Strong and Lean in 90 days Phase 1

Phase 1: Furious Fat Loss

When I decided to take the Men's Health Strong and Lean in 90 days challenge, I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. I was excited. I was scared. And very nervous. As I looked through the diagrams. I felt a sense of anxiety. Panic. Could I actually do this?

The very moment I committed to the plan, I had unkownly made the best decision I had made since joining Gold's Gym. I started miming the exercises. Studying the diagrams with deep intent. The basic premise: there are 2 workouts which alternate with a day of rest inbetween,Workout A and Workout B.

 

There are a set of six exercises meant to be done back to back with 40 seconds of rest between sets, 4 to 6 times.  The one exercise I just simply could not physically perform were the chin ups, so I skipped them. I didn't leave those out because I was giving up but because my upper body strength was not strong enough to support my weight. So I skipped the chin ups to avoid injury. 

 

Week 1 & 2 were intense to say the least. I finished each workout in a heap of sweat. At first I could barely push through and I found myself running out of energy towards the end of my 4th set. But I remained focused on my form and pushed through. The burpees and explosive pushup were the most challenging in Workout A.

 

Workout B was progressively more difficult. The single leg deadlift was one of the most challenging. It took an extreme amount of effort to stay balanced on one leg while performing the deadlift with the other leg.

 

Week 3 &4-- I noticed my form improving with each workout. My strength and mobility were much improved. I was also able to do 6 sets of each workout. I also noticed being able to do more reps within the given amount of time. I had conquered Phase 1 and I felt invigorated. There is no greater feeling then putting your mind to a specific goal and then achieving that goal. Never give up. Even when you think you can't go on. Because your body is an amazing tool, and if your mind is in the right place, you can achieve amazing results.