Below are a collection of before/after pictures and stories of some clients that wanted to share. I’ve included a lot of variety here in the hope that you can find someone that you can relate to, so that it will inspire you.
Everyone starts at a different point and has their own unique journey. You’re inevitably going to want to look and compare as you progress, we all do, but don’t get lost in this. If you are becoming a better version of yourself each time, that’s all that matters.
Recent Updates:
2nd May. Rainier C., 1st May. Gary M., 24th Apr. Michael C., 23rd Apr. Matt R, 10th Apr. Brad B. Slow-bulk, 30th Mar. Ted K., 28th Mar. Ulrich D, 27th Mar. Rog Law
Note: I’ve given up on trying to put these in some kind of order. After the first 10 or so they are just in date order. Happy scrolling!
Me
Age: 27 Height: 189cm
Before, Week 1: 96.9kg, 95.1cm @navel.
After, Week 10: 85.6kg, 79.8cm @navel.
Two important points to consider:
- I trained just 3 days a week in the gym for 45 minutes.
- I didn’t do any cardio.
With the planned publication of this website, I purposefully over ate my way to being fat so that I could show people what can be done in such a short time frame. To prove that I had absolute confidence in the method, I published the results of the diet in ‘real-time’ on Facebook for all to see.
I wanted to prove that it’s not the supplements, cardio or lots of training that achieve this, but focused training 30% and the diet being 70%. To read more about my motivations to do this read my blog post, “The truths the fitness industry doesn’t want you to know…”.
Scott, New Zealand
Age: 36 Height: 186cm (~6’1″) 14 Weeks
Weight: 91.0kg (200.2lbs) -> 85.4kg (187.9lbs)
Stomach: 86.0cm (33.9″) -> 77.5cm (30.5″) @navel
Chest +3cm Legs +2cm Arms + 1cm
Squat: 145kg*5 -> 162.5kg*5
Dips: BW+40kg*6 -> BW+60kg*4
Deadlift: 185kg*4 -> 195kg*3
Chin-Up: BW+40kg*5 -> BW+45kg*5
Scott’s actually grey bigger and stronger despite dieting as the figures show.
- Click for an explanation of why I think that was, and why Leangains is so effective.
- Click for a full interview with Scott including details of his workout routine.
- Update: Scott’s slow bulk progress photo.
‘Yan’, United Kingdom
Age: 48 Height: 178cm (5’10″)
Before, Week 1: 72.5kg (160lbs), 85.0cm (33.5″) @navel.
After, Week 12: 65.3kg (143.6lbs), 74.5cm (29.3″) @navel.
Taken from an e-mail,
“Hi Andy, Here are my 12 week stats and images, These are the best I could do with the available lighting. The 12 week journey has been fantastic! This has been so easy and enjoyable. I now feel i have complete control of my eating and exercise and I will eat and train like this for the rest of my life!
I have never felt better my energy levels are through the roof and I sleep like a baby every night. I wish I had found this method years ago and not waisted so many years on f***ed up programmes that did nothing!!
Do you think I need to lose a touch more before the slow bulk, still can pinch an inch around the BB?”
Things worth mentioning:
- He’s 48, not 18. I hope this proves inspiration to people.
- No cardio, 3 days in the gym only.
- He did this with food alone, no fat burning supplements etc.
If you would like to read more about his experience in the 12 weeks, I did a short interview with Yan which I have left unedited. I’ve included another front picture.
Peter, Ireland
Age: 38 Height: 178cm (5’10″)
Before, Week 1: 100kg (220lbs), 101.6cm (40″) @navel.
After, Week 11: 90.1kg (200lbs), 87.6cm (34.5″) @navel. (Click image for full size)
When Peter sent me these pictures just 2 and a half months after he started I did more than a double take. I had my screen on full zoom checking facial features to be sure that it was really him and not his brother. 
Strength stats: Deadlift 130kgx5 -> 170kg x5, Squat 115kgx5 -> 147.5kgx5 and the weighted chins being the most significant changes. Really made my day. Here’s what Peter had to say:
“When I first contacted Andy in January, I had tried many other fat loss programs and had spent a LOT of money only to end up in a shape that I wasn’t happy with. Some of the previous programs I had tried did help me to lose weight and lower bodyfat, but I would lose a lot of strength also. I found the program very easy to incorporate into my training and eating habits, and was able to use good normal food to get my macros. I was never hungry and after the first week had passed, I no longer had any pangs for chocolates or sweets. For me that’s saying something because as you might be able to see from my original picture I am very fond of chocolate. LOL.
Eating the Leangains way works. If it worked for me it will work for anyone. I was able to keep my strength and lose my belly. I still have a ways to go but I know that I am using the right methods to get me to the place I want to be.
I would recommend anyone that’s interested in losing bodyfat and increasing strength and muscle in a safe, healthy way, to contact Andy. My only gripe is that I had to buy a load of new clothes because all my other clothes are too big for me.
My best to everyone in their training.”
Karna, BJJ Fighter
Getting this photo with the news last week lit me up with a smile that lasted all day. After a successful cut, Karna takes gold.
“I won the Pan American Championship at blue belt lightweight. I closed out the finals with my teammate from Brazil. Took final progress pic before the tourney (pre-binge) which I’ll send to you later! Overall I went from 152 down to 134.5, then increased calories for 3 days leading up to the tournament and hit weight perfectly at 136. Lifts stayed about the same because I haven’t been.
Thanks again for your help. Despite my health mishaps and injuries I definitely learned a lot about my body and how/when to fuel it properly.
Spreading out the weight loss over months instead of 10 days made all the difference in the world. Being able to eat regular the days before helped a lot mentally as well because I didn’t feel depleted. My main goal now is to lose this damn stubborn adipose fat pocket around my belly button that I’ve had since I was a teenager! Arghhhh!!!”
Karna’s being a little hard on herself with that last comment as I’ve seen the photos and there is a huge difference, very little fat left. Still I can understand her quest and looking forward to seeing how she gets on on the coming months. Months? Yes. While Karna could do it in less time, being a weight-class athlete it’s advisable to stay at the upper end of that, so were adding in some squats to build up more muscle while slowly burning off the fat.
Carl, BJJ Fighter
Poses are a little different, but the figures don’t lie:
Weight: 204lbs ->198lbs, Stomach: 90cm -> 84cm
Strength increases, but the measurements tell the story here: Legs + 2.5, Chest +1cm, Arms +0.5cm (All things that you’d expect to decrease with all other things being equal when on a diet.)
“The results have shown obvious in all areas, lower fat %, greater strength, good results in BJJ. I won a silver and bronze in my weight class and open weight at the Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials in New York just a few weeks ago.Though since I “started” IF (i.e.: read Martin’s blog and attempted to figure it out for myself), those two were my 14th and 15th medals.. so I can safely say that fasting works well with BJJ haha. The collection.
When I went home and trained at my regular BJJ gym I probably 4-5 people asking questions about my diet/training method because they just saw that much of a difference in a month.”
Great work Carl and thanks for sharing that with us. I hope we can get someone into the UFC wearing a Leangains t-shirt in the Octagon one day. That’d be awesome.
Jeff, USA
Total Diet Time: 16 weeks. (Picture on left taken 4 weeks before start of diet.)
Weight: 204lbs -> 189lbs
Strength changes: Overall rep strength declined, but set two PR’s during final weeks of diet: 405lb Squat 505lb Deadlift
Measurement changes:
Shoulders before: 50.5, After: 49.75 Chest Before: 41 After: 40
Waist before: 33.5 After: 30.75 Arms Before: 16 After 15.75
Thighs Before: 24.75 After: 23.5 Calves: Unchanged
Update (Mid May): Jeff sent me the updated picture on the right 6 weeks later. Leaner and stronger.
Update (Early July): See this post for more pictures.
Kyoko, Japan
Age: 35 Height: 163cm (5’4″)
Before, Week 1: 57.0kg (125.4lbs), 78cm (30.7″) @navel.
After, Week 12: 54.4kg (119.7lbs), 68cm (26.7″) @navel.
Kyoko, mother with a full-time demanding job, told me flat out at the start, despite my protests, that she didn’t have time for the gym, and gave me just two 15 minute sessions a week in which to plan a home-workout for her. Click for more photos and an interview.
Ryan, USA
Weight: 169lbs -> 163lbs
“I totally agree with you, difference is night & day. My gf said thinks I’m getting too skinny lol…said she likes me little beefier…”Can’t you be ripped & be beefy at same time?” thats a direct quote from her this past week. I may have lost a little bit of mass from start but not much….I totally skewed the results/tracking info as I failed to initiate the tracking of progress until I emailed you telling you how big of a dumbass I was for not doing it. [Hence the lack of data.] I think I am harboring some stubborn fat around my lower abs & back… then I’m looking forward to a slow-bulk.”
Self Suffice*, USA
Before: 155.6lbs, 33.0″ @navel.
After: 148.0lbs, 29.1″ @navel.
(*stage name) 
156lbs 144lbs 148lbs
Most people would have been happy with the two month progress, but Self wanted to be shredded. I finally convinced him to switch from using his ‘home gym’ to the barbells around the time this middle photo was taken.
The barbells have clearly taken their effect. From the middle to the last photo (10 week period) he dropped body fat but is actually 4lbs heavier, so there’s been a good deal of body-recomposition gone on here. How much muscle was actually gained overall? -Difficult to be exact, but I’m happy with his results.
Notable strength gains in the last 10 weeks:
Deadlift 235 -> 315lbs
Squat 190 -> 240lbs
Here’s an interview with Self.
Joe, UK
Weight: 146lbs -> 131.4lbs Stomach: 75.5cm -> 67.5cm
Strength: Deadlift 142kg -> 156kg, Squat 80kg – 98kg, Bench 90kg -> 80kg*
“Pleased with the results and want to thank you for setting up your site and providing me with personal guidance. I feel as though I know my body more than I ever have. Now my abs are very nearly out when relaxed, doesn’t take a lot for them to show when tensed.
At 131.4lbs I feel scrawny and am really looking forward to slowly bulking up.
Having the control over my body makes me even more excited to start as I’m confident I can do it with your guidance for the first time in 2 1/2 years!”
I don’t think there’s anyone that’d look at you with your shirt off and accuse you of being scrawny mate, it’s just that we’ve all been taught that the norm is to be 200lbs when shredded, which one look at any boxer (or other weight class athlete) will tell you is BS. That being said, I can understand his feelings to work on a slow-bulk. He’s got a perfect base to work on and I’m interested in seeing what the next 6 months brings for him. Keep us updated Joe!
Karel, Czech Republic
Weight: 169.4lbs -> 147.4lbs, Stomach: 33.5″ -> 29.5″
Karel lost 22lbs and 4″(10kg, 10cm) off his stomach, yet interestingly there was little change in his chest, legs or arm measurements, which indicates muscle growth. Obviously just part way through his journey, but I think it’s a good example of a more “normal” guy’s progress.
“I am pretty happy (I dont smile on the photo because I wasnt smile on the first one and I read somewhere that it biases progress). Best thing about that is I was never hungry and felt good all time.
If you want you can share it but I think my progress is not so good mostly beacuse of 3 week break. And my message [to readers]: chicken breast and broccoli with cheese sauce is best stuff for rest day .”
Jesse, Australia
Weight: 224.4lbs -> 196.7lbs, Stomach: 37.7″ -> 32.1″
“I just wanted to thank you mate this has been such a great experience for me, wrapped with my results, and now looking foward to getting rid of the last little bit around my belly button and love handles. You have made this so easy to stick to mate and the results are unreal, I feel better than I ever have… I will be in contact in a few months when im at my desired bodyfat and starting my bulk, cheers andy your a legend!”
A side photo can be seen here.
Joar, Sweden
Weight: 112.8kg -> 101.2kg, Stomach: 102.5cm -> 89.4cm
“Feels kinda weird looking back on the first photo now. Damn I looked like a chubby little bear,” he joked in the mail with the after picture.Now, he’s at the point where the idea of having abs is no longer a dream but actually a very real, and near-future possibility.
He averaged around 1kg of fat loss a week, which for a man of his size (and age) was probably the perfect rate at which to do it and suffer no skin sag issues. I’ve suggested he have a diet break and then continue for another 2 months. Here’s what he wanted to say:
“These 3 months have been a real eye-opener for me. My relationship with food have throughout my life been quite bad, eating all kinds of junk. Sure I have been working out, but never that serious.
For me to contact Andy was the most important step in the training-part of my life and I am so glad I found his website. He gave me all the tools for success and it was up to me to make it count.
Overall, my journey has made me a lot more comfortable with “healthy” food and lifting weights. I see everything from a different perspective now and it feels great to be able to take things seriously now.
At first I thought that it would be hard, but cutting with Leangains have been so easy, almost too easy sometimes 
Especially with the tweaks and encouragement from Andy throughout the whole process.
No loss in strength felt amazing and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life right now, so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this experience and for introducing me to this world of Leangaining.
I will never go back to my old life-style. NEVER! / The padawan”
Joar thank you. And buddy… time to change those bed sheets.
Eddy, USA
Age: 29 Height: 179cm (5’11″)
Before, Week 1: 73.4kg (162lbs), 86.4cm (34.0″) @navel.
After, Week 12: 69.5kg (153lbs), 77.5cm (30.5″) @navel.
“I never imagined that I could get in great shape simply training 3 days a week and eating huge meals in a matter of weeks. Your planning and macro managing helped me really learn a lot about eating and training!
Best thing I ever did for myself was contacting you. I honestly would of wasted valuable time trying to figure it all out. You have made it so great and motivating.”
You can read the full interview with Eddy here.
Shamil, USA
Age: 26 Height: 182cm (~6ft) Weight: 165lbs -> 164lbs
Stomach: 83cm -> 77.4cm Chest: 93cm -> 95cm
Deadlift: 235lbs -> 280lbs Front Squat: 165lbs -> 205lbs
Weight hardly changes yet stomach considerably down, all other body measurements up, and strength increases. -An excellent example of body recomposition. Excerpt from the e-mail with the “after” pictures:
I just want to say BIG THANK YOU man, you are super professional and friendly, I constantly link my friends to your blog. Spending money and signing up with you was one of the best decisions I have made in my life, no joke. I think if I tried IF by myself, I would given up two weeks in, but thanks to your reassurance I was able to keep at it. Yeah I didn’t get as shredded as some people, but I was able to get off that skinny fat that haunts so many people with my body build (tall and fat ALWAYS goes into stomach/love handles areas). Leangains also a method that works better for me then doing regular bulking, that never worked, just made me fat in uneven ways. I think lots of people don’t realize that not every body type can get bigger through same methods. Leangains works for me, which is great! [Continued here]
Sand, USA
Sand came to me with the goal of “ripping up”. Given the time frame and his physique (weak, as he hadn’t trained properly before) I think we did a good job. The photos represent the 12 week period from 22nd Feb this year.
Results: 8lbs down. Arms size maintained, leg size a couple of cm bigger. -A clear indication of growth, as they would have been smaller with the fat loss alone. Bench +18lbs, Squat & Deadlift +50lbs. I’ve put what Sand wished to say in the comments here.
Rich, UK
When Rich initially contacted me I was pretty convinced that I wouldn’t be getting a reply to his initial inquiry. His mail hinted that he thought he was in a similar physical condition to Scott before his cut (not an uncommon phenomenon). I pointed out that his strength stats were vastly different, he was probably carrying a lot more fat that he realized, and told him what I thought he could expect from 12 weeks on the diet. -Most people don’t react to the truth well and I never hear from them again (bullshitting people might get a quick sale but it gives me no job satisfaction and isn’t a good way to do business), however Rich to his credit adjusted his expectations and jumped on board.
“Funnily enough I’m the same weight now that I was when I started training 6 months ago, but I look radically different, so composition must have changed greatly.
Anyway thanks again Andy, I’m truly grateful. It was money well spent in my view.”
Theis, Denmark
Stomach: 98.0cm -> 81.6cm Weight: 90.9kg -> 85.0kg
Strength (5rep): Deadlift 90kg -> 135kg, Squat 100kg – 130kg, Bench 92kg -> 125kg
It’s quite clear that there has been a lot more fat loss that the scale weight drop as he took 16cm off the stomach and made significant strength increases. Is it double? Possibly.
“So far I am really pleased about my results in just 12 weeks. You might have other clients who have progressed even more, but in my world this is my wildest progress ever realized and for the first time (you might not be able to see it on the pictures) there is a hint of abs being there. So now I am really motivated, a lot more than in the beginning. All in all thanks!”
