But let’s be real: that path usually ends with exhaustion, constant cravings, nagging injuries, and frustration.

True success in fitness isn’t about endless workouts, giving up your life outside the gym, or seeing how much you can suffer.

What if you could build muscle, drop that stubborn body fat, and still have time for family, friends, and doing the things you love?

Let’s flip the script and redefine what fitness success really means: getting stronger, leaner, and healthier – while enjoying your life in the process.

Fitness Myths That Keep You Stuck…

Myth 1: You Have to Work Out Every Day:

More workouts aren’t always better. Seven days a week of hardcore training is a shortcut to burnout and stalled progress.

Muscle grows when you recover. Smart programming doing 3-5 focused sessions per week is all most people need to make great progress.

Myth 2: Social Life Must Disappear:

You don’t need to cancel every dinner out or skip every family event.

Maintaining a balanced social life keeps you motivated and prevents the “ALL or NOTHING” crash.

The memories you make with loved ones will fuel your drive far more than another hour on the treadmill.

Myth 3: Fancy Certifications or Perfect Plans Are Required:

You don’t need a degree in sports science to get results in the gym.

A simple plan followed consistently will outperform an advanced program that leaves you feeling stressed and burned out.

Strategies for Sustainable Gains

 Train Smarter, Not Longer
Quality beats quantity. Plan your workouts, focus on basic compound lifts, and track your progress.
Think of each training block like eating a pizza: one slice at a time, not the whole pie at once.

 Master the Inner Game
Your mindset drives your results more than you realize.
See obstacles—like a busy schedule or a slow-moving scale—as opportunities to learn.
Progress is built from small wins that add up, not from chasing perfection.

 Build Your Support Crew
Surround yourself with people who share similar goals.
Whether it’s a workout partner, a cycling group, or an online fitness community, accountability keeps you showing up and pushing forward.

NOTE: You can start today by joining my free facebook group:
Lee Hayward’s Total Fitness Bodybuilding – Helping Guys Get Back In Shape!

Putting It All Together…

Getting in shape isn’t about living in the gym or eating nothing but boiled chicken and broccoli.

It’s about building the right habits of well-balanced nutrition, smart training, a strong mindset, and having the right people in your corner to support you and hold you accountable along the way.

Remember:

Work Smart:
Break big goals – like losing 30 pounds – into small daily habits and action steps.

Mindset Matters:
Stay positive and patient; results compound over time. Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity.

Water can cut through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

Community Counts:
You are the average of the people you spend the most time with – so choose your tribe wisely.

In the end, fitness is a lot more than how you look in the mirror or what you weigh on the scale.

It’s about enjoying your workouts, nourishing your body, feeling good about yourself, and having the energy to enjoy your life with friends and family.

Apply these principles and you won’t just burn fat and build muscle – you’ll create a lifestyle you love for life.

all the best,
Lee Hayward
Your Muscle-Building Coach

=============

P.S.
When you’re ready, click here and we can chat about one-on-one coaching and a customized fitness and nutrition program made just for you.

I’ve been in the fitness game for 35 years and have successfully coached hundreds of guys in person – and thousands more online – and I can help you reach new heights in your health and fitness.

Get ready to look and feel your best this summer with our step-by-step fat loss plan. In this podcast Lee Hayward and Jeff Samataro share their best exercises, workout routines, and fat loss nutrition tips that will help you strip off that stubborn belly fat and get visible six pack abs for summer.

Whether you’re a fitness beginner or a seasoned athlete who’s looking to take things to the next level. This podcast is packed with actionable tips and tactics that will help you reach your weight loss goals and rock that beach bod with confidence.

