Initially, I lost 8 lbs on my first cutting phase, which started in April. I went from 128 lbs to 120 lbs. Then on my second cutting phase, I dropped down to 118 lbs and went back up to 123 lbs. I thought that was a little strange because the scale told me I gained weight but my body told me that I’m much leaner and stronger.
I figured during my second cutting phase I went through a recomp (or I’ve been recomping the whole time but the visible changes were more noticeable this time). I also noticed a huge increase in strength. Before I switched to dumbbells, my barbell bench press working weight was around 85 lbs.
When I first started lifting, my working weight was 55 lbs. When I first started lifting, I remember trying to squat 95 lbs and there was no possible way for me to squat past 90 degrees with that weight. But now, I squat with 95 lbs past 90 degrees and can max out at 5 reps.
My starting weight for my deadlifts was 75 lbs, but now my working weight is 125 lbs. So consistent increase in strength all around and I typically stay at a weight until I’m certain I have good form and I can push out the number of reps Mike recommends on his program before going up in weight.
What, if anything, almost kept you from buying the book or starting the program?
The fact that I would have to invest in a gym membership and physically leave the house to go to the gym and workout almost deterred me. Prior to lifting weights, I worked out in the comfort of my home doing P90X, Insanity and Insanity: The Asylum.
It was convenient but ultimately did not give me the results that Mike’s program has given me. I was pushed a little out of my comfort zone by having to go to a gym. Also, I had the terrible mindset of “oh I don’t wanna look bulky,” but after reading many of Mike’s articles, I was pretty eager to start the Thinner Leaner Stronger program. His program is straightforward and not intimidating whatsoever.
What do you like most about the program?
The majority of the program was easy. The easy part was going to the gym and getting the workouts done. For me, as with many people I’m sure, the hardest part was getting the diet right. Fortunately, Mike lays it out perfectly in Thinner Leaner Stronger.
Basically preparing me for things I might run across in finding the right balance in my macros and how to deal with it. I’m impatient and I wanted to see results ASAP, but Mike makes it clear that with consistency and persistence, the results will come and they absolutely did. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been and I feel both sexy and feminine.
How does this program compare with others you’ve tried?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve tried home workout programs from Beachbody. I did P90X, Insanity, and Insanity: The Asylum over the course of almost 2 years. At the time I was just getting into the whole fitness thing.
However, those workouts are intense and doing them 6 days a week really wore me out physically and mentally. The dieting portion was also frustrating because they’re not very accurate. They gave me a generalized idea and I just winged the diet without really keeping track of macros. If there was any weight training involved, they recommended women lift light weights and work at a high rep range– the complete opposite of what Mike says and the basics of lifting weights.
I’ve gotten far better results by going to the gym and lifting heavyweights. My longest gym workout is 45 minutes tops. In Thinner Leaner Stronger everything is broken down to the very basics of proper nutrition and Mike makes it very easy for you to customize your own dietary needs. The workouts from Thinner Leaner Stronger are as intense as you make them but I never get mentally or physically drained by them.
How has what you’ve achieved with your body changed other areas of your life?
I am, without a doubt, more confident. I have plenty of energy on days when I’m not overwhelmed by work (my job is physically demanding, I stay on my feet for about 10 hours) and school. As I’ve progressed I’ve learned a lot of things about myself.
We are often time too critical of ourselves and having to unlearn that is difficult (I still struggle from time to time). There’s a lot of self-discipline and a huge test of willpower involved as well. I’m a pretty busy person and I’m all about managing my time efficiently. Mike’s Thinner Leaner Stronger program allows me to do that and still get my workouts in.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
It’s totally normal to feel discouraged every once in a while. I’ll browse on Instagram too often and see all these IFBB Pros and NPC bikini competitors and I’ll be like “What? They started out way worse than me and transformed their body into THAT in 6 months?!”
But then I remind myself that they have completely different goals than I do. They also have different bodies (some people are just complete freaks of nature and that’s totally cool!). My word of advice is DO NOT compare yourself to someone else’s progress.
It’s totally cool to have an ideal body type that you want to strive for, but don’t get discouraged just because someone reached their goal faster than you. Also, it’s important to keep track of what you eat, but don’t stress over every single macro or if you had two cheat meals instead of one. I have a lifelong goal of being fit and healthy and I know the body type that I want won’t happen overnight–I’m taking my time getting there.
I’m not going to sacrifice a relaxing evening with my boyfriend or not eat at a wedding just because it doesn’t fit in my macros. Yes, it’s important to stay on track, but don’t lose your mind if you wander a little. Find a balance between both that makes you happy and also gets you the results that you want.
Want to become a success story too? Here's how she 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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We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
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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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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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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.
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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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Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
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