Max, USA
Weight: 187.6lbs -> 178lbs
My first reaction there Max is that you look bigger as well as leaner, which I thought couldn’t be right because of all the travel but… but looking at the stats and we have – 2-2.5 inches off the stomach, 1 inch on the arms (!) and legs. Great work mate.
“I think my body responded to the diet and the reduced workload very well. Even though I was traveling roughly 2 of the 12 weeks, I made good decisions with regard to my food choices and relied on protein powders and a few complete fast days to get me through “travel” days in the airports, etc. I also made sure to do some sort of bodyweight routine, whenever I could… …I am excited about the future training to come.”
Max is in the watch business and holds a very high position in a very well known company. Currently he is trying to help disabled vets get back to work with a watch project which you can see on Kickstarter -help spread the word and make a difference.
Daniel, Germany
Weight: 88.0kg -> 83.2kg
Waist: 91cm -> 82cm
Another good example of body-recomposition by Daniel here. The change in weight not reflective of the true fat loss figure given the increases in strength and considerable drop in belly fat. Deadlift, Bench, Chins and *Pistol-squats (*due to lower back injury) all increased.
Update: Daniel came back to me with this photo. Interestingly at 81.4kg with unchanged stomach measurements but clearly harder and a little stronger.
(*Click to enlarge)
Jayson, USA
Age: 28 Height: 180cm (5’11)
Time Frame: 14th November 2011 ~ 12th January 2012
Originally I contacted Jayson when I heard his story of losing 60lbs and wanted to share it with people to inspire them. I posted it on the blog in November.
At that time Jayson seemed a little depressed because he had been stuck on the same weight since February (10 months). As he had been kind enough to do the interview I offered to make him a client to see if I could help.
For two months Jayson kept sending me messages saying how amazingly the diet was working for him. I have to admit I thought he was exaggerating or just trying to help me out but when he sent me the “after” photos two months later, I was really pleasantly surprised. Great to see.
If you’d like to see those messages, photos of Jayson before he lost the weight or the reason for that scar, please see the original interview.
Ziga, Slovenia
Age: 28 Height: 180cm (5’11)
Before, Week 1: 76kg (167.2lbs), 81.0cm (31.9″) @navel
After, Week 4: 74.4kg (163.7lbs), 78cm (30.7″) @navel
“Honestly, I was tired and unhappy from living a dogmatic BB’s life, training ~6 times per week and eating 6-8 meals a day. I must admit, this kind of life style gave my good results and took me to ~5% BF. But in the end having a 6-pack this way was just not worth it. I knew it had to be an easier way to maintain a low BF percentage, without always felling hungry, groggy and pissed of about everything, just waiting for that next meal.
If you decided that you need a professional to guide your through your transformation, Andy is your man. He knows his stuff… I’ve been working with Andy for a couple of months and there are three things I would like to highlight… [Full Interview Here]
The most important thing for Ziga was to transfer from the 6/7 meals-a-day system to the LG system while keeping the abs, and in the progress freeing up training and cooking time for the rest of his life. I’m very happy to say we achieved this in a month, and the next month was spent fine tuning the diet to get his abs in good shape. The above picture you can see is the progress made in the last 4 weeks. I’m now helping him with the slow-bulk.
Kihye, Japan
Age: 34 Height: 164cm
Before, Week 1: 60.9kg, 78.5cm (30.9″) @Navel
After, Week 12: 55.5kg, 69.5cm (27.4″)@Navel
“When I had my first meeting with Andrew, I told him my goals were to lose the weight I had put on since getting pregnant and get my old healthy body back.
He incorporated my food preferences into the diet, helped arrange training around my busy schedule as a working-mum, and was always on the other end of the phone if I had any questions.
In 12 weeks I did better than just get my old body back. I feel more confident and healthier than ever. But the best thing that you can’t see in the photos is, I don’t feel tired carrying my 3-year-old son anymore.”
For the ladies, why not join this great ‘leangains’ inspired Facebook group for women helping each other and sharing success. There is also a great two-part testimonial/ interview with a professional figure mode. Part 1 / Part 2.
Al, Germany
Age: 33 Height: 179cm (5’11″)
Before: 92.5kg (203.5lbs), 94cm (37″) @Navel
After: 86.0kg (189.2lbs), 85.5cm (33.7″) @Navel
Squat: 100kg (220lbs) x 4 —> 140kg (310lbs) x 4
Phil, USA
Age: 32 Height: 180cm
Before, Day 1: 75.5kg, 83.8cm (33.0″) @Navel
After, Day 19: 72.9kg, 78.1cm (30.7″) @Navel
“It’s amazing what three weeks can achieve,” said Phil to me when he send me this picture, and the same kind of thing in numerous mails since. Phil is currently doing a slow-bulk and mainly works out at home. I’ve told him he needs to include some Deadlifts and weighted exercises if he’s to get ‘thicker’ from now. Phil was is very good shape before, and this is just an illustration of what happens when someone in good condition get’s their diet tweaked. The right nutrition at the right times took him from good to great condition very quickly. See Matt below for a further illustration of this.
Matt, USA
Matt is a cyclist. He trains nearly every day and clocks up hundreds of kilometers in a week. He came to me frustrated because despite all this cardio he never managed to lose the last layer of fat covering his abs. Once we got his nutrition timing and macros sorted, he saw results pretty quickly.
The lesson here for the average man: Get your diet in shape before throwing loads of cardio in there. Because if your diet isn’t on point, you might be spinning your wheels (literally) and not getting the results you want.
Jeremy, Japan
It gives me great pleasure to show these photos. My first real-life friend on this wall but definitely not the first I’ve helped. Simply, people don’t respect what they don’t pay for.
Jeremy didn’t pay and so for the first 4 months there were no big changes, as is usual for friends. However then he got the offer of a modeling contract for a new business venture. He had something to lose and he started taking things very seriously indeed.
The result? Skinny-fat, untrained, weak. -> Shredded. Total time: 8 months.
[Click the thumbnail for a bigger version.]
Sind, Germany
Stomach: -11.5cm /4.5″, Weight: -9.0kg/19.8lbs, Hair loss: Substantial
Not the best pictures for comparison as Sind had a shave but looking at his face the difference is clear.
“After 18 months of university I weighed 105 kg. I started with the Anabolic diet and lost weight but stalled at the 97-98 kg. My friend Al introduced me to LG. Although this was a new stuff to me and completly different to what I have learnt about nutrition and diet, I started and lost 4 kg. Al recommend me to hire Andy, and thats what I did.
The collaboration with Andy was really great. I learned a lot about diet and nutrition and what I mostly liked was that Andy wasn’t that kind coach who dictate what you have to eat and to do. He just gave clear and direct assignements. So in these three months I could develop my own “style of eating” with Andy’s help.
I’m happy with my current results and motivated to go forward especially the goal “getting abs” and a lean body is nearer then it ever was.
“Andy, I want to thank you again and comunity, Andy is your to reach your goals. By the way, you can be sure I will upload new photos with my abs in future. “
Jack, UK
Weight: 150lbs -> 143lbs, Stomach: 30.7″ -> 28.5″, Deadlift: +55lbs
We were doing well until Vegas happened. Well, he’s British and it holds a kind of mystery to us so I don’t blame him for going wild.
“I’ve written something for you to possibly use on the site, it’s a bit lengthy and may be a but much for what you want! Feel free to edit as much as you want/need!”
Well I haven’t edited it but what Jack wrote I found myself cringing to read; it makes me sound much better than I am. I’ve come to a compromise and tucked it away in the comments here.
Mike, Sweden
Bf%: 12 -> 7 (estimated)
Phil, USA
Phil was new to lifting, so he had great gains. Overall less than 5lbs down, however a full 10cm down on the stomach and that suggests a greater fat loss figure than that. Double or slightly higher from experience. Comparing the photos he’s definitely got more of a shape; less like a pear and are most definitely starting to get a ‘v’ shape. Chest and shoulder definition too.
“I’m definately smiling. I noticed the gains I was looking for, and can tell this is only the beginning. If I need your help with something, I’ll be sure to post comments on your site. Seeing other people have their questions answered there has been infinitely more helpful than lurking on /r/Leangains for a year. And you will definately get some more pictures at the end of the year. I look forward to showing you the body you helped me make!
Thanks for everything!”
Carlo, USA
Weight: 153lbs -> 136.4lbs, Stomach: 33.9″ -> 28.7″, Height: 5’7″
Deadlift: 155lbs ->245lbs
“I will begin this email with a very BIG Thank you! The past 12 weeks has been a tremendous experience for me. I really couldn’t imagine that more than 12 weeks ago, I was just looking for something, a diet, a program, anything that will help me shed the fat without the cardio. What you have shared with me instead is a lifestyle that I can live with for the rest of my life. You have also taught me the importance of diet and help me understand my body better and I’m very grateful for that. Signing up with you is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Going into the program, I told myself that I will be happy just to shed some of the fat in 12 weeks. As the weeks progressed, fat loss and strength gains continued. My wife told me I have become a mirror whore because I kept looking at the mirror every morning to see progress. I am not ripped as some of your other clients but I am very happy with my results. I know I have more work to do and I now have a solid base to build upon. I remember you told me that the program will not take me to my final destination and I totally agree. I don’t think it ever stops. It’s a lifestyle, I’ll keep doing it till I am able to.
Again, thank you very much and more power to you and Martin.”
Jason, USA
Weight: 170lbs -> 158.5lbs, Stomach: 36.3″ -> 28.9″, Height: 5’11″
“It’s been a great journey with you these past 12 weeks. My strength improved and I look the best I’ve ever looked in my whole life. Thank you!!” (March 20th)
Jason is one of those rare few that kept his new year’s promise to himself. He saw the results after 12 weeks, got inspired, continued. He was completely new to lifting; started out unable to do a single chin-up, now he can do 15. Interestingly his arms, chest/back and leg measurements are pretty much the same now as they were at the start, the difference being that where there was once flab, muscle has grown. I just wish a certain couple of close friends would follow his example. -You know who you are. (Jason sent me this picture a week later showing off his “abs”. Click to enlarge –>)
Tim, Australia
Weight: 158.0lbs -> 143.2lbs, Stomach: 33.0″ -> 29.6″, Height: 5’9″
Kent, USA
Weight: 187.8lbs -> 176.2lbs, Stomach: 34.2″ -> 31.2″, Height: 6’0″
Oh, and if you’re ever in the Boston area, feel free to drop me a line!”
- Kent
Aaron, UK
Weight: 183.2lbs -> 166.7lbs, Stomach: 33.9″ -> 30.7″, Height: 6’0″
“So thats it, thats me done with my 12 week cut and overall I am very pleased with my results! I got down to the 10% that I was after, and to be honest I think I could have got leaner if I had included fasted morning walks on my rest days, didnt have the 7 day break last month and didnt spend my last weekend on my mates stag. But I think to get into single digits of body fat you need quite a decent amount of lean mass underneath to show off, which I don’t…yet!
Really looking forward to bulking now mate as I’m feeling kinda skinny. Also looking forward to taking down those amazing looking post workout/bulking meals that I keep reading about!”
Indeed Aaron, this is where the fun begins!
Julia, Canada – Triathlete
**Weight: 137lbs -> 137.5lbs, **Stomach: 32.1″ -> 28.0″, Height: 5’6″
Squat: 95lbs x 6 -> 160lbs x 8 Deadlift: 95lbs x 6 -> 160lbs x 4
“…I am also super super happy that I raced and placed well, and that I’m on track to achieve and surpass the goals I had for racing this season – my times are getting faster and I’m going to complete longer distance races, what more could a beginner triathlete ask for??
16th Sept. Received an update from Julia in the comments..
Ben, UK
Weight: 185.9lbs -> 168.1lbs, Stomach: 35.0″ -> 32.0″, Height: 6’0″
“Well it’s the end of the 12 weeks and I must say it’s been pretty easy and I am really starting to notice the results. I don’t really think the photos do the progress justice I have noticed a big difference in my appearance and extra veins/definition starting to show.
May I take this opportunity to say that I have found the whole process very easy, and I would not have achieved these results without your guidance, and I would like to congratulate you on your straight forward and effective manner. If you would like me to write something up for the site by way of a “client recommendation” then please let me know and I will be happy to.”
That’ll do just fine Ben.
Greg, Canada
Weight: 175.0lbs -> 160.8lbs, Stomach: 34.8″ -> 30.8″, Height: 5’9″
“Overall Andy, I am more then pleased with my results since starting the consultation with you. From when I started LG in Jan 2012 up until working with you in April, I have had great results but began to stall and you dialled me in and the past 15 weeks I couldn’t of asked for better results and most of all, what I learned and am able to take away from this and use forever.”
Lou, USA
Weight: 181.0lbs -> 169.4lbs, Stomach: 35.3″ -> 32.1″, Height: 5’9″
Squat: 235 x 6 -> 300×5 Squat: 230 x 5 -> 300×5
“Andy, I am extremely satisfied with my results. I would like to be posted on the results page but I have no idea what I would say except if I wouldn’t have snacked as much throughout the program I know I would have lost more weight. Im going to stick to the cut for another month and add some cardio to help get rid of the rest of the fat. Thank you for time Andy. I feel i have a much larger knowledge base because of your program.”
[Lou started in a similar condition to the photo above on the May 1st, however the above shot is a fairer comparison pose.]
Chris H, Scotland
Age: 44, Weight: 156lbs -> 153lbs, Stomach: 32.7″ -> 30.1″, Height: 6’0″
[Chris has written about his journey in an article, "Approaching a Ripped Body?" on his website here.]
“I chose to work with Andy because I decided that I wanted a coach. At 44 I had started training at 15 and had kept studying the subjects of exercise and diet ever since. With my frame and genetics I was never going to be Mr Olympia and my focus had been on keeping fit for my hobby of hillwalking in the Scottish mountains. I’d also picked up a few injuries over the years via squats and deadlifts so had been limiting myself to bodyweight moves in recent years.
Looking back I now have what I have never before possessed - some abs. But I also gained something more important: an understanding of the process and the tools that have got me here. I know where to go next, what to do to get leaner or to add some bulk. All this information is out there – on the interwebs or in Lyle McDonald’s or Alan Aragon’s writing – but believe me it becomes real and simple when you commit to it and become a client. If you are considering taking that step I would certainly encourage you to do so.”
Chris has a popular website – Conditioning Research – which was one of Outside Magazine’s top 10 Fitness sites of 2011, is Fitness Correspondent for a popular UK hillwalking / backpacking magazine – TGO – and has written a popular ebook on fitness for hiking – Hillfit.
Phil N., UK
43 YEARS OLD. 3 DAYS A WEEK TRAINING. 2 MEALS/DAY. ZERO CARDIO/ FAT-BURNERS/ ‘FUNKY STUFF’.
Though Phil did shed some fat, this isn’t really about that. An experienced amateur bodybuilder, he wanted to share his experiences when he switched from 6 meals a day to IF/LG principles. There is an interview with Phil here.
Colin, USA
Weight: 226.6lbs -> 209.0lbs, Stomach: 39.0″ -> 33.5″, Height: 6’0″
Squat: 405 x 5 -> 405×7 Deadlift: 315 x 4 -> 365×5
Brad, USA
Weight: 174.6lbs -> 160lbs, Stomach: 32.9″ -> 29.6″, Height: 5’10″
Brad has a full account of his experience on this Reddit thread.
Rod, Canada
Weight: 197.2lbs -> 176.4lbs, Stomach: 35.1″ -> 31.1″, Height: 5’9″
Update Dec. 12th: Rod’s current condition pictures on right.
“I put on a decent amount of muscle over the winter, but it didn’t show because I put
on too much fat on top of it. It’s good to see the difference in the mirror, and I’m getting a lot of comments about my body now. If could say anything about it I would mention the conditions I was able to get this weight loss in. I usually had bad choices to eat for the 2+ weeks of the month. I also did it with a totally sedentary job and zero cardio with the exception of a short walk every other day to get my joints
moving, and some light stretching. I feel like I could have lost 5 or 6 more pounds if I had a normal job and schedule.
All in all I’m pleased, and think that I have the ability to get as lean as I’ve ever been following leangains with a few more months work. This is by far the easiest way to lose weight I’ve tried, and as a bonus, I didn’t have to eat 6 times a day, and could eat anything that would fit in my macros.”
Justin B., USA
Weight: 166.5lbs -> 160.5lbs, Stomach: 31.7″ -> 30.5″, Height: 5’11″
“I’ve always been obsessed with eating healthy and going to the gym. So moving to the 16/8 style of eating and lifting heavy 3X/wk was really seamless. At first, against Andy’s wishes and rules, I counted everything–protein, fat and carbs. But it wasn’t long before I gave myself over to the simplified rules and life got a helluva a lot easier. The first 4 weeks of the program, I saw very little change. But when Andy tweaked the macros after week 4, the transformation really got exciting. After 12 weeks I’m happy with my progress but know there is still more work to do to get to my desired level of leanness. Andy made the whole process super simple and I’m confident I now have the tools to be able to succeed on my own.”