================

0:00 – Intro
1:13 – Get Lean For Summer Action Steps.
2:17 – Jeff’s Summer Shred Progress Update.
3:10 – Why most people fail to lose fat long term.
4:40 – How to balance your fitness & nutrition program with real life situations.
6:02 – How to achieve a calorie deficit for fat loss.
7:40 – Dieting Too Strict and Self Sabotaging Your Progress.
8:19 – The power of exercise to control bad habits.
9:36 – Alcohol and Fat Loss is there a balance?
11:20 – The benefits of Alcohol Consumption.
12:16 – Some is Good, More is NOT Better.
13:10 – How long does it take to lose fat?
13:50 – Bodyfat Percentage for Men.
14:35 – Realistic Fat Loss Goals.
15:33 – Jeff’s Fat Loss Transformation Photos.
17:00 – The fatter you are, the faster you can lose it.
17:35 – How to calculate your calorie deficit.
18:30 – Daily Weigh-Ins the “Secret” to Fat Loss Success.
20:25 – Breaking the “Rules” for fat loss.
21:45 – Get Lean By Staying Full.
23:27 – Daily Weigh-Ins – The Secret To Losing Weight.
25:06 – Counting Calories & Tracking Macros Isn’t Accurate.
25:50 – Nutrition Labels Are Allowed To Be Wrong By 20%
27:44 – The biggest mistake people make with My Fitness Pal.
28:44 – The BEST Macro Split for Fat Loss.
30:55 – Losing Weight on Keto.
32:15 – Vegan Diets are Worse Than Keto.
33:55 – Jeff’s dog pooped in the house.
37:12 – Not all carbs are equal.
39:30 – Too much cardio can sabotage your fat loss progress.
40:30 – Strength Training is KEY for fat loss.
42:00 – The workout I recommend to my coaching students.
43:57 – Why long distance endurance athletes struggle to lose fat.
45:42 – Achieving a Body Re-composition (lose fat and build muscle).
46:49 – How much protein do you need to eat to lose fat?
47:40 – How to ensure you’re eating enough protein?
48:22 – Jeff’s High Protein Fat Loss Diet Plan.
49:21 – Why Intermittent Fasting is NOT ideal for losing fat.
51:50 – Jeff’s Intermittent Fasting Mistake.
54:03 – Nothing Good Ever Gets Eaten After 10 pm.
55:03 – How sleep habits affect your weight loss.
58:16 – The worst schedule for fat loss.
59:31 – How can you make things better than before?
1:00:11 – How to track your fat loss progress?
1:03:05 – Keep It Simple Stupid Fat Loss.

NOTE: You can also listen to the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast on:

Apple iTunes Podcasts.

Spotify Podcasts.

Amazon Podcasts.

Just search for “Lee Hayward’s Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast”.

Let’s Kick Off The Summer On The Right Track

If you have fallen off the bandwagon, packed on a few extra pounds of stubborn belly fat and would like to lose your gut — then I might be able to help…

While I don’t claim to know it all, I HAVE helped hundreds of guys transform their body, lose their gut, and get back in shape – without suffering through extreme low calorie diets or killing themselves in the gym with crazy workout schedules.

And yet…

It wasn’t that long ago when I fell off the rails and got the dreaded “Dad Bod”

After I stopped competing in bodybuilding and became a father I never had the time (or the motivation) to spend endless hours in the gym. And I couldn’t stand the thought of eating boiled chicken and broccoli out of Tupperware Containers…

And it didn’t take long for it to show…

One skipped workout turned into a week-long break from the gym…

It became easier to order pizza or takeout than it was to cook a meal…

I tried to justify it all by saying that I’m just extra busy and I’ll get back on track again “On Monday”…

But for some reason my start again “Monday” would always get pushed back week after week…

All those little decisions started to add up, even though I “knew better”, I wasn’t doing what I knew I should do…

I fell into the “ALL” or “NOTHING” trap, and the problem with that is you rarely ever get “ALL” and more often than not end up with “NOTHING”.

It got to the point where I didn’t even recognize the man looking back at me in the mirror…

I was disgusted and embarrassed with how far I’d let myself go…

Here I was soft, pudgy, and had a 40+ inch waistline and a gut that stuck out further than my chest?

Is that kinda how you feel right now?

If so, I’d like to help you get back on track with a proven road map to follow, so that you can stop hitting dead ends – and follow a step-by-step system to building a lean muscular body that you can be proud of.

So you can finally feel confident in your own skin, instead of feeling embarrassed about what you see when you look in the mirror.

Here is what I am proposing…

Over the past few years I’ve ran several Free 5-Day Lose Your Gut Challenge Groups to help guys finally get control over their health & fitness, lose the “Dad Bod”, and feel proud of how their body looks and feels…

I’m planning on doing another FREE 5-Day “Lose Your Gut Challenge” to help you take charge of your health and fitness so you can Get Lean and Feel Confident In Your Own Skin This Summer!

So you can escape the yo-yo dieting trap & master your metabolism

So you can increase your strength and energy without always feeling tired and sluggish

NO Fluff… NO Hype… NO Selling Supplements… or any other rubbish…

Just me pulling back the curtain and showing you EXACTLY what has worked for me and my VIP coaching students who have gotten in amazing shape by following a proven system!

Every time I run one of these FREE 5-Day Lose Your Gut Challenges the feedback I’ve received afterwards has been incredible.

Right now there are over 200 FIVE STAR Reviews on Facebook from past participants and many of them have finally got their act together and achieved sustainable fitness and fat loss transformations after months, or even years, of being stuck in a rut and going nowhere.

