Welcome to Week One of the Lean Body/Lean Bulk Challenge!

In this article we cover what metrics to keep track of, dialing in your macros and workouts, and what to expect during week one.

In the first week of this challenge we have several things happening.

We’re trying to switch our diet so our bodies are getting what they need to build lean muscle without the excess calories or hormone-triggering foods that would cause fat gain.

With this comes restructuring our cells so they will use the foods we’re giving them properly and balancing or increasing hormone levels so our body will prioritize building lean muscle over body fat.

We’re addressing digestion, which is crucial to our overall health as well as building muscle, as we need our cells to receive all of the nutrients and vitamins we’re consuming.

You will be consuming a lot of whole food proteins, which your stomach is probably not used to receiving, and it will need extra help until it builds up enough stomach acid and enzymes of its own.

So make sure you’re taking your digestive enzymes with each meal during this.

We’ll also be working to dial in our exact macros.

And we may be experiencing some cravings.

On this protocol you will be lifting 5 days per week.

As this protocol is very specific to building lean muscle and toning, there will mainly be weight lifting.

There will also be something called Zone 2 Cardio, which will not cause muscle loss, but other than that there is no cardio during this challenge.

If you would like to take a walk, that’s fine. But adding in other forms of cardio could hamper your progress.

And it’s only 30 days.

Okay, let’s run through a few key points and then jump into the workouts.

On this protocol you will be lifting 5-6 days per week.

As this protocol is very specific to building lean muscle and toning, there will mainly be weight lifting.

There will also be something called Zone 2 Cardio, which will not cause muscle loss, but other than that there is no cardio during this challenge unless you have extra energy for Day 6.

But if you really want to build muscle, extra cardio is not recommended.

If you would like to take a walk, that’s fine. But adding in other forms of cardio could hamper your progress.

And it’s only 30 days.

Okay, let’s run through a few key points and then jump into the workouts.

Here we cover the specific supplements and macronutrient you will be consuming during this protocol and exactly how.

This protocol is meant for significantly increased lean muscle, so the macros may seem high to some. 

But it's also meant to be used with the Advanced Workout Regimen, so the macros will be used by our body.

There are three different macronutrient ranges to pick from depending on which Carb to Fat ratio you personally prefer, with notes on each.

There is also an exact way in which you will dial in your macros to ensure you are getting the correct amount for what your body needs.

Let's start.

Here we cover the exact supplements and macronutrient you will be consuming during this protocol and exactly how.

There are three different macronutrient ranges to pick from, depending on which Carb to Fat ratio you personally prefer, with notes on each.

There is also an exact way in which you will dial in your macros to ensure you are getting enough for what your body needs.

Here we cover the exact supplements and macronutrient you will be consuming during this protocol and exactly how.

There are three different macronutrient ranges to pick from depending which Carb to Fat ratio you personally prefer, with notes on each.

There is also an exact way in which you will dial in your macros to ensure you are getting enough for what your body needs.

Let's start.

Approximately 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack every year. That’s about 1 in 300.

But of those who die each year, about 50% of them have, but ignore, the warning signs that a heart attack may be coming.

In the last article we covered how cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, comes about in the first place.

In this article we go deeper into what happens here, what the aftermath is, what the warning signs are (which can be minutes, hours, days or even weeks beforehand), and what the best prevention is.

This is an important one.

Well done on completing the 30 Day Fat Loss Challenge!

This is no small achievement!

And while you may feel and look different on the outside... on the inside things are even more different.

We’ve balanced hormones and repaired or replaced trillions of cells.

We’ve removed fat not only from our fat cells, but from our blood vessels, where it can thicken our blood, causing more work for our heart.

We’ve removed fatty deposits from our organs such as our liver and kidney, where it can make them less efficient or prevent them from doing their job. (Not good.)

We’ve built lean muscle and, at least to a degree, changed our body form.

We’ve improved digestion and the microbiome, the most important gatekeepers for our overall health.

And we've set ourselves up, if we maintain our current lifestyle, for not only sustainable fat loss, but a long and healthy life.

In short… we’ve done a lot!

But what do we do now?

Are we done? Are we not done? Is there something else to help lose those last stubborn bits for the lean toned body we want?

Let's see.

Welcome to the final week of the 30-Day Fat Loss Challenge!

During this challenge we’ve had our ups and downs as cravings came and went and hormones began to balance.

But by Week Four things have evened out or soon will.

Energy levels rise, mood may become more even, sleep becomes more restful, digestion improves, and overall health rises.

And, of course, we’ve lost a significant amount of body fat.

Make sure to take new measurements to compare to your original measurements!

As always, if you need any help, be sure to reach out in the VIP Group so we can answer any questions and assist however we can.

But I want to quickly cover what’s happening in this final week.

There are two main things driving obesity rates in America today, the exact things which make it easy to gain body fat and hard to lose it: processed sugars… and soy- and corn-based processed foods and meats.

Each of these increase cortisol levels more than almost anything else in our diet, and each for their own reasons.

We’ve already covered processed sugars.

Now let’s cover processed foods.

The use of corn and soy in our diet, and the diets of our cows and chickens, has grown steadily over the last hundred years.

But in the last several decades its use skyrocketed. And this is one of the key factors behind obesity rates in America today.

Today about 80% of what our livestock is fed is soy and corn. And corn and soy are also used as a base for almost all processed foods.

But while they are high in carbohydrates, and that increases body fat creation, they’re also high in something else: Omega 6 fatty acids.

And high omega 6 levels lead to high cortisol levels. And that leads to high body fat creation, high stress levels, poor sleep and recovery, and a host of other physical conditions now prevalent in society today.

Let’s dig in and see how this works.

As we near the end of the Fat Loss stage of this or any protocol, fat loss will slow.

We’re at or near our personal goal.

We might still have some extra fat, but it’s not coming off or it’s coming off very slowly — and frustratingly.

Also, we’re getting hungry. Not for sugar or junk food or more food when we’re already stuffed, but hunger as in our body needs more food.

At this point it’s counter-productive to carry on with Fat Loss, even if we have a bit more to lose.

Our hormones have re-balanced to the point that they’re functioning correctly.

Our cells have majorly restructured, cutting out their addiction to sugar, and becoming able to use fat and amino acids for energy more easily.

If this hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have lost body fat.

But we’ve also built muscle, something that helped us with our fat loss and which is what will carry us over the finish line.