Paul S., UK
Weight: 153.8lbs -> 140.8lbs, Stomach: 33.9″ -> 28.3″, Height: 5’8″
“12 weeks ago I had no idea what I was doing, no idea where to start, but having stumbled across your site, I saw the results other people were getting with you and knew if nothing else, you could get me on the right track. 12 weeks on and it’s not an understatement to say my life has been irrevocably changed for the better. You were straight to the point, gave me everything I needed to get going in a clear and easy way, and it gave me the confidence to go and execute. The best thing is that it’s been so easy to follow – I love it! You’ve given me the tools to make my goals reality, and while I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be, it’s no longer a dream but something I know is entirely achievable!
I’m so pleased not just with my results in terms of fat lost and strength gained, but the feeling now the 12 weeks are up and the training wheels are off, I’ll be able to support myself. When people notice my body changing and ask how I’ve done it, when people ask for advice or tips – you’re the direction I point them in.”
Ross E., New Zealand
Weight: 209.0lbs -> 194.2lbs, Stomach: 39.9″ -> 33.9″, Height: 5’10″
James B., Canada
Weight: 185lbs -> 172lbs, Stomach: 35.6″ -> 33.3″, Height: 6’2″
C.H., USA
Weight: 176lbs -> 168lbs, Stomach: 34.0″ -> 29.8″, Height: 5’11″
Lifting stats in pounds by the end were: Deadlift 365×2, Squat 275×10, Bench 225×4
Tommy M., USA
Weight: 185lbs -> 175.9lbs, Stomach: 34.6″ -> 31.4″
Kenneth N., Sweden
Weight: 185lbs -> 175.9lbs, Stomach: 35.0″ -> 31.5″, Height: 5’10.5″
“I have tried different diets/training protocols in the past, they gave me some progress, but it always swung back, I was never able to get down to the levels of leaness I was aiming for. I found IF and Leangains, I made one attempt on my own but could not dial it in. So I found Andy’s site and, well, I never hesitade to be his client after our initals emails. Now, the diet in it self is not hard, sure it takes some planning, making good food choices and measuring, but compared to 6-7 meals-a-day, its simple when you get into it. (Of course, you are going to have to something “different”, compared to 99% of the rest of the population, scary right? Well, if you feel social pressure just because you dont eat the friday afternoon cake at work, because every one else does, then you first have to take care of that “attitude” and stop letting other people rules your life. There, self-help rant over.. )
Kenneth”
Robert P., Netherlands
Weight: 185.9lbs -> 176.4lbs, Stomach: 36.2″ -> 32.3″, Height: 6’1″
Ivan C., Malaysia
Weight: 158.8lbs -> 148.3lbs, Stomach: 30.4″ -> 28.9″, Height: 5’7″
“Getting to know about RippedBody.jp came about as a coincidence when I saw it mentioned on my buddy’s facebook wall. I started off as a 135kg kid 2 years back and decided to get my life back when my health was falling apart. Till June this year I still weighed a hefty 78kg (~172lbs), when I first met Andy. It has never been in my life that I went through such a radical physical transformation and I can never thank Andy enough for being such a great coach in my fitness journey.
He send me this a few days later.
To fellow leangainers and new followers of leangains I believe this is just a starting point to where I want to be 8 months down the road. My transformation was also made possible with a bunch of fitocrats in Fitocracy who were selfless in the experience sharing and tips given along the way. There was no turning back since I started off with leangains and I know I never will. Thank You Andy for bringing me to where I never knew I could be. I hope more people would come accepting leangains as their training regime and you know Andy is always there for you. Cheers!“
Katja L., Finland
Weight: 123.2lbs -> 115.5lbs, Stomach: 30.9″ -> 28.0″, Height: 5’3″
We stuck to 4 basic lifts. Katja put ~40lbs on her deadlift and ~22lbs on her squat.
“Honestly, I don’t think I have ever felt better or more confident! Well, maybe before the pregnancies but after that… So I’m really happy and grateful. I don’t think I would have gotten here without hiring you! So it was money well spent even though I’m not working and not made of money Anyways, now I’m eager to continue, so thank you for everything!”
Jukka L., Finland
Weight: 229.7lbs -> 204.8lbs, Stomach: 40.7″ -> 36.1″, Height: 5’10″
“I’ve tried pretty much everything from Weight Watchers’ points to low carbing and had moderate success. But the fat kept always coming back. Last year I got down to under 95kg with low carbing and it was mentally terrible. I went back to around 105kg and size 38 jeans, XL shirts, feeling worse mentally and it was even hard to breathe when tying my shoes because of my gut. I read about Leangains and thought it sounded pretty good and might work. I tried it by myself, but overestimated my calories and didn’t do it right. I got stronger but didn’t lose any fat.
After that I considered hiring Andy, but wasn’t sure if he could really help and if it was worth the money. My wife also wanted to get fitter so the fee would be double. It was a hard decision because we don’t have a lot of extra cash just lying around at the moment (I have my own company and my wife is at home with our kids). It’s not even a lot of money for most people and absolutely worth it. If getting lean makes me healthier and I live longer in better shape, it’s a good investment.
So we both decided to hire Andy and all I can say is that for the first time I really feel like this is a sustainable way of life while ”dieting”. I get to enjoy eating, I can eat things I love (like sweets) on some days and hunger is never an issue. I feel good, the fat just keeps burning and this doesn’t feel like a diet at all. In addition to all of that this has been the fastest progress I’ve ever experienced AND I’ve become stronger. When I started in the spring I could do a few chins, now I do weighted chins – I even did 2 reps with a 16kg kettlebell around my waist. I’ve never in my life felt this good and strong. And happy with myself. I know I still have a long road ahead of me before I can see my sixpack for the first time in my life, but Andy gave me the tools to get there. And I know I will succeed. My only problem is that I need to keep buying new clothes.”
Ren K., Japan
Weight: 156.2lbs -> 154.4lbs, Stomach: 32.0″ -> 30.5″, Height: 5’6″
“First of all, I was simply expecting to get skinny. I guess I had a false understanding of what “lean” really means. I also did not expect to get so much stronger. Call it newbie gains, but I just deadlifted 135kilos five times! I can now comfortably bench my weight, squat 1.5 x body weight, and deadlift 2x body weight. And by comfortably I mean multiple sets of 5 reps…
Did the best I could with the photos Ren, sorry they don’t do you justice. Wish we had the back shots from before also as they looked really good.
Andrew P., USA
Weight: 170.4lbs -> 166.3lbs, Stomach: 32.6″ -> 30.9″, Height: 5’11″
Squat: 185×5 -> 210×7 Deadlift: 280×5 -> 355×2
Body-fat: 12.7 -> 7.9% – (via DEXA scan)
“Andy,
It’s been great working with you for the last few months. I wanted to send you a quick note of appreciation and let you know how you’ve helped me. I considered myself a fairly rational, methodical person. I had read all the Leangains and Bodyrecomposition.com articles – that’s sort of how I found your site. I put all of that information to use for most of 2011 and I did see some results, but around August of last year, I completely cratered strength-wise. I was yo-yoing way too much on the rest vs. lift days and generally just applied all the rules with no sense, because I didn’t have any experience. Also, I was not tracking the numbers regarding lift stats or weekly body measurements. Taking measurements just once a week has been one of the biggest mindset changes for me. I’m finally able to relax and just let things happen and more importantly, I got to learn your system for making objective decisions about my own progress. The easy counting rules you provided also really help with relaxing the OCD. I’ve splurged almost every weekend, drinking and/or the occasional crap food and I’ve still lost on the plan and that’s been an eye opener. But beyond splurging, I feel much more comfortable just eyeing food and knowing roughly what I’m eating – no more fears about vacations!
From the DEXA scans I’ve had done, I’ve dropped from 12.7% BF to 7.9% between July 18th to October 26th. At the same time, I’ve gained 1.95 kg lean mass (4.3 pounds). I’d echo some of the other people who’ve written you back – people just need to relax and let it happen. People, especially us modern folk, are incredibly impatient – I was and still fight it, but if they just stick to the plan, as everyone says, they will get there. I spent nearly 6 weeks at a stagnant point, then one weekend, boom, 5 pounds dropped and I was just cut all of a sudden – it was crazy!
Anyone pondering doing this just needs to commit to it and don’t look back and don’t doubt anything. Hiring you was the best money spent in a long time and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Keep on spreading the truth!
Cheers,
Andrew.”
Steve O., UK
Weight: 182.6lbs -> 168.3lbs, Stomach: 34.0″ -> 30.0″, Height: 6’0″
“I actually feel brilliant about how things have progressed. The main thing that struck me was the simplicity of the training and diet. It was almost a little too simple to be true. Eating just twice a day has made life easy, I no longer have to continually think about when I’m going to be having my next meal. I didn’t really get that hungry waiting for my first meal of the day at 1pm, and when it did come around it was great as I have always loved eating large meals. I’m now looking forward to slow bulking and piling in even more.
The great thing about this is that I now have a blue print for the rest of my life that can be tweaked as and when required to suit my needs. It’s been a pleasure to have you as my coach and I will of course recommend you to anyone I know that would benefit from having you as a coach.”
George O., Romania
Weight: 167.0lbs -> 148.7lbs, Stomach: 36.5″ -> 30.7″, Height: 5’4″
“Looking at the images side by side, the difference is HUGE! I have 2.5kgs left to go, [his own personal target] and I have all the tools to acquire that objective. I can say that I understand how my body works now!
“No George, you owe yourself new clothes. – You earned them. Keep focusing on those strength gains and it will all come together. Break it down into two more 12 week targets and by summer you will be a completely new man. The thought puts a huge smile on my face.
Jason C., USA
Weight: 155.0lbs -> 150.7lbs, Stomach: 34.8″ -> 30.5″, Height: 5’10″
Four inches lost on the stomach yet only 5 lbs total weight down. Chest/back size maintained. Clear muscle growth and fat loss.
“Working with you and your modifications to the Leangains diet has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my fitness journey. In 2010 I invested heavily into the P90x and its 5 meal a day program. After a year of 5 days a week of training and eating 5-6 meals a day I was in the best shape of my life BUT I was exhausted. Unable to keep up with the training/eating schedule P90x laid out for me and I ended up rebounding and gained 15lbs back on.
When I decided to get back into fitness, I gave Leangains a try on my own but my emotions got in the way. When I found you, I made the plunge and hired you. Your modifications such as, simplified eating rules and how to deal with Turkey day seemed unreal BUT it works! The method is a realistic lifestyle that anyone can live
with. You provided me with all the data I need to continue this to my goal cut and through my lean bulking stage. I still have a ways to go but you sure made the journey easy by keeping my emotions out of it! Oh, by the way, I achieved the same body I had in P90x without any cardio, eating 2 large meals a day, all within 13 weeks. I have my life back. Thanks Andy!“
Curtis C., Australia
Weight: 176.0lbs -> 165.4lbs, Stomach: 32.3″ -> 30.5″, Height: 6’0″
“I was skeptical when starting off on the program particularly with dropping the cardio, but over the 12 weeks haven’t spent one second on the stepper or treadmill and have gotten in my best shape and saved myself 5-7 hours week in free time (unfortunately this has been spent at work). Definitely a lot leaner then when I started with abs and vascularity far more defined. Strength has pretty much been maintained which is not bad for given a loss of 5kg, which on face value would indicate that it was mostly fat. I can say that I’m convinced that IF is not only the easiest method I have used to lean up but also the most effective.
All the best, Curtis.“
Ted W., USA
Age: 44, Weight: 165lbs -> 154lbs, Stomach: 32.9″ -> 29.9″, Height: 5’9″
“I was skeptical when starting off on the program particularly with dropping the Now, about me. Attached are my 12 week stats/pics and as you can see this little experiment was an exercise in failure. PSYCHE! Who put all those crustaceans on my abdominal wall?! Man! Thank you very much for delivering exactly what you promised. ”
Dougie B., UK
Weight: 187lbs -> 173.1lbs, Stomach: 36.3″ -> 32.4″, Height: 5’11″
“Here is my final results check in on our 12 week routine. I have put on a little weight but the measurements have still dropped so not sure if it’s my readings or just maybe a little water weight. Looking back from my first picture to my final picture there is much improvement so I am happy about that and long may it continue. I have a goal of getting down to around 8% BF and try keep at that so I will continue to progress and will send you another picture when I reach my goal.
This has been one of the easiest diets, scrub that, ‘lifestyle changes’ that I have done so I will stick at this one, I just need to get my training routine grilled down a bit better as the food side of things is taken care of. Thanks for all the help. - Dougie“
Abdul, UK
Weight: 160.8lbs -> 143.2lbs, Stomach: 33.6″ -> 29.7″, Height: 5’8″
Abdul contacted me after losing 29lbs on his own. This explains the lose skin in the picture on the left. The challenge was to lose fat at a rate where we wouldn’t further the skin issue and it worked quite well. There’s a little lose skin on the right, but it will come tight within a couple of months and he’ll look even more shredded.
“You were right, the transformation is drastic. I never believed I could shed basically 18 pounds of fat in 12 weeks!
Overall I am so happy to have just trusted your judgement throughout this process – I feel I have control given 15+ years of frustration with endless cardio and BS advice. Right now I am the talk of the office, gym etc – anywhere I go. People just want to know what I have been doing. It’s amazing how many people are asking what I am doing and asking for advice! So they must like what they see which is also a confidence booster.
This is a skill for life you have helped me with and I have a great mentor in you. It’s the best money I’ve spent – the results speak for themselves, the hours and hours I’ve saved in time from cardio etc and the realization that I am giving myself the best chance of a long life – its priceless and again I thank you and you have my complete respect, my friend.
Be good to yourself always, Abdul.”
Matt H., UK
Weight: 153.8lbs -> 141.2lbs, Stomach: 33.1″ -> 27.3″, Height: 5’7″
Blair. O, UK
Weight: 178lbs -> 166.8lbs, Stomach: 31.5″ -> 28.5″, Height: 6’1″
Andrew, I have to admit, I like being able to see my abs clearly on a daily basis without feeling like I’m working on it. I want to thank you again for your guidance during this process. I’m very pleased with how lean I was able to get without losing much (if any) strength. It was a great learning experience for me.
Thanks again for everything! - Blair
Rog. L, USA
12/17: Weight 199lbs, Waist 34.3″, Dips 328 x 6, Deadlift 465 x 5, Front Squat 325 x 5
02/16: Weight 185lbs, Waist 30.3″, Dips 389 x 4, Deadlift 515 x 4, Front Squat 370 x 4
Rog’s thoughts can be read in an interview here.
Ulrich. D, USA
Weight: 171lbs -> 163.4lbs, Stomach: 30.3 -> 28.6″, Height: 5’10″
Here is my final checkup. I have loved this program and easy lifestyle of eating and training that you have bestowed upon me. I appreciate what you have taught me and I think the results speak for themselves. Let me know what you think! Improvements up and down the board, I feel better than ever, and honestly I think I can do even better! There were times when I felt like I was cheating or not really following the plan but tried to stay smart and follow all of your advice!!! Ive got a final pic in there as well as a comparison pic with dates! Truly amazed at how much my body has changed. Didn’t feel too much of a difference throughout the process but the patience and hard work obviously have paid off! I plan on keeping this state of leanness or better throughout time but slowly adding more mass (my goal).
Ted K., USA
Weight: 199lbs -> 183.8lbs, Stomach: 37.4 -> 33.2″, Height: 6’0″
I’m really pleased with my progress. I definitely did not think I was able to do it when I started. You can absolutely use my results for the result page – I like to check on the results page for inspiration to keep me going, and if it helps even just one person, I’d be pretty happy about it.
Thanks for everything! I am still so amazed at how, well…easy it was to get going. Prior to consulting with you I felt stuck and since I’ve always been a big guy always assumed that a cut would end in failure. It all seems so straightforward now. I feel like I’ve gotten a pretty fantastic head start on where I want to be. I couldn’t have done it without you Andy!
Ted
Brad B., USA Slow-bulk
Weight: 147.2lbs -> 156.5lbs, Stomach: 29.5″ -> 29.9″, Height: 5’10″
Squat: 225 x 5 -> 315 x 5, Deadlift 255 x 5 -> 345 x 3, Bench 170 x 5 -> 220 x 5
It’s more than clear to me that things have paid off. I’m about 10 pounds up from starting again, and I’ve loved it all. I let go (within reason) the past couple of weekends as I’m trying to enjoy more of life now, and probably put on a tiny bit more fat than before. Either way, while I’m more than pleased with my progress, I’m more excited about the future as I feel very comfortable taking over from here.