And I’m going to be doing it again, to help you get back on the right track just in time to kick off your summer shred…

Don’t worry it will be 100% FREE.

Zero obligation.

It’s simply 5 Days of virtual fitness and nutrition coaching that will arm you with the skills, knowledge, and strategies to help you realize your fitness and fat loss goals.

And more importantly – show you how to maintain your results for life!

If you’re down for the challenge, simply click here to register.

Note: the challenge group is not officially live yet.

But assuming we get at least 50 entries – I’ll be kicking off the group on Saturday July 5th, 2025.

Once we go live – this is what you’ll be getting…

A battle tested nutrition protocol so you can get lasting fat loss results without cutting carbs, starving yourself, or following some crazy crash diet.

Daily tasks and accountability check-ins so you don’t lose motivation or get lost along the way.

Live Video Coaching everyday during the 5 Day Challenge – I’ll explain EXACTLY what you need to do and how to do it – to ensure you’re on the fast track to losing your gut while enjoying the process!

Follow Along Workouts. Regardless if you’re working out from home or going to the gym – I got you covered with follow along workouts that you can do everyday during the 5 Day Challenge. Don’t worry, these workouts are geared to your fitness level and available exercise equipment.

An invite to our LIVE Graduation Workshop so you can get the complete roadmap to my entire Muscle After 40 Blueprint for achieving a LASTING and sustainable fitness and fat loss transformation.

The best part is, this is all going to happen COMPLETELY FREE!

All I need from you is your TOTAL COMMITMENT for 5 days of virtual coaching.

The challenge will be run through our private Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Group at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/total.fitness.bodybuilding

If you’re ready to “Start Again”, lose your gut, and get back in shape – go ahead and sign up now because again, I’m limiting the challenge to 50 guys, and I don’t want you to miss out!

Click Here To Register For The FREE 5 Day – Lose Your Gut Challenge!

all the best,
Lee Hayward

If you want to get on the right track and finally Lose Your Gut – then take the first step and register for the FREE 5 Day Lose Your Gut Challenge!

Click Here To Register For The FREE 5 Day – Lose Your Gut Challenge!

=================

P.S.
You may be thinking… “Lee, what’s the catch?”

Well there is no catch, because with the 5 Day Lose Your Gut Challenge – I’m going to be giving you the first phase of my Muscle After 40 Blueprint VIP Coaching Program for FREE.

Why am I doing this?

Because I know that after going through the 5 Day “Lose Your Gut” challenge – a certain number of people will want to get more in depth one-on-one coaching with me afterwards. And if that’s something you’re interested in, then we can discuss the possibility of working together on a more personal level after the challenge is over. But that’s totally optional.

There’s zero cost or obligation to participate in the “Lose Your Gut Challenge”. It’s just 5 days of FREE interactive coaching where I’ll share my best stuff to help you Lose Your Gut – and keep it off for life…

Does that sound like a fair deal?

If so and you’re down for the challenge, just visit the link below to request access to join, but do so now because spaces are limited.

Click Here To Register For The FREE 5 Day – Lose Your Gut Challenge!

Not sure if the FREE 5 Day Lose Your Gut Challenge is right for you? Well just check out some of the results that our past “Lose Your Gut” Challengers made…

You could be our next “Before” and “After” Success Story… Sign up for the FREE 5 Day Lose Your Gut Challenge – at the link below and let your fitness transformation begin!

Click Here To Register For The FREE 5 Day – Lose Your Gut Challenge!

This is a challenge that many guys deal with when training for fat loss. Maybe you can relate if you’ve been following a fat loss cutting program, eating a calorie deficit, working out regularly, doing cardio, and even losing weight on the scale.

But now after a few weeks you feel weaker, you look flat, your body is depleted, and you start losing muscle along with the bodyfat… NOT GOOD!

Unfortunately, following an extreme low calorie cutting diet can often lead to muscle loss, but with the right approach, you can maintain your hard-earned muscle while achieving your body recomposition goals.

In this podcast we’ll explore the methods that we use within the Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program to prevent muscle loss while dieting, including the importance of protein intake, progressive resistance training, and other essential tips to help you stay lean and strong in your 40’s and beyond.

Learn how to diet smarter, not harder, and keep your strength and lean muscle intact.

The Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast is also on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon.

Just search for “Lee Hayward’s Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast”.

He won the Novice Lightweight Class and placed 2nd in the Master’s 50+ and 60+ Divisions.

Back in 2021 Mike reached out to me and said that he’d like some help to get in shape and compete in a bodybuilding competition someday… Well that goal finally became a reality on Saturday November 2nd.

