, agents, owners and employees from any and all responsibility, liability, cost and expenses, including for injuries, damages or disorders (physical, metabolic, or otherwise), resulting from my use of Legion’s services and/or products.
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
Pulse contains no harsh stimulants that wind you up and burn you out. Instead, it contains a 1:1 ratio of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a smooth energy rush and comfortable comedown.
We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout supplement.
Every bottle of Pulse is guaranteed to provide exactly what the label claims and nothing else—no heavy metals, microbes, allergens, or other contaminants.
While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
It's hard to know for sure, but this probably makes Pulse the most-popular all-natural pre-workout supplement in the world.
If you don’t absolutely love this product, just let us know, and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No forms or return necessary.
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Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients”—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic sweeteners or flavors of any kind.
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