I definitely didn’t think I’d be squatting twice my bodyweight (especially not for reps) or deadlifting ~350 pounds for reps. It’s been an exciting three months! - Brad
This is the second time Brad hired me. The first time was for a cut which you can see further above. He then finished the cut on his own and hired me to take care of a bulk for him.
Part of my comment to Brad: Here we find a classic example of what happens when people are patient, progress things in incremental, logical steps. Week to week the changes may have been unnoticeable in the mirror, and this usually leads to frustration, and stupid things quickly follow. You trusted in the process unquestioningly, and got the results. Thank you for that.
12 weeks then and around 10lbs gained. Do you have more total body fat than before? Possibly. But there is no denying that despite this your abs look more defined as your whole body has grown.
Matt R., USA
Height: 5’9”, Weight: 161lbs -> 154.8lbs, Stomach: 29.9” -> 27.0”
You can definitely share my results on the results wall (although those 5AM before pics of me in my underwear might kill your site’s traffic – caveat emptor).
What would I like to say to people? I’d make and appeal to the ageing athletes reading your site that may be approaching or over 40 and think they are past their prime. This system will work for them just as it worked for me. If they are in a hurry or confused they should just hire you and save themselves a few iterations of trial and error but regardless they will be better off if they use the information on the site. I’m not talking about “getting back” to where they were when they thought they were in their primes. I’m talking about surpassing what they were ever capable of achieving with their physiques when they were younger in less time and with less time.
I would also caution people to ignore the doubters. A lot of people may begin to ask you “questions” (more like put what is obviously working on trial). What these people really want to hear are reasons why it somehow won’t work for them. Call it fear of success, ego, whatever. It took me a while to understand that not everyone that asks for advice actually wants to hear it. Spare yourself the mental energy.
-M
Michael C., USA
Height: 5’6”, Weight: 150.8lbs -> 141.4lbs, Stomach: 30.8” -> 28.5”
The past three months have been a great journey. I learned a lot about myself as well as how to structure a diet and take a much more relaxed approach than I have in the past. I have no doubt that I can continue this into the future and that the protocol will allow me to successfully cut, recomp or bulk. I can’t wait until I’ve reached my cutting goal and I can start bulking. RPT has been fantastic and I don’t see myself ever going back to P90X and “confusing my muscles”.
I want to thank you for all of your help through this journey and I hope to continue sending you progress shots every now and then so you can see that your hard work stayed with me and led me to successfully achieve my goals.
Thanks again Andy! -Michael.
Fat loss: ~9lbs down, 5-6cm off the stomach.
Strength: bench +10%, squat + 20%, deadlift +20%.
Measurements: The chest, arms and leg measurements have gotten less, but this is natural when cutting and shouldn’t be taken as a sign or muscle loss. I would guess that the opposite it more likely.
Gary M., Scotland
Height: 6’3”, Weight: 206.6lbs -> 189.8lbs, Stomach: 35.8” -> 31.8”
That’s the last phase of the 12 weeks complete. Piece of cake although the dream of my abs showing has not been reached yet, getting close though! The diet overall was easy to meet and with Andy cutting my carb allowance didn’t really phase me, I did prefer when they were higher though, fat bastard!
You can see my results from my self taken pics although I believe I look 10x better, the plan was to get the wife to take a few but they turned out shit, must have something to do with women, technology and being pregnant.
Andy done as he says on the tin, straight forward, no nonsense, keeps it simple and is value for money. To be honest most people need to spend the cash if only to get a kick up the arse and get there finger out, its amazing what tracking progress can do!
I shall keep you posted on my progress mate and I hope to show my transformation after a nice slooow bulk. All the best mate and keep posting new info on your site, its down to earth and makes for good reading.
Rainier C., Australia
Height: 6’0.5”, Weight: 180.4lbs -> 172.9lbs, Stomach: 31.5” -> 28.9”
It has been an invaluable and insightful experience watching and feeling the measurable physical change but also the mentality shift of understanding the program being “blend in” to your lifestyle rather than a sole focal point and the lesson of patience and consistency.
My greatest advice to anyone who wanted to try out is “Less is so much more”. Andy has certainly simplified the way of approaching the whole program for beginners like myself. From my personal experience, knowing what to do is as crucial as knowing what NOT to do (messing around with your macro, training routine etc) and Andy is here to guide you every step of the way and be the voice to stop you making those miserable mistakes. At times I do struggle with over-thinking the tiniest detail, but I noticed the times where I have the greater gains are during the days that I just don’t care and lift the damn barbell. Listen, lift, eat, sleep, and repeat.
I am sure no expert when it comes to fitness and still have a long way to progress myself but the assurance of knowing what, why and how to get there through working with Andy in the past 12 weeks is a great feeling when you understand how your body function, rather than relying just the mirror and/ or the weight scale.
For anyone who is just starting or in the progress like myself, I wish us all the very best. If you wish to try Andy out, my best bet is you are getting so much more value than you’ve paid for, although I do need to get some new pants because the old ones are starting to fall off from my waist. Happy trying.
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Interested in getting a personalized plan? See the Personal Consultations Page.
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When I first came to you I believe I wanted to be 200lbs @ 10% BF and you kept it real with me and told me that it wasn’t impossible yet starting from my current position It would be best to cut fat first to a desired leanness then bulk back up … wasn’t the news I wanted to hear, but now that I am at the lowest weight in my adult life and with the information I have learned from past failures combined with my new successes, I am glad you told me the truth. I had been spinning my wheels in the mud for a large part of my life and I have most definitely gained a shitload of traction and started on a new journey over these last few months, I am honestly grateful for this experience and for you – taking the time to coach me in the cool ass manor that you did.
At my highest weight point I bulked up 212lbs, was lifting heavy, eating far too many carbs, didn’t grasp the concept of macros, never thought to compensate for the fat already present on my body, and essentially thought fasting would just work it all out and after a few months of just essentially piling on muscle and fat I was just at a lost for WTF to do.
Not to sound like a broken record but now I AM AT THE LOWEST WEIGHT IN MY ADULT LIFE – lifting just about the same amount of when I was at 212 just now at 32lbs lighter – I look forward to where I’ll be at the end the year and beyond I am super hype for what the future holds and ill mos def keep you updated with shots as I progress down the road.
Again, thank you thank you and thank you once again
Nate.
Thank you so much for everything… it has been a great ride overall. I have enjoyed the diet and was very happy with my progress in the gym too until I got sick and hurt my arm… but that is not the diet’s fault of course and you are right even with those setbacks the diet has been working great! I was really pretty strict overall with it and followed my macros pretty religiously and it worked great. Another issue I had was a crazy work schedule with the three jobs I have but that didn’t phase the diet .. .just my training a bit for recovery.
I definitely notice a huge difference on what I was carrying around… and everyone else does too. Its been cool to hear people say. Did you lose a lot of weight.. .and a few people I hadn’t seen in quite a long time not recognize me… which to me is kind of weird/amazing but people are odd.
I have a new wardrobe… both shirts and pants were too big. Went from Size XL about 3 years ago … to size L and now I am in mediums. My pants size was 38 3 years ago. When I started the diet it was 34. Now I am in size 31 and they are loose on me. Overall my belly fat is gone. In fact my Dr. commented when I went to get medicine for my Strep Throat a few weeks ago… “What happened to your body fat”. I had to laugh. He was also sort of amazed at my transformation.
This really does work and I encourage anyone who is willing to put the work in and wants to make a permanent change in their lifestyle to take a long hard look at hiring you as a coach.
Sincerely,
JJ Hoskins
St. Louis, MO
This is amazing at littile time have a beter body.
Depending on start position, things can happen quickly yes. However it’s always best to think of this as a long-term thing and approach it in a sustainable way. Years of sitting on the sofa can’t be undone in a matter of weeks. Strength training will be key for previously sedentary individuals.
I can’t believe that I just e-mailed you with my final 12-week results for my cut! Time flies.
As I have said for the past two check-ins, I am extremely pleased with the results. It feels great to look in the mirror and see more definition than I have ever had, and knowing that I have done it all myself. I can’t believe that I am able to eat a pretty good amount of food yet still have the fat melting off.
Thanks for all of your help, Andy!
Brian, thanks for sharing here also buddy. Good working with you and don’t forget those parting words of advice. Always available in the comments here if you need.
Dear Andy,
Thanks a lot for your coaching. It has been a pleasure to work with you. In this three (almost four) months time, I have begun to transform my body in ways that I didn’t know it was even possible, specially at my age (35), and after 2 pregnancies.
But the best part is that it is only the beginning, because now I have enough knowledge of my body to carry on and keep getting better.
I hope I can send you soon a wonderful picture of an ever better myself, maybe in a few months time
Finally, I wanted to tell you several things:
-This “method” has given me the mental and physical strength I needed to carry on with my life. Well, anybody passes through tough times, and if you do not have what it takes to endure, you can end either physical or mentally ill.
- It has also cured my backaches completely. I can stand for a log while without being tired or sit in a backless seat without any problem, not like my same-age friends…
So I really feel rejuvenated.
- It is very pleasant to be strong (well, not as a strong as a man could be, but just good enough for a woman my weight).
- I love to stay fit and also eat according to my hunger (skipping breakfast is a great tool to know better when you really are hungry and when it is a craving). The only problem is that when I am hungry, I really am, so I need real food, not the small portions women usually would have
. I have realized how little women usually eat.
- I can have a diet break (had it in my Rome holiday) without increasing my weight, which is fantastic.
- I am very happy, Andy, thanks again! Have good luck in your enterprises and projects!
Best regards,
Paloma
Paloma, thank you for sharing here also. Pleasure working with you.
I was decently pleased with the results until I saw a picture taken of me this past weekend and compared it to one from over the holidays and then I was extremely pleased and knew this program had been successful.
hi im dee farida, female from canada. I’ve started IF’ing for the past 3 days because I want to lower my body fat percentage and keep the muscle i have. I’m 26.7% bodyfat..down from the 31 I used to be years ago. I’m 5’1 and weight now 148..down from 158. My goal is to get to 20% body fat and from what i read would be 130 lbs. I also read that if it’s just me, skin, bones and lean muscle I’m I would be 110 lbs. I teach zumba maybe 6 or 7 times a week and participate in bootcamp classes twice a week for added resistance strength training. I also hold quite a bit of fat around my abdomen and I think most of my body fat is around my abdomen and my thighs. what do you think is a realistic time I can expect to reach my goal and the best way to get there. With IF’ing..and low carbing it…I’m thinking i’m on the right track….??? help
Shoot for 1lb of fat loss a week.
Just finished my 12 weeks cut. Thanks Andy for the “fairwell” info package and the whole “journey”. To be precise, you actually took the journey out of this cut. I actually needed to check from calendar last weekend that is it really time to send in the measurements and photos already. Last four weeks just passed by in a breeze. I think that shows how easy this diet is to maintain.
I’ll drop you some info to site comments or FB how my progress goes on my own!
I’ve already got some questions how did I do my cut etc. and I’ve passed your site address and Leangains site address forward. Lets see if you get some new Finnish clients!
All the best!
Petri, thank you for sharing here also. Look forward to seeing how you get on!
The 12 weeks have flown by actually, I’d like to thank you very much Andy, this has been a great learning experience in consistency. I’m surprised with the strength too, particularly the bench, was sure it would drop away, my squat also is much better then the stats would suggest, I just still mess up on form, when I get it right though it fly’s. I feel I’ve got a huge amount out of this experience that I will apply in the future. looking forward to taking a break for a few weeks when I’m in the states but when I get back I’ll definitely be pushing on to a decent set of abs.
Thanks for sharing this Steve. Pleasure working with you too. Look forward to an update.
Hi Andy,
Just finished my 12 weeks under your personal guidance and as you’ll see I’ve lost quite a lot of weight and I’m on the road to where I want to be, this is the slimist I’ve been in many years. Hiring you as a trainer/nutritionist has proved money well spent – particularly in relation to calculating the macros – instead of fannying about with them for months myself. I now have the knowledge to carry this on, completing my cut and hopefully switching to a slow bulk thereafter.
All the best,
Seamus.
Seamus, thank you for sharing this here also. Pleasure working with you.
So Andy, even though I’m a long way off from less-than 10% BF, is it uncommon for clients to need to re-hire you to cleanly slow bulk and reaching their weight loss goals. I know you don’t ever intend to get rehired, just curious as to what you notice with people who actually achieve the lean body they desire and where they go from there.
It isn’t my goal, but some do, despite guidance. I guess mostly for reasons mentioned in the “Why would a coach get coached?” article.
Hey Andy
Just wondering, how did youself and others lose fat so rapidly. On your own 10 week transformation you lose nearly 10kg in 10 weeks. How restricted were your calories?
See here.
normal under lg aka andy,
A few days I have had to start my feeding time 1 hour early and compensate by ending my feeding time an hour early. This is primarily on off days. Is this ok?
Fine. But don’t change the last meal time.
Hi Andy,
Since i have been to this website couple of months back, i have been in awestruck after seeing the results of people. Do you do consultation for people in India ?
Thanks,
Bharat
Yes, but not for strict vegetarians unless they are experienced counting their macros already.
Please let me know about the procedure. Would like to ask you further about it.
If you are experienced in counting your macros (>6 months) then that is fine, if not then the answer is no. A serious requirement, not a request. Details if you are interested on the consultations page.
Hi, I was just wondering. It you say stomach measurement @navel does it usually mean relaxed or flexed stomach? Thanks
Flexed/tensed is usually the most consistent way to take measurements.
Hello Andy,
My current weight is 64k, 5’3 and BF 10.6% using the body fat caliper. I am doing the +20/-20 method 2100 maintenance, 2600 surplus , 1800 deficit. With SL5x5 by mehdi. Am I right on the track? or should I shift to another method like bulking? I still had no visible mid and lower abs cause of the fat layers. Or switched to RPT big 3 lifts?
Jettie, you’re asking a lot of questions on a lot of different posts on this site but you’re not reading the articles thoroughly enough and taking on board the principles. Please do that.
I do apologize. My bad Andy for posting a lot. I just don’t know where to put my comments/questions/queries with regards to this matter. Tho I was reading your site everyday.
Point taken. Thanks !
Andy, if I would only focus on the scale I would be very depressed. But my pants are falling of my ass, shirts are getting to wide and as a custom the Costa Ricans give you a name by your appearance if they don’t know your real name, which is now in the range from “Macho” to “Luchador” (fighter) instead of “Gordo” (fat). See this as a talking mirror and this all day long! Frustration is for those who do not live in great awareness. Things change positively, every day. I really enjoy training again. I enjoy the food. I enjoy the knowledge about myself. This makes LG/IF a life changer and as a bonus I will be abs lean in the near future. Our kitchen screams ‘dedication’ with all the Post-it memo’s with the calculated macro’s and I am very blessed with a young wife that cooks the best dishes possible making the diet an easy ride. I know for sure that I fucked up my body’s metabolism by not eating carbs for one year (this was three years ago) suppressing any desire for food with Ephedra, I am paying the price now. Lost then about 40kgs, gained one year later.
I have 18 years of experience in business with Japan (I know Osaka very well). You wrote about ‘Kendoka’. Do I need to say more?
I will adjust the by you adviced macro as from today. All is clear to me.
Thanks again Andy.
Michael
Thanks for sharing Michael. Your mail this morning made my day.
This is awesome Michael. Thanks for sharing.
good one!
Andy,
I’m 8 weeks into our cutting program and am learning a lot about my body (well the human body in general). Especially that a few bad meals or indulgences will NOT kill you, but really keep you on track. What makes slip-ups even better for sanity is when you have them and you STILL make progress. And this truly has taught me the importance of diet alone. I laugh at some of my buddies that want to cut “their” way. And they see the progress I am making and they are like “it’s genetics.” It flatters me, but I know the real reason, and I just laugh because I just bust my ass in the gym 3 times a week and then let the diet do the rest. Thanks for everything thus far.
So plan is to keep on keeping on, same macros and everything and if I have no other questions this week we will see ya next update with some abs noodles (hopefully!)
Hey Andy , just using this space to say thanks again , our consultation was a very fun journey and a great experience You are a great coach , very patient and explain things very well. I aquired alot of knowledge and undesrtand alot of things about nutrition and training that i hadnt a clue before our consultation. I will be sending photos to keep you updated once i reach my goals, maybe in 3 months , maybe in 6 months , maybe in one year or more… who knows. But they will come =)
Thanks and best wishes to you.