Mike is a prime example that it is possible to get in your best shape in your 60’s when you follow a proven system, trust the process, and refuse to quit

I’m looking forward to having him back on the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast again to share his physique transformation and bodybuilding competition journey.

If you’d like to see the program Mike followed to achieve his physique transformation, you can download a copy of the Muscle After 40 Blueprint PDF below…

Click Here To Download The Muscle After 40 Blueprint PDF

You’ll discover the TRUTH about fat loss dieting that many people overlook!

We’ll explore common misconceptions, the role of metabolism, and the importance of fueling your body for building a lean muscular physique – and not just starving yourself to try and “lose weight” as quickly as possible.

You’ll learn about the key factors that are critical to your weight loss journey and how long term consistency trumps short term intensity.

Plus you’ll get some proven action step and strategies that you can start applying right away to help you get started today on the right track to achieving your fat loss goals.

===================
Register for The FREE 5 Day Lose Your Gut Challenge at:
https://leehayward.com/blog/lose-your-gut-challenge
===================

You can listen to the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast on:

YouTube Podcasts

Apple Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

Amazon Podcasts

P.S. If you would like some help with achieving your very own fitness and fat loss transformation and come on board with our Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program, you can apply for a free consultation to get started – Click Here

We’ll dive deep into real world strategies that you can implement in your day to day routine to enhance your weight loss efforts.

From optimizing your home routine, to being more mindful about your food choices when eating at family dinners and restaurants, to surrounding yourself with people who are going to pull you up to a higher level with your strength training and cardio workouts. You’ll discover how your environment plays a crucial role in achieving your personal fitness goals.

Learn practical tips to create a supportive atmosphere that encourages healthy eating, regular exercise, and a positive mindset. We’ll cover essential hacks like optimizing your kitchen, organizing your workout space, and even the psychological impacts that your friends and family play on motivation and discipline.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to break through a plateau, this podcast is packed with actionable insights to help you shed those extra pounds faster and more effectively.

Optimize your environment and watch your fat loss progress accelerate!

Podcast Episode # 17:

Optimize Your Environment for Faster Fat Loss!

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You can listen to the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast on:

YouTube Podcasts

Apple Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

Amazon Podcasts

P.S. If you would like some help with achieving your very own fitness and fat loss transformation and come on board with our Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program, you can apply for a free consultation to get started – Click Here

Regardless of their sport or level of experience, this common characteristic is what drives them to excel and achieve their goals more than anything else. Join in as we explore the importance of this simple, but unique trait, and learn how it manifests in the lives of top performers.

You’ll also discover practical tips on how YOU can cultivate this in your own life.

Whether you’re an aspiring athlete, a seasoned trainer, or simply passionate about fitness, this podcast is a must-hear for anyone looking to elevate their performance and mindset.

Podcast Episode # 16:

The ONE Trait ALL Athletes, Trainers, and Fitness Enthusiasts Share.

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You can listen to the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Podcast on:

YouTube Podcasts

Apple Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

Amazon Podcasts

P.S. If you would like some help with achieving your very own fitness and fat loss transformation and come on board with our Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program, you can apply for a free consultation to get started – Click Here

I’m sure everyone reading this knows of at least 1 person who is trying to lose weight – and maybe you are trying to lose weight yourself.

However, real fitness is so much more than just losing weight. It’s about living your life to the fullest and being able to do the things you want to do without having your body holding you back – regardless of what the number is on the scale.

Back when I started my “Total Fitness Bodybuilding” website in the late 1990’s I wanted to focus on more than just the superficial side of looking better, and actually building a body that was functional and healthy.

For me the name Total Fitness Bodybuilding is just that – it’s about having “Total Fitness”. Not just being the biggest, the leanest, the strongest, or looking good on stage in a pair of posing trunks.

Now don’t get me wrong, all of those things are cool and I respect folks who work hard to build an impressive looking physique. But it’s more important to keep health and wellness as the top priority in your fitness program so you can live life to the fullest and be your personal best.

Unfortunately, many of the methods and tactics used by bodybuilders to achieve extreme levels of conditioning with muscle development and low body fat are NOT healthy. In fact, for most bodybuilders when they are in their peak contest condition and look their best – they are actually at their worst for health and wellness… And I’m speaking from experience having done 14 bodybuilding competitions myself I know this is true, because when I looked my best – I felt my worst.

12 Measures Of Real Health and Fitness…

True fitness is a holistic concept that involves various aspects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Here are 12 key areas that highlight how having well rounded fitness goes beyond just losing weight:

• Physical Strength and Endurance: Fitness involves building and maintaining physical strength, stamina, and endurance. This can help you perform everyday tasks with ease and excel in physical activities you enjoy.
  
