On bodybuilding.com, there's this 12 week video transformation thing that this guy is going through with the help of a personal trainer. I've been interested because this guy is semi-close to my weight and body type. Weeks 1-2 just ended and they've added the weeks 3-4 video. After only two weeks, the gains the guys has made are unbelievable. I mean literally unbelievable. In other words, I don't believe it.

Bodypart Measurement Weeks 1-2 Change
Bodyweight 205 Pounds 218 Pounds -13 Pounds
Body Fat 24 Percent 27 Percent -3 Percent
Chest 41 Inches 44 Inches -3 Inches
Waist 43 Inches 44 Inches -1 Inche
Hips 43 Inches 45 Inches -2 Inches
Thighs 26 Inches 25.5 Inches +.5 Inches
Calf 16.5 Inches 16 Inches +.5 Inches
Bicep 15 Inches 15 Inches 0 Inches

Supposedly after only working out and eating right for two weeks, he's lost 13 pounds and 3% body fat. Thoughts?

Hmmm... it could be possible, I guess. I'm thinking Biggest Loser. How drastically did he change his lifestyle? Are they trying to promote some program (hidden agenda)?

The Atkins and South Beach diets help you lose 10-14 lbs so it probably is feasible for the first 2 weeks. I know I lost 13 lbs and 4 inches in my waist the first 2 weeks on South Beach which I started to control blood sugar.

Definately possible to my mind, especially with a personal trainer and a drastic change of lifestyle.

I don't think so. They definitely sell supplements on their site, but they don't push them that hard. It's pretty much the standard 5-6 meals per day in combination with 3 days of weight training and 5-6 days of cardio.

The reason this has me so up in arms is because I've been eating right and working out harder than the workouts listed for that dude and I've made about half the progress. And I've been doing it twice as long. Whatever, though, no biggie... Either they're inflating the stats or that guy is a genetic beast.

Here's the site: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/12wktrans02.htm

(The more I look at it, the more I think the dude is pushing out his belly in the first profile pic.)

I think that it is possible - healthy not so much, but definitely possible to post a 13 pound loss. Waterweight, etc. etc. are huge factors.

I wish you luck in your endeavors!

The first couple of weeks really can have drastic results when people make drastic changes in their lifestyle (again I'm thinking Biggest Loser), but don't let it discourage you in your goals! Not everybody reacts the same way to the same stimuli!

This is a pretty supplement-heavy plan... They incorporate 4 servings of glutamine and BCAA's, Hydroxycut, creatine, and a multi-v... These will go a long way to helping pack on muscle and cut down fat.

For the record, I'm not suggesting these should be used, only that they will make a difference on this person's progress.

It doesn't seem that impossible. I think I lost about 10 pounds in the first two weeks I started.

If you look at my progress pics over about 3 months I think they show a pretty big change. I wasn't even lifting weights at all during that time, it was all bodyweight exercises and sprint training and I was learning about food and exercise as I went along. This guy has a personal trainer, a nice gym, probably free supplements and the motivation of being publicized on the internet. I would hope he would do better.

Look, we can't control results, only the effort we put in. If things aren't working for you, and only you can make that determination, you need to change something. Are you eating like that guy? Do you keep a food journal? Do you know how many calories you're eating and of what types? Yeah, some people don't need to do this, and I just eyeball it now but it's really the only way to eliminate the food portion as a variable or obstacle. You could be eating too much or too little or not enough protein.

Sure it's possible if you have the resources, dedication, time and are willing to do almost anything to get what you want (kind of what Dave N was stating).

I would never do this, but to each his/her own.

Dave O

interestingly enough, this isn't the most efficient workout routine either - high in isolation exercises and low in compound movements for what he's trying to achieve. I guess it's more body-building oriented, but I would think there is clearly a better way to see quicker changes.

Hey Dave's and Splint,

I'm a full-time grad student for the next 5 months which means that I can dedicate obscene amounts of time to the gym. I don't have any problems with the results that I'm seeing after 3.5 weeks of eating right on a 40/40/20 split and exercising 6 days a week. However, I would like for it to go faster. I have a bit of an impatient personality. At some point within the next few weeks to a month, I'll probably start doing two a days. Maybe I'll check into the supplements. Hydroxycut appears to have eliminated ephedra from its list of ingredients. I really don't need any more caffeine though because I drink a significant amount of coffee daily.

Oh, and Splint, I've adopted your philosophy of really giving max effort during workouts too. I still slack occasionally on days I'm not feeling especially energetic, but I totally have what I consider intense workouts.

That BodyBuilding.com transformation series looks very interesting.

They are actually moderately conservative regarding supplements -- whey, l-glutamine, bcaa, and creatine are extremely common and the only semi-controversial one in that list is creatine. I would argue that Hydroxycut or anything beyond those first four are unnecessary but that's just an opinion.

The exercise routine is moderate intensity but still high volume. This might actually be better suited for beginner's like their subject -- the lower weights are better if you're not sure about your form, and the increased reps make up for it. Compound movements are ideal, but I can understand skipping them if you only have 12 weeks because it takes time to develop good form on them.

For weight loss, it sounds reasonable to hit all your muscle groups with isolation exercises. I wouldn't be suprised if they segued into compounds when the guy hits 18% BF sometime in Week 6 or 7.

One of the reasons I went back to MaxOT rather than 5x5 was that I felt I was concentrating too much on compounds and completely ignoring supplemental isolation exercises. Realistically, most people lift weights to look good, so it's not surprising that we follow the bodybuilding route more than the olympic athlete / functional strength route.

Going from 2-3 meals a day to 5-6 is a pretty drastic dietary change as well. Man, I wish I could get someone to fund a 12 week transformation for me!

6% body fat lost in just 6 weeks, wow!

It's quite possible -- I've completed Week 2 of my own journey, but I've already lost 2%. I wish I had taken body measurements two weeks ago though, instead of 2 days ago.

One thing I had forgotten was how ravenous you become after lifting. The key is to stuff yourself with extra veggies and lean protein, instead of the usual junk -- otherwise, your extra food intake just sabotages your workout. (I need to heed my own advice -- I've cheated way to often.)

Bump!

Just wanted to add that the videos on this article are worth watching, just to hear the coach's tips on the various exercises. It's also a great way to see a coach correct form as you go along -- I wish there were more videos that focused on correcting common form mistakes.