Lucas
PS: To anyone else reading this , i would easily recommend Andy’s services. Its a HUGE learning experience to any serious lifter !
Thanks for sharing.
Hey Andy, thank for you working with me and giving me tools to understand myself and this whole process better. I took two weeks off as directed after my first cut period and felt awesome went up 3lbs in a week and remained at that same weight the second week. This is my first week back on my cut keeping the same macros. Ill admit I was scared of the break but it was great because it was planned like the info and link to Lyle’s site stated. A week back into my cut and I’m right back where I left off 3lbs back down which blew me away actually. I started taking creatine this first week and will keep it for this cut since I didn’t have it on our last cut and will see how it goes. I read your take on it so will track things and drop it if need be but I feel strong looking leaner and eager for next week to see my numbers. I appreciate all you do and will definitely give you updates down the road as far as where I am and how things are coming along for me. When I get ripped as I can ill start a slow bulk but feels weird being smaller overall and having clothes that haven’t for me in ages for now. I feel good confident and just now was to for the first time get insanely ripped to really show off the virtues of leangains with consistency, dedication simplified tracking, minimalistic training.
Thanks for sharing David!
I enjoyed the post here. I just finished my first week back after coming off of a two week diet break as well. It was such a relief to have the freedom to eat what I wanted especially when going out with friends. I’m curious as to how using creatine has impacted your efforts especially being on a cut. I would think it could lead to bloating. What has your experience been?
From a guidance mail I give to clients:
What about creatine?
If you have not been taking creatine then please do not start taking it. If you have been taking creatine then please continue taking it. Do not change course of action half way through.
Reason:
Creatine causes increased water uptake in the muscles. It can also cause some bloating.
Changing half way through we will lose objectivity in the measurements and tracking process.
It can take up to 30 days for creatine to take full effect.
I don’t personally use it as it gives me headaches and diarrhoea.
Thanks Andy for the reminder. I had forgotten that you had said that before.
Andy I would like to thank you for your work, I strongly believe I did the right choice, working with you. You have cleaned my life from all the bullshit I gathered about fitness and body building and have given me a method to assess and achieve results from now on.
Thank you!
Thank you Lorenzo! Great working with you.
Hi Andy, 2 weeks into the plan and have definitely lost BF (the mirror and the tape don’t lie!) but have put weight on! LOL….the diet is really a breeze compared to previous regimes I’ve followed
and there have been many other benefits as listed in the thread of this message. Strength gains have been consistent for the most part and it’s great to be in and out of the gym in an hour!! Really looking forward to our first month review in a couple of weeks…thank you
Good to hear Steve, a little early to read into things yet though. I say this not to douse your flames but as advice for the long term. – People need to look at trends over time and base their decisions over those, not the changes over the short term. Do that and they’ll be successful.
Hi Andy,
Once I got a body tape measure and did myself the numbers became more consistent. My
chest definately is much stronger. Even though my max only went up one rep the past month, the 2nd and 3rd sets are showing more progress. My legs are definately bigger. A couple of people at work even mentioned I look more “built” over the past couple of months, especially when I wear a more form fitting polo shirt, so I pass the eyeball test that way. Keep in mind before we started, I was doing a mix of bodyweight and one set maxes, so the extra volume (2nd and 3rd sets) on the big lifts may be helping with a bit of hypertrophy, even if I didnt gain that much in overall strength. There is no question that now when I flex, you can see all six of my abs. When we started, that was not the case.
In terms of the actual diet, one change i made the last few weeks (after the hurricane) is that I stopped having ANY calories before my feeding window. Before, I was having a splash of cream or milk in my coffee. Now, im having a couple of cups black, no exceptions. Notice I had good increases the past two weeks with my weight/stomach size. I honestly think this made a big difference for me.
I do think I will take a “diet break” for a couple of weeks. Not that I plan on going nuts, just gonna stick to a standard “paleo” diet for the most part while trying to focus big carbs (sweet potato or rice) after a workout.
Thanks for all the help Andy. I really love the simplified macro counting, it has definately made things a whole lot less stressful, even for a guy who is able to really count every gram, and has grown up around it, it makes a difference.
Good to hear Justin. Thank you for sharing. Good luck chasing your goals in 2013.
Hey Andy,
Just checking your site again. Some great new posts! Can i ask you what your daily caloric deficit was during your 10-week example?
Peter
Ooops, Just saw that this question is already asked very frequently. Sorry!
If you think about it logically, a 24 week re-comp takes 24 weeks. A 12 week cut is faster obviously, as there is no point slow bulking until you’re really lean and 12 weeks is obviously quicker than 24……..but don’t worry about which is faster, if you choose IF as a lifestyle change, it will just happen when it happens. You may find you are super lean in less than 12 weeks or it may take longer. Just let it happen as patience is the key. Don’t get hung up on which is fastest. Maybe ask Andy for his fees, then you can save up……..?…sorry Andy, I’m very bored at work today…..and Jake good luck with whatever you choose to do.
Thanks for all the great advise you have given me Rich, a bit random but do you have a Bodybuilding.com account?
Also i doubt i would be able to afford him i usually have £15 at the end of a week and that is before i go out for a booze up, haha, although i don’t suppose i will be doing as much of that this year.
I think I have actually, but I don’t go on it. All the information I need for myself is right here on rippedbodyjp. Since I switched to IF I’ve kind of stopped looking at other stuff for the fact that its easy to lose track of what your original goals are and stray off your planned path. (I’m a sucker for this lol). Have you seen my bodybuilding.com account? You can also find me at neweragym.co.uk
I have to agree with you Rich. A week is a week whether it’s on a cut or on a recomp. When I began my journey, I thought I would reach my goal after 12 weeks but in reality I spent 26 weeks on a cut and while at the end of it I looked the best I had ever looked in my entire life, there was still room for improvement. Patience is definitely the key in all of this. Andy is a great person to work with.
*hug*
[Cheque is in the post.]
*hug*
Hi Andy I understand if you cant answer this question as in know you don’t calculate people macros for them, but i was curious because im currently 170lbs and 15%BF 5’9 ,if I cut at +10%/-35% my weekly deficit is only -2361kcal (using http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ ). A few of the people i see on the results page are around the same height and weight as me but were losing more than 1lbs per week, how is this possible?
Were they running a much larger deficit ?
Also if these numbers are true and i am losing at this rate (3/4lbs per week) does that mean its going take me 13-15 weeks to drop 5%BF?
And one last question, would you be able to say what deficit you personal ran your cut at because it looks like you dropped 4-5%BF in 8 weeks.
I am sorry about such a long post but i am just assuming that you wont be able to answer some of the questions and i have read through all of your posts and i know that you say everyone is different.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me it is greatly appreciated.
Sorry I meant to say that “it looks like you dropped 4-5%BF in 7 weeks.”
Hi Jake. The maths never works out nearly like that so don’t stress about it. – Another reason I’m not a fan of that calculator as it makes people believe they can predict their fat loss results accurately with it.
Ok thanks Andy
Also would you be able to say what you yourself ran e.g.+10%/-35% ?
If not thanks anyway.
It doesn’t matter what Andy or anyone ran, everyone is different. If you plan on having a bash dive in and have a play. If you make mistakes and it costs you time and results then you have learnt about your body which is great. If you don’t want to waste all that time, then just hire Andy! Will be the best money you ever spent I promise!
Thanks Rich for the advise
And i am a student at the moment and so am on quite a tight budget, so im guessing i wouldn’t be able to afford him, otherwise i would jump at the oppertunitty.
But i will start at +10%/-35% and see how it goes and adjust from there.
Also Andy or anyone else who may know this but what do you think would produce faster results for dropping from 15%BF to 10% while gaining muscle
a) 24 week re-comp or…
b)12 week cut/ 12 week lean bulk?
If you’re an intermediate or advanced lifter then you’re best served with a cut and bulk. Relative beginners can recomp more successfully.
10/30 initially.
Thanks Andy
Hello there Andy, I’m from Colombia and I have been training at the gym for the last 6 months with little changes, I’ve been visiting your page and reading almost all of it for the last couple of months and I think 2013 is going to be the year I make the switch to IF. I currently weight 70Kg, my height is 1.78 mts and my bofy fat is at 12%.
Do you think I”ll be a good candidate fo IF? How can I be in contact with you so we can arrange things and see if you can train me?
Thanks in advance!
Just here mate.
So for your cut protocol I know you reccomend +10 workout/ -30 rest. Do you adjust macros according to weight and progress every 4 or so weeks?? And do you every recommend Maintenance on workout days and -30 on rest??
See this post and this one.
Why you put some much emphasis on “lean gains” it’s was stolen from ori hofmekler. There is nothing magical about leangains at all. After my 130lbs weight loss, testing different methods. Leans offers no additional benefit at all. These results aren’t from “leangains” these results are from being in a calorie deficit and training.
Correct, there is definitely nothing magical about leangains, it is another way of structuring food intake around workouts to give maximum results. Ori brought back the idea that people needn’t eat multiple times a day, and reminded the masses. Martin pushed for the middle ground based on the science of things. I’ve tried to summarise why I think the Leangains principles are effective here.
Contacted Andy to help me drop a weight class (92-93kg in the mornings to 85kg) for my first olympic weightlifting competition and just had my competition and finished my time with Andy last week. My competition went great, I weighed in at 84.85kg on the day and made 5/6 of my lifts equalling my training PB’s 70kg snatch and 90kg clean and jerk. So really, thank you for all the help in getting me to my target on time!
I’ve been really pleased with how the last few months have gone, I think more than anything having someone else check up on your progress stops you from just rationalising an excuse to go back to eating maintenance after losing the first couple of kg or when you think your strength might be going down slightly. In terms of strength I’ve been really pleased, I expected to actually lose a small amount but my stats for ohp and bench are just a rep down on pre diet pbs and the same for squats which can probably just be attributed to energy levels and I actually set a 10kg deadlift pb towards the end to reach that 200kg milestone!
Looking back at the photos I originally sent you I didnt realise quite how overweight I was, some kind of reverse body dysmorphia maybe, I remember before contacting you reading through the previous reports and thinking I wasnt a million miles from Jeffs starting point whereas now after losing 7kg of fat im still barely at his starting point (if that)!
That brings me on to where i want to go next though because now I would like to try and actually get properly lean for the first time ever, not just make weight for a competition but 6 pack lean and for the first time it seems achievable too without losing all of my strength, im fully convinced by intermittent fasting and would definitely recommend both Andy and his methods to anyone.
Thanks for taking the time to write that buddy. Has been good working with you and I look forward to a picture in a few months.
Hi Andy
Above, for Phil, USA, he claimed to have worked out at home. Did he use no weights at all? Only bodyweight exercises?
If so, do you have any idea on the routine he used?
Thanks!
Jase
Bodyweight exercises. Want specifics?
Specifics would be fantastic if possible!
Don’t mean to pester but I dont have access to a gym currently and this would be of great help!
Don’t want to violate his privacy so will be more general: Chins, dips, push-ups, KB squats, KB swings, pistol squats, hill sprints… Depends on what you have available. These methods have their limiting factors though, barbells don’t, so long term you will need to switch to progress further.
Hey Andy, just wanted to drop by and share an anecdote that I think shows why this style of training is so effective. I Played basketball for the first time in a month and a half, and it was apparent to me that all of this time spent squatting and deadlifting really does translate into athletic movements. From changing direction, to pulling up on a dime, my jumpshot felt like being shot out of a cannon, since I’m stronger than I was, AND lighter. Learning how to control my core and my lumbar spine, I can’t begin to explain how much more explosive I feel, but Ill say I feel more powerful than any time since I was 19. Now conditioning, on the other hand…
Seriously, what you are doing for people, me included, is awesome, man. I spend so much less time thinking about food and worrying about my macros and other food-obsessive bs, and so much less time in the gym, with superior results to any other time in my life. I’m already stronger than I’ve ever been, and am just getting better and better.
The best decision I made was to enlist your help. I look forward to what this next month brings.
Thanks for posting Ali, so do I.
Hey Andy, thought you would find this interesting, and a good aside about results that maybe aren’t as apparent on the surface…
I went to the doctor to get my flu shot yesterday, and got my pulse and bp taken. Mind you, back when I used to weigh close to 200 (a few years back), I had high bp, borderline hypertension, something like 129/80. After going low carb and paleo with a fuckarounditis workout routine (done sporadically), I got it checked last winter, and was down to 159 pounds and bp of 110/69. Pretty great, I was pretty sold on paleo, and was convinced carbs were the devil.
fast forward to yesterday: I currently weigh 169, ten pounds more (I’m also a ton stronger is my point), eat starchy, white rice carbs (plus some ice cream sandwiches and other high starch/sugar foods) 3 days a week, and my bp and resting pulse: 100/66, with a pulse of 65 bpm.
tl;dr: this method works and will make you healthier in more ways than one.
That’s a fairly consistent finding in the studies also. There’s more work to be done there though and I would like to see more comparisons. Carbs definitely aren’t the devil though.
Andy, Thank you again for everything, Im very greatful for the guidance. You have made all of this stuff, all of the physiological and psychological aspects, simple and maintainable. I feel like I can approach my dieting, training and overall self image with a sense of objectivity and compassion. I went back last night after writing you and reread about 90% of your site, including all the comments, and remembered what a great resource you have created. Every time I had a question about training, macros, supplements, whatever, there was a very simple and clear answer. Thank you again for your help, resources, and for simplifying Martins work to the point that anyone can use it. I will continue my progress using the advice you have given me and keep you updated on progress.
Cheers.
e
Thank you for taking the time to post this Erik!
Hi Andy, i started IF 3 months ago(4 Aug) with 18% body-fat and im on cut atm and now I am only 9% body-fat.i started with 83kg weight and now i am 69.5kg with 60.5 LBM. My questions are as follows
1) after calculating the macros i came up my BMR of 1676kcal but i am taking about 3000kcal (300p/350c/35F) on training days and about 2000kcal (300P/50c/100F) on non training days. Should i keep doing as im doing now or should i change it up?
2) As im 9% bodyfat now,i still cant see my abs. I have been training for 4 years and always do barbell training.
3) what are your thoughts on sugar on training days?coz i eat a box of cereals and some jam on my training days which probably gives me arnd 120gms of sugar.
any advice will be much appreciated.Thanks mate .Keep up the good work
Hi Chiranjeev, thanks for the comment.
1. Please read the post here for macros. Note the part in red.
2. You’re either not 9%, or you’re very weak and thus haven’t build the foundation to show abs at such a low bf%. The answer in this latter case is to change up your training (because after 4 years it hasn’t worked) and focus on getting stronger and thus bigger.
3. Largely irrelevant. See the part called “Carb sources” in the FAQ.
Thanks for the advice Andy
the other day i was measuring my arms and i found out they have shrunken a lot. Im not training arms these days coz im following THE BIG THREE routine so haven’t done any arm workout in a while but i do chin-ups in my every workout(3 times/week) but i don’t think they are growing.
Pinch your arm fat. With lean mass maintenance only (no growth) then your arm size will reduce by this amount when cutting/recomping. If your arm measurements are stable while fat losses elsewhere then this means growth.
Thanks heaps andy. just a last question, i felt like eating fruits on my rest day but they gave heaps of carbs. I read on your website that theres no need to count carbs coming from fruits if they are eaten once in a while so its OK to eat fruits on rest days because of calorie deficit i am hungry most of them times during my rest days even after my first meal, doesn’t matter how big the meal is im hungry after few hours and most of my food is meat and cottage cheese.
Have a look at the “hungry” and “carb sources” parts of the FAQ.
Fruit still has calories, to simply stuff yourself with fruit thinking that is has no effect would be to miss the point. – If it’s occasional then don’t bother counting.
Hey Andy
Random question, but what is your take on going by strength and waist measurements for the most part and weighing in only every 3-4 weeks?
I seen alot of people make decent lbm gains and so fat loss seems slower than desired, and this may lead to demotivation.
Thanks bud, keep up the good work,
Read this article mate on tracking your progress.
Hi Andy,
Really impressed with the success that your clients have had! I’d love to give physique/women’s natural bodybuilding a shot, and I was wondering if the IF/leangains protocol would be a good way to achieve a look somewhat like Dana Linn Bailey’s. I’m 157 cm, 55-57 kg with around 15-17% BF, coming from a competitive CrossFit background, and looking to drop body fat and get ripped while putting on some quality mass. The thing that irks me most about traditional bodybuilding diets is the 6 meals a day thing and the fact that you can never sit down to a satisfying meal — and I was wondering if this would be an option worth considering in pursuit of my goals. Hope to hear your thoughts on this, and thank you!