• Cardiovascular Health: Engaging in regular cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, or cycling can improve your heart health, lower your risk of heart diseases, and enhance your overall cardiovascular fitness.
  
• Flexibility and Mobility: Incorporating stretching routines and practices like yoga can enhance your flexibility, balance, and range of motion. This can improve posture, reduce the risk of injuries, and help with day-to-day movements.
  
• Mental Well-being: Physical activity has a positive impact on mental health. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood elevators, and can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  
• Cognitive Function: Regular physical activity has been linked to improved cognitive function, including better memory, focus, and overall brain health.
  
• Bone Health: Weight-bearing exercises, like resistance training, can help maintain and improve bone density, reducing the risk of conditions like osteoporosis.
  
• Social Interaction: Participating in group fitness classes, sports, and outdoor activities can foster social interactions and a sense of community, which contributes to overall well-being.
  
• Stress Reduction: Engaging in physical activity can help reduce stress and promote relaxation, which is beneficial for both mental and physical health.
  
• Energy Levels: Regular exercise can boost energy levels and combat feelings of fatigue, leading to increased productivity and an improved quality of life.
  
• Disease Prevention: Fitness is linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and metabolic disorders.
  
• Healthy Aging: Staying active as you age can promote healthy aging by maintaining muscle mass, balance, and overall functional independence.
  
• Self-Confidence: Achieving your fitness goals, whether they’re related to strength, endurance, or skill, can boost self-confidence and self-esteem.

These are the real benefits of living a healthy and active lifestyle. But they often get ignored when people are going to extremes in an effort to lose weight as quickly as possible.

When you resort to extreme dietary restriction and become obsessive with your exercise it rarely leads to improvements in other areas of health and wellness. In fact, it usually leads to downward spiral of problems like added stress, moodiness, irritability, uncontrollable hunger, decreased strength and reduced exercise performance – certainly not an enjoyable or sustainable way to live your life.

I’m a big believer in striving to improve several health and fitness related goals simultaneously. This way you can measure your progress in multiple ways – rather than just obsessing over losing weight as your only metric for measurement. 

Succeeding So Slowly That You Feel Like A Failure…

It’s very common to see people embark on a weight loss program and improve their eating, exercise, and lifestyle habits. In doing so they will often make significant progress in terms of increasing strength, stamina, and overall health (i.e. lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, etc.) – but if the number on the scale doesn’t drop as quickly as they would like, they may still feel like a failure.

When this happens most people will quit their program in frustration and go back to their old habits saying…

“I tried dieting and exercising – but it didn’t work.”

Whereas if they were measuring multiple areas of progress, such as: strength, stamina, flexibility, mobility, blood work, body measurements, in addition to their body weight. They could have very well made progress in some other areas and felt successful with their efforts, increasing their motivation, and helping them stay on track towards reaching their weight loss goals.

One thing that I see with my personal coaching students when they start a new exercise and nutrition program is they will lose body fat while gaining lean muscle at the same time. Now this is actually a very good thing and it means you are improving your body composition. However, it also means that there will not be much, if any, change to the number on the scale – initially.

And if you’re only focusing on the number on the scale and it doesn’t go down – then it’s easy to get frustrated and quit – even when you’re making progress in other areas of fitness.

The truth is losing weight and keeping it off long term is NOT achieved in the matter of a few weeks or even a few months. Regardless of what all the fad diet plans and supplement advertisements claim. 

If losing body fat was really as simple as following some quick fix low carb diet or popping a fat burner pill – then we wouldn’t be facing an obesity epidemic in the world today.

To show you what I mean, just look at the people who’s physiques you admire. Be that athletes, actors, celebrities, social media influencers, or even me

Did any of those people get in shape in a few weeks?
Of course not… 

Most likely anyone who has a physique that you admire has been working on their fitness goals for years. They just didn’t go from zero to hero in a few short weeks.

The big thing you need to wrap your mind around right from the start is that improving your health and fitness requires a lifestyle change. You’re not going to achieve lasting results from a 30 day shred, 6 week cut, or any other short term quick fix approach.

There is no finish line and no end date. Accept the fact that this is a never ending process of small daily improvement for the rest of your life. Because if your program has a start and an end date – the results are only going to be temporary.

The ALL or NOTHING Trap…

It’s common for people who start a fitness program to strive to have the perfect diet and the perfect workout program – and if they can’t follow the perfect program – then they feel like what’s the point of even trying? 

This leads to the ALL or NOTHING trap – and it’s the worst mistake you can make.

The truth is there is no such a thing as a “Perfect Program” – it doesn’t exist because life is always going to through challenges and curveballs your way. Even the best planned programs will fall off the rails when the excrement hits the fan. The secret to real sustainable fitness success is letting go of the idea of perfection and striving to make the best of your current situation.

Rather than trying to suffer it out in the short term with some super strict low calorie cutting diet and rigorous exercise program – that leaves you feeling hangry, exhausted, and questioning if the juice is worth the squeeze. Realize that you don’t have to be perfect – you just have to strive to be better than you were before. That’s it.

A key concept that I teach my Muscle After 40 Blueprint Coaching Students is to be “Good Enough, But Good Enough Consistently.”

Or another way of putting it, is to strive to be: 

Consistently Good – VS – Occasionally Great.

This is the one thing that all the great fitness success stories have in common. While there are dozens of different diet plans and workout programs that you could follow – and there are pros and cons to each and every one of them… The one commonality that all fitness success stories have is they were consistent with whatever approach they took.

You don’t have to be perfect to make progress. It’s ok if you screw up and get off track from time to time. As long as you pick up where you left off, forgive yourself, correct, continue – and “START AGAIN”.

Long term consistency beats short term intensity. And this is what being “Good Enough, But Good Enough Consistently” is all about.

Everyone’s fitness journey is unique, there is no one perfect program. It’s important to set goals that align with your individual needs and preferences, and look at achieving your health and fitness goals as a long-term lifestyle rather than a short-term solution.

If you’d like to see some real world examples of how you can be “Good Enough, But Good Enough Consistently” for yourself – then I’d recommend you download a Free copy of my Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program PDF ebook at the link below:

https://leehayward.com/blog/muscle-after-40

In this Free PDF download you’ll discover some simple tweaks and adjustments that you can start doing immediately to transform your health, fitness, and yes – lose weight in the process. Regardless of your age or current physical shape – improvement is always possible!

And if you would like some help with planning out a customized fitness and nutrition plan to help you achieve your health and wellness goals – feel free to schedule a One-On-One Strategy Session Coaching Call with Lee Hayward at: https://leehayward.com/blog/free-10-minute-strategy-session

During this call we’ll chat over zoom and do a “Fitness & Nutrition Audit” of your current program and brainstorm some ideas and action steps for how you can realistically maximize your results and reach your health, fitness, muscle building & fat loss goals.

If I honestly feel that I can help you, then I’ll let you know. And if I can’t, then I won’t BS you, but I will offer some suggestions for experts or resources that can help you.

Either way, at the end of your Strategy Session Coaching Call you’ll walk away with more clarity about what you need to do next with building the body, health, and fitness you desire.

Just Check Out The Results From Some Of My Past Coaching Students…

If you’d like to see the exact program that these guys followed to get in their best shape – while enjoying the process, then just click on the link below to download a FREE Copy of my Muscle After 40 Blueprint Program PDF ebook at: https://leehayward.com/blog/muscle-after-40

• What if you could finally lose the weight that you haven’t been able to shed for years?
  
• What if you could lose your gut, get rid of those stubborn love handles, and tighten up your man-boobs?
  
• What if you could fill out your frame and build lean muscle in your chest, shoulders, & arms?
  
• What if you felt comfortable in your own skin without being embarrassed about taking your shirt off at the beach, at the swimming pool, or in the gym locker room?
  
• What if you could make love to your wife with the lights on and not feel ashamed of how your body looks?
  
• What if you had higher levels of health, strength, energy, & confidence?

• What if you had the stamina to run around with your kids without feeling pain, getting winded or tired?
  
• What if you felt proud about how your body looks?
  
• What if you could book a beach vacation without having to worry about how you’ll look or feel in a swimsuit walking along the shore?
  
• What if you were at your ideal body weight, felt strong, & had a clean bill of health?
  
• What if food was your friend, not your enemy, and you never had to “diet” again?
  
• What if you could let go of all the fitness and nutrition confusion, always second guessing if you’re doing the right thing, and just get in shape and feel confident about your body?

In this e-book, you’re going to discover EXACTLY how to escape the yo-yo dieting trap so you can Master Your Metabolism, Increase Testosterone, and Feel Confident In Your Own Skin!

Once you get this, you’ll be able to build the body you want without starving yourself in the process, or spending endless hours in the gym. Just click on the link below to download a copy of the Muscle After 40 Blueprint PDF for FREE!

Click Here To Download The Muscle After 40 Blueprint PDF eBook.

The diet industry has gone from one extreme to the other – low fat – low carb – low protein – completely opposing diets that are all supposed to help you lose fat, build muscle, and improve your health and fitness.