Yes, absolutely. The meal frequency myth is long dead.
Andy. Great job with Ivan C. I’m Malaysian too and trying the leangains approach. It would be great to find out how he manages his macros, since Malaysian food is normally heavy fat and carbs in the same meal. Maybe you can or Ivan can post a customer story/interview. Great job!
Get onto the Rippedbody.jp facebook page and comment on his thread. I’m sure he’ll chat to you there.
Hi Anmar you are most welcome to chat on the thread.
Hé Andy,
I know this isn’t an appropriate question, but I was wondering what kind of macro’s you use for yourself. I just watched your own little test on this result page:
And noticed I have a really similar build like you, but I never seem to get my TDEE calories etcetera straight…
So if you could give me some sort of hint or the real deal numbers it would be a great way for me to start reaching my goals…
So what I mean is how many calories do you take on rest days and training days…
I can figure the macro’s out myself, but if you wanna give just give
Ciaoo and thanks in advance,
Tim
My own personal numbers wouldn’t be of use as I used a lot of simplified and non-formalised rules for myself. -I have a set of these rules that I get clients to use to make things simpler. Use the guide on “How to calculate your macros”. This is the reason I made it. Good luck.
Hi Andy. Been reading blog / site since I started IF in February. Always a source of constant inspiration and easy to follow advice. Been thinking about getting in contact for consultation for few weeks now and after Kenneths great progress shots I definitely need a helping hand.
Hey Kurt, thanks for the compliment. If that’s what you’re after, then just fill out the form on the consultations page.
Do a post on how you got started blogging, Andy. I’m really interested in your take on it. What are your thoughts on affiliate marketing? Any insight would be great! Thanks
I just started writing my experiences because I was fed up of seeing people get ripped off here in Japan. The english side of things was natural, as it’s my mother tongue and helped me arrange thoughts rather than write first in Japanese. Then it just led from there.
Affiliate marketing? Dunno mate. When you start doing promotions where you get a percentage of the sale it’s a slippery slope. I understand that people have to make a living and it’s a tough economic climate but it raises a question, rightly or wrongly, of trust in the readers mind. At the minute I’m just happy making suggestions of books/sites/information sources or people to read… because they are good. I don’t particularly expect or need a pat on the back even.
Hi everyone, I have been mentored by Andy for 3 weeks today. I have lost 17lb in this time. Although this seems a lot, most of this is water weight, as I always toend to hold a considerable amount, but I’m expecting to drop 2lb a week from now. I have trained for 17 years, am a personal trainer and actually own my own gym (neweragym.co.uk). For years I have ‘preached’ the 6 years a day, but do you know what? I hated it. Thankyou Andy for showing me the easiest of ways to help re-inspire me into not only the industry again……..but myself. I had lost all interest, but I can honestly say I have found my new ‘way of life’! The results are amazing, but the main thing is just how easy it is!!! I now laugh at how people worry about losing size if they dont have a meal or a shake every 3 hours! To anybody thats dubious, what do you have to lose? You might just get your life back and get in the best shape of your life?……..I know I intend to.
Thanks Andy
Rich, thanks for posting this.
To anyone that skip-read that, a lot of that weight loss will have been water due to a lower carb intake overall. -Generally more pronounced the fatter you are. The inverse is also true, you’ll gain a lot of weight (as water) when you have a binge.
The points to take home are:
1. Don’t get inflated expectations of a diet based on the results in the initial phase.
2. Don’t get disheartened after one bad weekend -the weight will come back to normal within a week.
This is exactly right Andy. would’nt want people to think this is a form of ‘crash’ dieting. It is’nt, it’s a lifestyle change. In my particular case I have always had a huge problem with retaining water and the majority of my weight loss will indeed be fluids. As of now it will hopefully run at the expected 1 to 2 lbs a week. I have also noticed that my IBS has cleared up completely and I don’t have to take my omeprazole either which I have had to take for a few years now. I’m not saying IF is a cure for everyone, but it has certainly helped me!
Thanks again to Andy
It’s been 8 weeks since my time with Andy finished, and I’ve gotten on pretty well on my own, so I wanted to give a short update! I’ve continued to lose around my tummy (a few more cm all around), and my lifts have continued to go up – especially my deadlift! My last race went really well, I was beyond pleased with my results and my summer competing overall.
Heading into this year I have big plans to finish school, apply for graduate school, travel, and go to my sister’s wedding. Thanks to Andy, I’m doing it with a whole lot of confidence.
Ah Julia, thanks for posting the update. It was great to get that mail. Enjoy the wedding!!
I’ve put another short post up about my current diet / training with a photo at http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/diet-training-update.html
This is coming after a 2 week diet break. Still enjoying this and finding it easy to stick to.
Great site Andy. I’ve been in Japan myself the last couple of years as well. Since about a week and a half ago, I’ve tried to change my diet to fit the recomposition road. However, I have not been doing the fasting yet. Would you say I cannot get any results from doing this, or even perhaps have it backfire because of the high amount of carbs that I’ll be having on training days and won’t have the benefit of the 16 hour fasting window to make use of?
Another complication that I have is that I am located wayyyy out in the inaka, and have no gym anywhere within an hour and a half drive from me, so I’ve been basically just doing what I can by using just the weight training videos from P90X. It’s no where near actual weight training programs like Starting Strength, but until I’m done with my time here (about another year), this just might be the best that I can work with. If you have any thoughts, I would very much appreciate it.
Please refer to the “nutritional hierarchy of importance” I mentioned in the BBC Documentary post.
Inspiring post John, have just started with Andy this week and it’s good to continue to see peoples success stories as motivation.
Bets of luck with your transformation, keep everyone updated on your progress.
Andy,
Just wanted to let you know how much your last post on “Cardio with IF” helped me get a grip on some things I had been struggling with as a client.
In many previous attempts to “get in shape” (that ALL resulted in rebounds, obviously) I’ve been able to lose 3lbs/wk and sometimes double that (with TONS of cardio and drastic calorie/carb restriction). So losing “only” 1.5lbs/wk on average throughout my program has been a bit of a challenge mentally. When I started working with you, I planned out the date when I would be back under 200 lbs. It was hard to watch that date come and go and I frequently found myself returning to the same question:
Am I being lazy?
Should I be walking every day or doing “extra” work?
After reading your article, I also happened to stumble across a facebook comment from Martin:
“Diet and training done right is easy. Patience is hard. You can have a perfect setup and be smart as hell about your diet and training and then screw it all up on some whim, some wild idea you get out of pure boredom, to speed things up.”
WOW!! That’s PRECISELY how I came to be one of your clients. I had failed twice previously at IF by tweaking and changing the program thinking I could speed things up.
So now I understand.
It’s not IF/RPT and surrounding structure that needs tweaking. It’s my perspective and expectations!
Losing 1.5lbs a week is actually excellent progress. Especially when you consider how little “work” I’m actually doing to achieve that.
My real problem is patience… waiting for that 1.5lbs/wk to add up to the 40-50lbs I of fat that I allowed myself to gain.
So I wanted to thank you. Not just for the timely post, but for your ability to remain objective and let the facts dictate only as much change to my program as needed so I can continue to get such great results.
Patiently,
John S.
Thanks for sharing John!
Hi Andy,
I have been taking the leangains approach for a month and a half. Interesting thing is I started this without knowing such thing existed. I have been doing it to drop my bf% so i am more lean. It started with Ramadan (fasting month). I was fasting for almost 17 hours and eating the rest of the hours. Was doing compound exercises 3-4 times a week at night. Eating pretty much all natural foods and been trying to avoid protein powders n all unless I am out of time or in a hurry. I have been cutting since start of Ramadan. I have been seeing amazing results with this approach! When Ramadan ended, I figured I will just continue this since I was losing bodyfat without losing muscle with my high protein diet. Someone then mentioned to me that what I was doing was pretty much intermittent fasting. I got interested and did a lot of research on it. Came across your website and learned a great deal! Matched with a lot of my own beliefs about working out/nutrition. So basically I have been doing leangains without knowing I have been lol. I do paleo except for random days when I eat whatever. I eat healthy without restricting myself so it doesn’t seem like a diet.
Thanks for all the hardwork you have put in!
Zam
Thanks for sharing this buddy!
Andy based on the new protein macros given, will there be any problems taking a 100g more or its best to stick with the new macros. I started out with the new macros since yday, not much hunger till now. But Im just thinking since its only lean meat, can the amount increase?
“Only meat”. Sure, but lean protein or not it’s still calories. And overall calorie (energy) balance is the determinant of weight loss. Please stick to the numbers given.
Hey Andy!
Thanks a lot for all of your guides. They are really idiot-proof! I have been following them for like 3 months and I’ve gotten really noticeable results! Keep in mind I’m diabetic, who also does triathlon training. Kind of unusual, right? Hahaha. Well, with your protocols I’ve been able to progress with my “physical” conditioning training aswell as losing some fat! Your guide are really easy to incorporate in anyone’s lifestyle!
Thanks again!
Thanks for taking the time to say that Stefano, good to hear.
Andy,
I’ve been a bit MIA, a lot of business travel, a few weeks of vacation and the usual vicissitudes of life. Been keeping the protein high but the carb macros have also been high, so I’ve been on more of an unintentional mass gain instead of the cut I intended. HOWEVER, kept my lifting consistent and my Wendler numbers went through the roof this month, 15 to 20% gains on each lift (bench, squat, press, and dead lift.) Feeling pretty jacked! I guess carbs will do that to you. I’ll send you an official update in the next week once I get back home and get back on my cut. Thanks for latest round of client success pics, got me fired up.
All good then Dan.
Well Andy this past week I Kinda celebrated my bday a lilttle to much and under ate to make up for it. I feel down not being able to hit the gym because of the car accident. I feel like I can train but dont want to end up in worse shape.. I dropped 3 pounds last week because of the under eating! Should I do my normal training/rest day macros for this week(because of the weight loss) even though I can’t train for another week? Worried about losing strength!!
Eat to your hunger and ignore all worries about diet and macros, then you’ll definitely be fine.
Today I will just get right back on track with the plan. Like you said this is not just 12 weeks. I have to hammer that in my head and not worry so much. Can’t wait till Monday to get in the gym.
Hi Andy,
Is there a reason why there are only two women among the results?
I am doing leangains as diet plan beside my bodyweight workout (for just a month right now) and I am wondering if there is something extra I should consider as a woman.
Sorry, I checked again, there are four – I disregarded two as irrelevant for me as they seem to be into proffessional sports and their experience wouldn’t really apply as reference to what I would be able to achieve in comparision.
This may just be a stereotype but it seems to me there might be less women than men who are interested in this kind of program, due to the weightlifting involved, and the big meals too. A lot of women seem to think they’ll either get too “bulky” from weightlifting, or too fat from eating big meals with lots of meat.
Hopefully that perception will change as we get more and more good results!
No nothing, the blog is fairly male oriented and as such draws more male readers, that’s all.
I’ve done a more detailed account of my work with Andy at http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/approaching-ripped-body.html
Cheers Chris!
Hi Andy,
I’m coming to the end of my cut fairly soon and I was wondering if you had any criteria you use for how to increase the macros when starting bulk? I was thinking increase carbs 25g rest days and 50g training days and evaluate every 2 weeks – if sig. fat gain decrease carbs, if sig. muscle gain keep constant,if insig. muscle gain increase carbs – does this seem ok?
Also for the bulk I was thinking of switching to lyles bulking routine and introducing creatine.
Just wanted to know if you see any problems with any of the above?
Thanks a lot for your time,
Liam
Don’t see any problem with the above, but you can make a larger jump to start Liam. Thanks for posting. Oh and don’t forget to send me a picture.
Hi Andy, I cant believe the results some people have had, its crazy, actually hard to believe until you see the pics. Ive been on keto for a while before I found out about this desperately trying to see my abs! i’m 5’7″, 155lbs, around 12%bf I think (just see top 2 abs in the right light!) – i’m struggling a bit with my recommended calorie intake, ive gone with 50/50 for rest days and 25/75 for training, my problem is the calorie stuff, is there any chance you could give me a bit of guidance as to roughly what calories I should be taking in on training and rest days please? I’ve used loads of different calculators, but they all give me different results and it’s a bit confusing – I dont want to overeat, i’m looking to drop the fat and later do a gain, but it’s just the cutting stuff I need for now, i’d be greatly appreciative!
Also, one more question if i can, my work hours are 9-5.30, I started on Friday just gone, i’ve been eating meal 1 at 2pm, training at 6.30pm, then meal 2 at 7.30pm ish and a third at 9, then the fast, i’ve read on leangains that this is OK to do if you have to fit it around work instead of training while fasting – is this OK, am I still going to be able to cut and bulk properly like this?
Thanks in advance for your help
Alex.
Sorry I should probably add, I train 3 times a week, 1 hour each session roughly.
I’m currently consuming approx 1800 cals on rest days, 2300 on training…Does this look right to cut?
Many thanks, Alex.
Alex, please see this post on calculating your macros.
You most certainly don’t have to train fasted. Just put 60% of your food for the day in the time-frame PWO and before bed. Also, I wouldn’t have a meal at 19:30 and 21:00. That’s just a bloody pain in the arse and not sustainable at all. Choose one time and stick to it, combine both meals. Shorten the feeding window if necessary.
Oops, apologies on this, the bit in the link you sent that says “If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them in the comments, as long as it is not, “Here’s my stats… what macros should I use?” – sorry abut that, didn’t spot that article, my bad.
Just out of curiosity, are you still doing consultations, do you have any info on that eg pricing etc that you could pop me across please?
The multiple meals are a pain in the arse, for some strange reason I didn’t really think about shrinking the window, probably because i’m used to this regular meals BS and lots of confusing diet plans
I have found that I feel bloated after just one of the meals, it feels like i’ve overdone it and that guilty feeling creeps in even though it’s within my calorie guidelines, is this normal?
Also, I’m out on the road alot for my job and it’s just not practical to be carrying around fresh meat with me so i’ve been taking tinned tuna but its very low on fat, I know Martin slates nuts saying that they’re not as good as the media makes out and packed with calories, but if I need to boost my fat level on rest days and it’s within my macro levels, are they still OK to use?
Apologies for the thousand questions!
Just a simple rule, Calculate your macros, eat whatever you want IIFYM
1. Hi Alex, sure buddy, consultation requests are taken here. Prices are not given, because I do not accept just anybody and cannot simply be bought. It’s important for me to first see that I think we are a good match.
2. Yes.
3. IIFYM.
No worries.
My workOut is in the evening
No need to train fasted then. See Martin’s Leangains Guide for evening training example meal splits.
Hey, my primary goal is fat loss (lose the last 5-8 kg of fat), and my workout starts at around 5:30/6:00, but I can’t afford BCAAs. Just wondering, can I workout completely fasted? Or should I have a pre-workout meal? And if yes for a preworkout meal, what would be ideal to consume?
Is that morning or evening Brett?
Andy,
I have been for a cut (+5%/-30%) for more than 12 weeks now. My weight does not decrease anymore and even tends to increase. Mu understanding is that my BMR is now too low. I think my case is close to Joar’s one depicted above. I saw you recommended him a full diet break for two weeks. Interesting.
I have two questions regarding that (note that I also read the article on bodyrecompostion site):
- would you recommend to perform the diet break with the IF style (ie +20%/+20% for instance) or is it better to switch to “classical” diet (ie maintenance calories for each day). Or maybe it doesn’t matter.
- would you also recommend (as lyle mcdonald) to calculate maintenance with a 10% decrease due to metabolism slow down ?
Thanks for all
Marco
No, a diet break is a diet break, don’t worry about carb cycling, you’re free to continue skipping breakfast though.
I just finished my 12 weeks as a tier 2 client and I wanted to say that I’m really happy with the results and I don’t think I could have reached this level of leanness without you. Thanks for giving me the tools and confidence to reach my goals.
Thanks for posting that here Daniel. Was good working with you.
Hey Andy! I first wanna start by congradulating you on your great physique! I have always been fat/chubby throughout my whole life and to be honest im sick of it…I wanna get in great shape and look like Jeff from USA lol…but seriously i have been working had these past couple months trying to cut as much body fat as I can before I bulk ( did insanity and p90x)…i went from 202 lbs to 165 lbs at the moment and I wanted to start builking again ( the right way without gaining too much bodyfat =/)..Therefore I was wondering if its really possible to bulk up using intermittent fasting? and what approach should I take? carb cycling? (i did the leangains method for a month just to give it a try and i loss a good amount of bodyfat so im my body is used to IF already)
Thanks Mate!
Yes it is possible. The answer to your question is why I have written this site. Read it.
I might be one of Andy’s harder cases, as I did mess up the macros for quite a while. Regardless, I am satisfied with my results:
Andy delivers. Despite me accidentally undereating for 6 weeks, I still put on 8cm on my chest and lost 2 cm on my waist. My deadlift went up from under 2x bodyweight for 2 reps with bad form to over 2x bodyweight for many reps with good form. I generally feel safer, and my confidence increased. My old trainer, shocked upon seeing me, estimated that I put on 20lbs of mass. I told him it was actually +5lbs net (+9lbs if you count the diet break bloat). He said it was weird seeing me deadlift 300+lbs for reps when I had a hard time with the 8kg kettlebells (the lightest set) 3 months prior. This supports the notion that what I was doing truly was a “recomp” ( -fat +muscle).
The diet is extremely adaptable and I’ve found ways to nicely hack it to make it easier: like asking the waiter how many grams of meat a dish is whenever eating out – which the kitchen always knows – and eating starbucks waffles (only 25g of carbs) ad libitum on training days. The important things are internalizing the concepts and being able to “eyeball” food – both goals I set out for and achieved during the consultation. Most importantly, the consultation rekindled my passion for athletics and made me feel strong again, which, for my bodyweight, I sure as hell am now – that and I also will be competing in my first powerlifting meet this January. Srs.
Thanks a ton Andy,
Pics will be up when I am ripped in 3 months man haha
-Kenj
Kenji thanks for sharing mate.
As corny as this sounds this is a life style not a diet… You’ll probably adjust it when you finish the 12 weeks but you sure as hell won’t be putting fat back on.
I’m sure we wont put anything back except for more muscles
lol
Andy – What happens when you come off the diet and goto more of a regular eating schedule? Do you gain the fat back quickly? Or is there a maintenance type program one could do.
I generally suggest gradually upping things to maintain the leanness while slow-bulking. I doubt you’d switch back to breakfast eating, however if you did and the calories were the same then nothing would change. There is of course a maintenance calorie calculation you could do.
Hi Andy
Its been two weeks since Ive started the program. Im feeling awesome to the max ! Ive been very careful with the diet and I must agree with you that diet is they key for the success. My friends have noticed my face getting slimmer and I cant wait to get up in the morning to take a look at myself in the mirror, best part I get to eat so much that pisses off those guys dieting on 6 small meals a day! Thanks Andy, looking fwd to send you my first set of photos after 2 weeks.
Great to hear!
Ivan, you totally took me back to the 80′s with “awesome to the max”
I love it 
Jack’s testimonial continued from the photos above. Working with Andy is probably the best decision i’ve ever made in terms of fitness/weight training. He simplifies everything and cuts out all the bullshit that you don’t need to know! (Hello Men’s Health/Fitness) All you need to concern yourself with is how to lift more weight than the week before!
I would pay money just for his initial consultation e-mails that tell you everything you need to know. He keeps it simple and to the point while still covering every base! His simplified macros counting rules stop you from worrying about stupid things like the carb content in veg and fat content of lean grilled turkey or the calories in a squirt of chilli sauce!
I’ve tried keto, carb cyling, low fat, low carbs AND low fat diets-they all get you to a point of lean at the expense of hunger and an actual social life but even then i found i could never get to where i could see my abs clearly! Andy’s system works!I was rarely ever hungry, I got stronger on at least one lift every week despite eating at a deficit and lifting at the back-end of a 18-21 hour fast most of the time!
However, my favourite thing about working with Andy is the freedom and flexibility that his system offers. In one weekend i spent an entire day drinking whisky, the following day ate a 30oz mixed grill and still lost 1lb while adding 5kg to my bench press-not bad for a cut!
Nice job Jack!
My thought on the 12 weeks:
All up I’m 5.9kg/13lb down over the 12 week period. I haven’t had a DEXA scan for this last four week period, but if the trend continues from the previous scans that’s been 100% fat lost. I can’t argue with those results at all. As strength is important to me I was concerned beginning the diet how the diet would affect my lifts. It turns out I’ve got a good deal stronger while dieting. Off the top of my head my squat has gone from 142.5kg x 6 to 162.5kg x 4, my bench from 95kg x 6 to 105kg x 5 and chins from 7.5kg x 5 to 15kg x 5.
I’ve found sticking to the diet really easy. Your initial advice has stood me in good stead and it’s been pretty damn simple to eat the right things. For the most part I’ve been eating fairly clean meat and veggies to keep myself full, but the flexibility of the diet has allowed me to splash out, whether it be something fatty on a rest day or carbs/sugar on a training day. The occasional treat has kept in cravings at bay for the most part.
Eating only twice a day has been awesome and I think it’s the reason why this diet has been successful when I’ve failed in the past. I hate eating defrosted meals, so in the past I’ve struggled bringing enough fresh good food to work with me. Whereas now only having to prepare one meal (usually just what I had the night before) makes things much easier.
Your initial diet setup (and the explanation that came with it) was pretty much spot on and for that reason I hardly needed to ask questions during the 12 weeks. I’ll definitely be sticking with a ‘lean gains’ style diet for the foreseeable future. I’ll keep cutting fat for another 4 weeks (have a DEXA) then start the ‘lean gains’ part of Leangains’. I’ll send you an update in another 4 weeks with the final results of my cut.
Many thanks Andy, you’ve given me an excellent nutritional education.
Dave thanks for sharing with everyone.
I’d just like to emphasize to anyone reading that strength gains should not be teen for granted when dieting. No before and after photo, yet. We’ll wait until shredded.
Now then Dave, everyone is expecting good things so make sure you nail this.
Aww shit. I guess I better get shredded now that everyone is expecting it!
Hi Andy. I’m getting to the point now where I’m satisfied with my body fat (http://imgur.com/7yALR) and I’m wondering if it’s time to lean bulk. I can keep recomping, but at this point of leanness I think any muscle gains will be diminishing, as well as the rate of fat loss. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Benjamin given that you’re so close to being shredded, and unless you’ve actually been in that state before I’d highly encourage you to just do it. Shouldn’t take more than 6-8 weeks from this point. The reason is quite simple; once you get there once mentally it’s a huge thing to have done, and it fills you with confidence that you can do it again. It’s kind of like scratching an itch.
From that point you’d look to slow bulk yes. All in all it depends on goals.
What’d you decide, Benjamin? Still getting cut up?
Working with Andy was a great learning experience. I learned more about my body than I have ever known, and can honestly say that I’ve learned a method of dieting from him that I can apply for years to come and easily tweak to reach other goals. Andy was also very pleasant to work with and always answered my questions in a timely manner. He also motivated me and helped me not sweat the minor things when I needed it. He truly is a great coach. I learned a lot about where my passion lies during this 12-week journey with him and I want to learn even more and am looking forward to working with Andy again in the future sometime. As for the diet progress, I can honestly say that I’m very happy with it. My abs show when relaxed, my legs grew a little, my arms didn’t get smaller and the loss in body fat just makes me look bigger than I have ever looked. I can’t wait to see where lean bulking takes me. Andy also suggested that I follow Starting Strength as my training routine as I hadn’t been lifting for very long, and all of my lifts went up significantly while losing weight. Even when my fat loss stalled, my strength continued to skyrocket. My energy levels and mood have also been very good during the diet and that alone gives me motivation to keep using Leangains. I’ve also been enjoying life even more and the dieting never once got in the way of enjoying college life. I’ve got to say thanks once more to Andy for being a great mentor and nutrition coach.
Results photos above.
i have studied your webpage, and leangains.com, rather thoroughly. Using the information contained therein, I calculated my macros and set up a training schedule. I believe that I am following it really closely, but . . . after 5 weeks, I am not losing weight (in fact, I have gained 3-4 pounds). Am i doing something wrong or is it too early for me to see results?
Specifics: I am female, early 30′s, probably about 19% body fat, and I have done cardio regularly but I have never done weight lifting before now. I am eating 2000 cal on training days (3x/week) and 1300 calories on rest days. My weight has gone up a few pounds, my measurements (at navel) are unchanged. I do think I can “feel” some new muscle, i.e. my quads feel harder/more solid when i touch them.
Compare your stats at 4 week intervals due to your cycle.
It’s possible your figures are too high. Or it’s possible you’ve been dieting for a while and thus have metabolic slow-down and need to take a diet break first.
Andy,
My 12 weeks is up and looks like I lost about 1 lb per week – I’m am weighing 233 lbs now. Very happy with the results, and it was very easy to do actually even with lots of social activity and parties and drinking…just switched to vodka soda’s as the drink of choice instead of beer. Not much of a sacrifice lol. Who knew losing weight could be really this easy and didn’t take up much time in the gym! I must do half the exercise I used to for better results even with a bad knee (torn meniscus) and having to start so light with my deadlift and squats. I am deadlifting 305 lbs this week without knee pain so I will just keep adding 5 lbs every week and hopefully the knee won’t blow out lol. My sleep apnea has improved for sure – no more chest pains waking up so my heath has improved and that was the original goal, but looking and feeling better is a huge bonus.
I would love to do a recomp now…what do you think my macros would be for that?
Worth every penny if you ask me. Great plan – it must be nice to have a job that really helps people improve their lives. Anyone who has struggled with weight I can say you make it easy, just follow your plan…its just as simple as that.
John thanks for sharing. Here’s what I wrote back in the e-mail:
John firstly thank you for the kind e-mail. It’s really great to hear and getting mails like this make me happy I made the switch and took the risk at going it alone and quitting the safety of the government job.
Not only are you 12lbs down, but you’re 8cm down on the stomach also. Now when we look at the arms and leg measurements, if there weren’t any changes in lean body mass we’d expect these measurements to be small also. However, your arms are maintained, the legs are slightly bigger, and that’s a clear indication of growth. -How do we confirm such suspicions without a DEXA scan? -Well the increases in strength give a good indication.
Basically what I’m saying is that you’ve probably lost more than just 12lbs of fat over the last 12 weeks. Difficult to say what the real figure is, but 14-16 is my guess.
I suspect that you’re probably better off continuing to cut for now. However before you do, take a 2 week diet break. -Do not count or worry about macros in this time as the article says, just eat to your hunger levels. -After that if you resume the current macros for a couple of months I imagine that you’ll get similar results again. -Both strength gains and fat loss.
Andy, just got done with my 12 week cut. Under your tutelage, I have made more progress in the last 12 weeks than I have in the past 2 years. You are a great coach who never once glossed over a question, no matter how trivial. The “diet” you created for me extremely easy to follow and did not leave me wanting at all. As many other people have mentioned, I no longer walk around stressing about eating every 2 hours and obsessing over how many calories I took in for the day. For the skeptics out there, this is not 12 weeks of boiled chicken and broccoli, it’s about creating an eating blueprint that will serve you well into the future.
The training regimen was equally easy to follow and it did not involve doing 1 legged squats while balancing on a bosu ball with a 30# dumbbell in one hand. With your program it’s back to the basics. I increased strength on each of my “core” lifts despite the fact that I was losing weight. When we first started you told me this would occur and I honestly thought you were off your rocker – but as always, you were spot on.
What I am most pleased with is that in a world of informericals and magazine ads that promise “over night abs, with just 15 minutes a day” you strip away all the mystery and provide a roadmap for not only 12 weeks, but more importantly the foreseable future.
Again, let me extend my gratitude for all your help.
Nick thanks for sharing this, it means a lot. Look forward to having you up here in a few months.
Hey Andy,
I started the protocol you listed on cutting macros (-35/+10) around the beginning of March and about 6 weeks in, the results have been solid. Visually, I’m discernibly leaner, have lost about 10lb (give or take), and have been able to maintain my strength and workouts in the gym (am running Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, as I’ve been an avid compound lifts only guy since College).
But most of all, I feel like I’ve really gotten a hold of my nutritional life back. I cook 90% of my meals at home while eating out 10% of the time, instead of the other way around as it’s been for the last 3-4 years of my life (am a big social eater), my blood pressure has gone down, and I’m enjoying cooking again. I firmly believe following Leangains is MOST importantly, sustainable in the long run while maintaining a reasonable lifestyle.
Though I’ve still yet to attain my “proof is in the pudding” body fat % results, I’ve been doing my best to point everyone in my network to yours and Martin’s sites to educate them on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting.
Though I’ve been on the cut, recently re-reading your passage on definition of “skinny fat” vs “muscled-fat” has led me to believe that I might actually be in the former and adjusting to the -20/+20 body recomp #’s might be in the books for me, (especially since my strength levels is indeed of high priority over JUST aesthetics).
Either way, I just wanted to drop a line and give an update, and thank you for having such comprehensive guides on an organized site. From the macronutrients calculation guide to your detailed interviews with success story clients, It’s all really helped me take control of my life, and I can’t thank you enough. (sorry for long post!)
Awesome to hear. Thanks for taking the time to share and good luck with the mission.
Just finished 12 weeks with Andy and would like to share some of my thoughts:
I am very happy with the results, 14.4 lbs in 12 weeks is a great start. Strength wise my training improved vastly when I started lifting less often, felt recovered more often. Spraining my ankle definitely hindered my squats but that is to be expected. Squats have also always been my most difficult exercise. Deadlifts and chin-ups improved, and the 395 deadlift was actually my personal best. Bench press went down some but that made sense since losing chest size also means greater distance the weight has to move. I also really enjoyed RPT training and will be something I continue with in the future.
The diet, I actually hate using the word ‘diet’ while describing what I have been doing, I feel these past 12 weeks have been more a ‘guide on how to eat and lose fat’. I never felt like I was on a traditional diet. The guidelines you emailed me, and on your site are perfect. You really don’t need to count calories and obsess. I calculated my macros roughly and kept things consistent. It wasn’t always perfect but again it does not have to be, I kept my eating window consistent even on days when I would ‘cheat’, its very hard to overeat too much when you only allow yourself to eat during that 8 hour window.
Keeping track of everything including measurements was one of the most helpful things you had me do. I tried not to worry about numbers week to week, but rather in 4 week intervals when we would check in. Put my fat loss in perspective and always kept me on course.
I think I could have lost more during these 12 weeks had I been more strict on some things, that being said I am very happy the way things went. I am a social person by nature and have a very social girlfriend. I never felt strained socially these past 12 weeks, I went out to dinner, went to the bars and still lost fat. My girlfriend couldn’t believe how little impact being on a ’12 week diet’ had on things.
Thanks for sharing, I’ve linked to it above at the top of the post Josh.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your post about using LeanGains while doing MMA training. My question is about diet macros and caloric intake on hard core cardio (MMA) days. I use a reverse pyramid training system twice a week – doing heavy squats and bench on Monday, and heavy deadlifts and weighted chins on Wednesday – I usually do an hour of Muay Thai training on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I try to rest or engage in active rest on the other days, but I often play 90-minute sessions of ultimate frisbee on non-training days.
I weigh around 94kg (roughly 18% bodyfat according to my digital scale) and have calculated my BMR to 2400. Using the deep cut numbers listed somewhere on your website I’m aiming for 2700 calories (+10%) on weight training days and 1700 (-30%) on rest days.
So my question is this: what kind of caloric and macro intake should I be looking at on my kickboxing days? I train hard and want to make sure I’m getting adequate fuel, but I also realize that I’m putting a different type of stress on my muscles than I do when I’m in the weightroom. Generally speaking, I think advice along these lines would be useful for anyone who trains hard in an alternative sport outside the weightroom for fun or fitness.
Thanks for your help. I’ve already lost about 25kg in 9 months using Martin’s 16/8 fasting window and a low-carb, natural foods approach, but I’d really like to dial my diet in and cut this last 10-15 pounds.
You’re going to be better off adding in carbs independently of those multiplier numbers on an individual activity basis. Track things, adjust one thing at a time. Realise there is no “one” answer here, but also don’t forger that with fat loss as your goal it doesn’t have to be an exact substitution of energy expenditure for input.
This all looks very intersting and i have started on a plan today. I have often got annoyed with this eat often and small…..no one has that time!!
One question……i see no where in here about protien shakes? Can these still be incorporated in pre or post training?
You can Max but the point is, you don’t have to.
Dear Leangainers,thought i’d share my latest mail to Andy with y’all:
“Andy,
here the last sheet(a litlle late but i was on a short vacation).
but i feel that it works my core/legs very well.
To summarize: i have lost 4.5 kilo until last week(now 5 actually) and lost 12 cm of my belly.
Last month i continued to stall around 90 kg which was kind of demotivating.
But having to buy smaller shirts still makes me smile.
I included some examples of my workout as you requested for this last month.
I do one day only Ketllebell and two days dumbell/barbell
Floorpress(onehanded) i do with a dumbell and it coninues to go up.