Right now there are over 200,000+ diet books on amazon. Every other week we’re seeing a new diet documentary popping up on Netflix. We are literally bombarded with different diet strategies. And rather than helping, it’s creating more confusion and frustration then ever.

It’s gotten to the point now where a lot of people don’t know what’s considered “good” or “healthy” anymore. For example, some experts are preaching a low carb ketogenic diet, others are preaching a high carb vegan diet, and everything in between…

Have you ever stopped and wondered:
What the heck are you supposed to eat?

In this article I’m going to…

• Break down the 3 main diet trends that we’ve seen in recent years.
• Share my personal experiences with following the different diets.
• Cover the PROS and CONS of each of them.
• Explain why some people respond better to certain diets than others.

In addition to that, you’ll discover a few critical dietary components that you need to implement in order to lose that stubborn roll of blubber hanging over your waistline.

But even more importantly, you’ll learn what you need to do in order to maintain a lean physique over the long term.

So if you’re ready, let’s jump in!

First It Was LOW FAT…

When I got interested in bodybuilding back in the late 1980’s – Dietary fat was the enemy. The mainstream media said that eating fat made you fat. So the food industry went on a mission to reduce fat intake.

I’m sure you are very familiar with the “Food Guide Pyramid” that recommended for healthy eating you should base your diet around high carb, low fat foods.

Because of these suggestions, food companies started making low fat variations of all the popular foods, you couldn’t go to the grocery store without seeing “LOW FAT” labels everywhere…

Low fat ice cream, low fat cookies, low fat snack cakes, low fat deli meats, and low fat potato chips that were baked not fried…

Fat is the most calorie dense macro-nutrient, with 9 calories per gram. Whereas protein and carbohydrates both have only 4 calories per gram. So mathematically it makes sense that we should eat less fat in order to to cut calories and thus lose weight.

Now some people did lose weight by following a low fat diet, but most didn’t. In fact, the opposite happened – as low fat diets grew in popularity, the fatter we became as a nation. And the statistics show a huge spike in the rate of obesity from the late 1980’s right on through the 1990’s.

As Low Fat Diets Grew In Popularity, So Did Our Waistlines!

Low fat dieters would try and satisfy their appetite by eating more of the other macro-nutrients, especially carbohydrates. This would spike their blood sugar levels, increase insulin production, and actually increase their appetite even more.

It’s no wonder why so many people gain weight on a low fat diet. They were feeling hungrier and eating more total food. So they ended up getting fatter even though they were eating “low fat” foods.

Then It Was LOW CARBS…

Then the diet tables turned and fat was no longer considered the enemy. It wasn’t eating too much fat that made people gain weight, but rather it was eating too many carbohydrates. This caused a boom in low carb diet plans like the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, and various versions of the Ketogenic Diet.

Bodybuilding fans may remember The Anabolic Diet by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale and Dan Duchaine’s Body Opus Diet, which became very popular as pre-contest bodybuilding diets.

Health conscious dieters were now eating bacon and eggs for breakfast. A hamburger without the bun for lunch. And juicy T-bone steaks for dinner.

And these “Low-Carb” diets worked!
I’ve seen some people get absolutely shredded following a low carb diet plan.

But the problem with drastically cutting carbohydrates is that it can leave you feeling weak, flat, and low energy. Not to mention that it can cause constipation due to the lack of fiber that you’d normally get from eating high carb foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

Because of these draw backs, most people can’t stick with a low carb diet over the long term, and thus the weight loss results are only temporary. As soon as you start eating “normally” again after following a low carb diet, the weight will pile back on very quickly.

Within a few months after the diet most people would be back up to their starting weight, or even heavier than when they started the low carb diet in the first place.

I’ve went through this post diet weight gain re-bound process myself several times over the years while dieting down for bodybuilding competitions. I’d muster up the will power and stick to a low carb diet for several months, depriving myself of my favorite high carb foods, in order to get into ripped contest shape…

But as soon as the contest diet was over, I’d let myself go, binge on all the high carbs foods that I was craving, and regain all the weight back again.

Then It Became LOW PROTEIN…

With both the low fat and low carb diets, there was always one constant variable – High Protein. You either followed a Low Fat, High Carb, and High Protein diet – OR – a Low Carb, High Fat, and High Protein diet.

But now we’re seeing another diet trend, and that’s a LOW PROTEIN diet with the growing popularity of Vegan Plant Based Diets.

So here we go again…
Carbohydrates are no longer the bad guy. You can eat high carb foods like; potatoes, pasta, and bread. Stuff yourself with as many fruits and veggies as you want. Even processed “junk food” like tofu ice cream, chips, cakes, and cookies are allowed – as long they are made without any animal products.