Squat&Press stall lately; i ‘ll keep at this weight until i can do it with perfect form.
The last month i have introduced deadlifting:barbell with all the weights+2x 24 kg KB’s;( 100 kg,doesnt look as nice as having a child hanging on it)
Still have a long way to go,but i’m defenitly motivated all the way.
I want to thank you for all the great information,all explained so clearly.
If previously i didn’t know what i was doing,now i understand much better how things work,and how to make them work for me.
Thanks for introducing me to great sources like Lyle McDonald and others.
When in the future i’ll feel confident enough,i will send you a ”after” photo.
All the best with your work in Japan!
Best regards,
Maurice”
Maurice thanks for sharing. I’ll include some of my reply,
“Maurice firstly great to hear from you, and what a great way to start my week as to read your mail and see your results.
So, given that you’ve lost 12cm (awesome!) off the stomach the ~5kg of body weight drop probably doesn’t tell us the whole amount of fat dropped as muscle was probably gained. -How can we confirm that? Well we go and look at the arm and leg measurements… and … bingo they are actually up. Usually if they were unchanged then that would mean muscle growth (as fat is lost on the arms and legs) but you actually have gains. -Impossible to say how much fat you lost for sure, but somewhere between 7-10kg seems a fair estimate.
Has been great working with you. I’ll forward a guide to “manipulating your macros”. -Bear in mind thought that you probably won’t need to change things until shredded. I don’t recommend you drop macros any further.
Cheers Maurice!”
[Continuation of Shamil's e-mail above]
Some random stats:
Chin-ups 10lb -> 30lb, Dips -> 10lb -> 42.5 lb, Overhead press 75lb -> 95lb
I also want to say singing up with you forced me to learn how to cook, which is awesome! I am now pretty damn good at it and make protein cheesecakes, low carb shepherds pies, meat loafs, so on and on. I love cooking now and it is a skill that will be with me for the rest of my life. Again thanks for everything man!
Hi Andy,
Just wanted to say thanks for putting the site together. I’ve been following the plan for the last 6 weeks and I’ve managed to lose 12.3kg so far (106.7kg down to 94.4kg). I’m also tracking my BF% which dropped from 29.8% to 26.4% after the first 4 weeks which suggests I’m losing more fat than muscle. This is also confirmed by both my bench and deadlift increasing.
I do have a couple of questions:
1. Is there a rough guideline as so how long it will take to get my BF% down to 10% or is it different for each individual?
2. What sort of fat to muscle ratio should I be aiming for when looking at what I’ve lost? The first four weeks saw me lose 4.7kg of fat to 4.2kg of lean mass.
If your bench and Deadlift are increasing then you’re laughing. I can’t imagine you having lost any muscle, possibly the opposite.
1. It does depend, but generally the fatter you are the more you can lose a week on average without risking muscle loss. At your rate 2lbs a week is fine, but going over that you risk skin-sag issues. -Again, this varies from individual to individual, and age is a factor too.
2. You used one of those goddamn BIA machines right? Throw it in the trash, or if it’s in your gym pour water on it so that it does not torture any more poor souls. Concentrate on your main strength stats. -If these are the same or increasing, you’re fine. Bench is possibly the exception.
Thanks Andy and, you’re right, I did use one of those “goddamn BIA machines” to measure my BF% (didn’t realise they were so bad). The plan was to monitor my percentage down to your suggested figure of 10% so I can make maximum gains when switching to a slow bulk. Do you have any suggestions on when to switch as I think I’m going to have too much loose skin to be able to tell from appearance alone (over the last 11 months I’ve lost almost 40kg, started at 134.1kg).
Shit that’s a tough one Steve. 11 months, 40kg…. the skin sag shouldn’t be too bad though. Hmm… ok two options.
1. Wait for the skin to come taught. While waiting you’re going to need to beware of strength drops while dieting. -If the strength drops consistently then time to do maintenance.
2. DXA scan. -Expensive and a PITA though.
I’m currently taking part in a ‘Biggest Loser’ style competition at the local gym so I’ll be on the cut for at least another 10 weeks. Currently in first place and I’ll get a years free membership if I can stay there. Once that’s over I’ll re-asses where I am and adjust accordingly. Thanks for your input, it’s very much appreciated.
Hi Andy,
I’m pleased to say I’ve all but won the weight loss competition (final weigh in is next week but I’m 10kg in front of 2nd place!). My final competitive weigh in shows I lost 24.2kg in 17 weeks. I followed the standard cutting rules for the majority of the competition but I moved towards Lyle McDonald’s rapid fat loss solution near the end to ensure weight came off which has cost me some strength but achieved the required result, a year’s free membership.
I’m still left with loose skin, particularly around my middle, which is most noticeable when doing push-ups as it hangs down. To give the skin chance to catch up and to give me a break from strict dieting I was thinking of switching to recomp for a month or two. Do you think this is a good idea?
Firstly congratulations and thanks for sharing Steve. It’s great to hear.
You’ve been dieting for quite a long while. 1kg a week is generally my maximum recommendation to avoid loose skin issues, so by that math you’re probably looking at 7 weeks to catch up to the point you were at.
Switching to maintenance is a must to correct the hormone imbalances after dieting for so long. Read this and do it. Note how you’re going to have to keep carbs above 100g even on the rest days. -This is important.
Also it’s well worth counting your calories/macros at this time so that you don’t gorge, as rebound is a possibility. Also expect your weight to go up, but know that it will be mostly water. So don’t panic!
Any pictures?
Would it be a problem / against the whole routine if you trained 4 or 5 times a week?
No, but the macro balance guidelines I’ve written on the How to Calculate your Macros post can’t be used. the bigger question is, is it optimal to train 4-5 days a week given your goals?
Amazing results, can you also add lift/strength stats ?
For those than do a slow bulk sure. Good idea, cheers.
Where are the results for the skinny-fat types? I came to this page hoping to see some examples of people with my body type – low muscle with moderate body fat.
I’m currenty 27yo, 6’0″ (183 cm), 165 lbs (74.8 kg)
Oops, meant to include that I’m between 15 and 20% body fat. Probably around 17-18%.
Google’s going to be your friend there mate for now. I’ll have photos up in a month.
Fair enough. I think the problem is that skinny-fat types don’t make for as impressive transformation pictures, because they don’t have a bunch of ripped muscles to show off after spending 12 weeks stripping off fat. The best I’ve seen so far is “Dimitrios” on Martin’s “Client Results” page, and even then it took him 8 months of on-and-off training, and it’s hard to tell how much muscle he has in the “before” pic.
If you’re skinny fat, you should spend 12 weeks building muscle as well as taking the fat off. Have a look at the 12 weeks, what you can expect to achieve page. If you have a long term attitude you can achieve a lot.
Andy,
Quick update from me after 3 weeks on the program.
I am down 5kgs. Measurements have not moved as much as I would have liked yet, but things are definitely moving in the right direction.
Strength training has been sporadic due to work commitments, but my numbers are holding steady in the squat, bench, press and weighted pull up.
Overall everything has been pretty easy. Much less food prep and no real hunger issues.
I’m excited to see where this will go in the next 9 weeks. I just need to get through Christmas first though…
Jon
Jon excellent to hear. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this takes us also. Have a great Christmas with your family, and don’t worry about the diet for this day.
Andy,
Just to let you know i have updated the spreadsheet over the last 2 weeks, and I said I’d get back to you on the future. Basically, things are going excellent and the cut feels like its working a treat. I know I’m still no way near some of the guys in your other pictures but I almost feel satisfied with how lean I am right now which I never thought I would. i still have a bit around my midsection but I’ve lost a lot round my face, legs and hips. I’ve dropped almost 2 jean sizes since I started with you, and if I could drop one more, id be more than happy. I get paid 18th December so my plan is to cut until then and then begin a slow bulk. If you could place me on the waiting list for the Hollywood package I’d be ready to go on it any time after that date if thats ok? Just to give you a rough idea of where I’m up to the photo I’ve put in is a fairly recent one. Thanks again for all your help!
Great to hear things are going well Liam, thanks for keeping me updated. December 18th will be fine if you want to upgrade from the Tier 1 to Tier 3 then. Good luck for the next three weeks and catch up then Liam!
So I have been IF’ing for one week. So far I have been down a couple inches around my chest and my belly measurements. Sure it’s early to celebrate amazing progress (although I am very pleased) but so far this has been the most effortless diet protocal I have ever followed. Of course the first few days took some getting used to but was still not too difficult. I have been pretty lean (around 8% body fat) but by the time I got there I was burnt out from obsessing over every meal that consisted of 6oz of chicken and 2 cups of broccoli. Additionally I was wasting my time doing 2 hours of low intensity cardio daily. After that was over I lost it and gained all my weight back within a couple months. That being said I feel like Andy’s consultation and method is the answer I have been looking for to not just get lean but stay there and still enjoy life. I look forward to posting my results pictures in 11 weeks!
And I’m very much looking forward to having you on here Clayton.
Thanks for sharing!
Check this: Yesterday I was walking up a grocery store isle — and suddenly becoming aware of how tight my mid-section felt. Found myself pressing the palm of my hand against my abs, struck by how firm and tight they’re becoming, without a single set of crunches or leg lifts. And then I came home and looked in the mirror without my shirt on, and without even trying to “flex” there’s this growing cut-look definition happening in pecs, delts, biceps, triceps: again, from “only” diet and main exercises. It’s not that I doubted that the program would work; it’s simply the fantastic experience of seeing it with my very own eyes and the confirmation of touch.
Keith awesome! I actually find myself doing that (the hand thing) sometimes.
To anyone reading this, Keith is 57. Food for thought.
Hey Andy,
I want to visit that gym you were telling me about on Friday but I can’t remember where it is or the name.
B&F Gym, near Hanazonocho station’s Tsutaya video rental shop. A little further south on the west side of Yotsubashi street. http://park17.wakwak.com/~bf-gym/
3 weeks in and i got some pretty solid results. got pics for 0 and 3 weeks in so will send in them all after 12 weeks.
Great to hear Jon! When you say ‘solid results’, what do you mean specifically? And of course, photos would be great to see. Thanks buddy.
It’s been a week since I resumed the diet and I lost 4 cm around my waist already!
Excellent! Some will be water weight, but a great start! Let me know if you have any questions.
Hey Andy,
3 weeks in & I’m still making good weekly progress. Noticing a little more definition in my triceps, chest, and stomach. Plus I saw my girlfriend (who I only see once a month) and she immediately noticed a difference. I’m gonna have that six pack in no time.
Great to hear Mike! Looking forward too seeing the spreadsheet with updated picture for our re-assessment next week.
I’ve also realized that I’m starting to feel lighter in the morning when I wake up and head into work. It’s kinda tough to describe, but I just feel lighter, like I’m already lean or something. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a cool feeling. And my energy levels have been pretty good. Besides just being tired from getting up early for work and stuff, my energy has been at a good level.
Quite a few people have said similar things. I particularly noticed I don’t get sleepy in the afternoons anymore.
Hey Andy,
I just wanted to let you know that today I set a new PR with my bench. I got 235lbs for 4 reps and I could barely get 225lbs about a month and a half ago. This is some awesome stuff, man! Thanks for all the help so far!
Ron that’s great to hear. As you’ve been training for a while, rather than form changes/neuromuscular adaptation, this increase in poundage indicates muscle growth. Good work buddy.
Andy – Week one down and things are going well. I’m definitely noticing the change, pants fitting better, looking better etc.
I’ve also noticed that I no longer have any type of stomach discomfort which I used to have a great deal of when eating ‘normal’.
Great to hear Matt. Looking forward to our monthly review!
Another small update: I’m up one pound from last week, so now I’m at 170. But I’m looking in the mirror, and the results are still great! I’m actually starting to see some abs, ha ha! I’m trying not to let the scale discourage me, because visually the results are amazing!
Great to hear! Keep me updated!
Off out with the family for a night of all you can eat Brazilian BBQ…………how does this effect my day?
Sounds great. Monday is a non-training day, so no carbs right? Eat your regular lunch (30% of the days calories). Don’t eat your regular Meal 2 & 3. -Make this the BBQ. You will have a good calorie buffer for the BBQ so there’s no need to count. Eat loads of meat and vegetables and don’t feel guilty about it. -Stay off the beer.
Hi Andy! In my case, I’m on a 2 meals plan, does that change something? (Should I eat less on the 1st meal and save it up for the barbecue?). I know that we should avoid fat on trainning day, but what if I MUST go to this type of event. What can I do to minimize the damages?
Thanks!
Rodolfo
Have a re-read of my answer above. Look for the key principle involved. When you find it apply it to yourself.
Hi Just a quick Question: I don’t understand the I.F. approach too well when you spoke about the 16 hour fast, do you only eat one meal a day? Your 1st picture before the results of your regimen is kind of where I’m at now, I don’t have any equipment either. Just a bit curious about the I.F.
Hi Jordy. I eat two or three meals a day, fast the other 16 hours. There’s a link on ‘the guide’ to LeanGains.com. All the details you need are written there.
This is the first I’ve ever heard of this approach, I’ve been dieting and working out for years a little less than desirable results. I sure am glad I logged into tumblr tonight to find this, I’m excited to give it a try.
I was the same as you. I hope you have success with this approach like I and many others have
If you have any questions or need any help, post a comment and I’ll get back to you. Good luck!
I’ll try and remember to send you some progress pics, and you can add me to your site! I did want to say that I sent you another e-mail asking for a consultation. My e-mail has been acting strange the past few days, so I wanted to make sure it went through okay. Thanks!
Thanks Dorin, I got your e-mail. I’ll send you my available times for a consultation in the morning.
Hi, I’m half in disbelief at the results, I’d like to get a personal consultation. Perhaps before could you answer a couple of questions?
1. Many of the men in the pictures look a little too defined for me. I would like to have a body Jennifer Aniston. Using this system would it be possible to achieve this?
2. After the 12 weeks course when I have achieved my goals, what kind of further consulting do you offer?
Thanks.
Excellent questions.
1. The short answer is yes.
Using this diet you you can quickly burn fat and protect muscle mass, gradually revealing your body’s natural shape.For those that do not exercise, muscle mass may be very low, meaning when they lose fat they may have a flat, rather than curvy shape like Jennifer Aniston. If they want more curves, than weight training is necessary.
If you do, or have done sports, then your muscle mass may be higher, meaning that when you lose body fat, your curves will become more visible, and you will have more of a Jennifer Aniston look. This is something we need to consider.
When you looked at the pictures you noticed that many of the men looked very muscly. This is because of their low body fat level. However women have on average 5-10% more body fat than men, and because of genetic differences*, it is extremely difficult for women to get to this same level. You may have seen a man with abs, but perhaps with the exception of a few athletes on TV you will not have seen a woman like this. Please don’t worry, you will not look muscled.
*http://bit.ly/cqGa3v for more information.
2. Over the 12 weeks you will learn everything you need to know about how to adjust the diet by yourself so that you can continue to progress or maintain your physique. I don’t just hand out prescriptions like a doctor without explanation, I teach principles, and explain the reasons behind the system so that clients learn to make decisions for themselves. I don’t just want you to look great in 12 weeks. I want you to still look great in a year.
Looking forward to being on this page. Watch this space December 1st
Indeed! 16 and a half weeks till your wedding. I’m looking forward to putting the pictures up!
Andy hook me up bro! Can you help me In Sydney? wanna lose a little bit of lingering softness and add a little more size.
Absolutely Troy. Have you had a read through the guide and supporting articles? If there’s anything you don’t understand comment, and I’ll write a detailed reply. Other people reading may find Q&A in the comments useful too.
Hi Andy… I’ve been IF’ing for about 8 months now and it has been amazing! The strenght gains have been far more than I ever dreamt about
My current weight is 69 kg, height is 178cm and BF is 11,3%
I can perform the compound exerscises with correct technique, with decent added weight. For exampel dips with extra 30 kgs, or chins/pullups with extra 20kgs, up to 75 push ups ect…
But I’m not doing the deadlifts and squats ATM, because of some back problems lately, but i will be doing them soon (but thats a another story
)
Now the main question I wanted to ask is… that I want to get down to a shredded state like 7-8 % bodyfat… do you think i should go for the cut, or try to add 1-3 kg of more muscles?
And If I go for the cut… can i still be doing my sprint intervals? once weekly? 60meters of 10 laps (it only takes me 20 minutes to do them including warmup)
I do them because I also happen to love sprinting, not for the fat burn :p
Thx for helping, your’e work is very very inspiring
.
Saluting you from all the way from NORWAY
Hi Mr.x., firstly, what is your name?