As more and more people go vegan you’re going to hear mixed reviews. Some people love it and claim that it’s the “Best Diet” ever.

While some are actually losing lean muscle, getting weaker, and developing nutritional deficiencies from the lack of protein and nutrients that are naturally found in animal foods.

My Personal Experience Following A Vegan Diet…

Like a lot of people, I’ve watched the Pro-Vegan documentaries on Netflix, which peaked my curiosity. Was the Vegan Diet really the secret to losing fat and improving health?

I read several books on vegan diets, spent countless hours online searching for info, and really tried to weigh out the PROS and CONS of going vegan.

My biggest concern about cutting out animal protein was losing muscle. Now there are some people who claim that “Vegan Bodybuilding” is possible and that you can still get big, ripped, and jacked eating a vegan diet.

I was very skeptical, but there’s only one way to find out if it’s going to work…

So, back in 2014 I decided to give it a shot. I cut out all animal protein and went vegan to see what would happen.

After the first week of going meat free, I actually started to feel pretty good. The abundance of fruits and veggies that I was consuming to satisfy my appetite really helped “clean me out” so to speak. I was having multiple bowel movements per day, my poop even turned green from all the veggies, and it was a really good detox program.

But after a few weeks I started to feel different…
When I worked out in the gym I was no longer getting a good muscle pump. Even though I was eating a lot of high carb foods, I always felt flat and depleted.

I lost body weight, but I wasn’t getting any leaner. My strength started to go down. And I just didn’t have the same level of power and drive as I did when eating a well balanced diet that included high protein animal foods.

Even though I was eating plant based protein foods like beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and supplementing with hemp protein, pea protein, and spirulina – my body felt flatter and weaker.

After a couple months, I decided to switch from vegan to vegetarian and include some dairy and eggs in my diet. I ate eggs with breakfast, supplemented my diet with whey protein, and would eat Greek yogurt and cottage cheese in addition to my plant based diet. And it did help a little. My strength started to improve, but I still felt flat and depleted despite eating a lot of food.

After a couple months of eating vegetarian, I decided to see what would happen if I went pescatarian and included some fish in my diet. And just like when I added the dairy and eggs, I found that I actually felt better and stronger with the extra protein and nutrients that I was getting from eating fish on a daily basis.

Over the course of 6 months I went from vegan, to vegetarian, to pescatarian, and then finally back to eating a well balanced diet that includes meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy as well as a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Since then I’ve found that my strength, energy, and muscle fullness has improved. I’ve gained lean mass and actually lost fat since going back to a well balanced diet.

Now I’m really glad that I took the time to do this nutrition experiment on myself, because I learned A LOT about how my body reacts to different foods.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the real health benefits of a plant based diet isn’t so much from the “Lack Of Meat”, but rather from the “Abundance Of Vegetables”.

When you eat lots of vegetables you’ll feel better and healthier, even if you eat them as part of a mixed diet that includes animal protein.

We’ve Gone Full Circle…

As you’ve seen, the diet and weight loss industry has gone full circle with blaming our body fat problems on each of the 3 macro-nutrients.

And if things weren’t confusing and frustrating enough, when you look at the individuals who advocate these different diets (i.e. Low Fat, Low Carb, or Low Protein) you’re going to find exceptions to the rules. You’ll see some people getting fantastic results by following completely opposing dietary strategies.

There are people out there who have built lean ripped physiques eating a low fat, high carb & high protein diet. Others who have gotten great results following a ketogenic diet. And there are vegans out there who are in amazing shape eating a plant based diet.

Why Certain Diets Work For Some People And Not Others…

There are several reasons why one person may respond well to a particular diet and another person may not. And a lot of the time it has nothing to do with the actual diet, but rather the individual who is following the diet.

We are all different and there can be a wide range of metabolic and hormonal variations from person to person based on our genetics. Some people are just genetically superior when it comes to building muscle and burning fat than others.

Our genetic ability for building muscle and losing fat can vary from one extreme to the other.

The majority of people are going to be somewhere in the middle with “Average Genetics”.

A small number of people will be on the low end with “Poor Genetics” (i.e. physical disabilities, metabolic disorders, etc.)

And some others – the lucky few – will be on the high end with “Great Genetics”.

Why does your genetics matter when it comes to dieting? Well, for the most part someone with “Great Genetics” will see positive results, regardless of what type of diet they follow. The better your genetics, the better results you’re going to get from your diet and exercise efforts.

Most of the top level athletes, pro bodybuilders, fitness models, and popular online fitness celebrities that you see on social media – more often than not they will have “Great Genetics” for building muscle and burning fat.

Now this doesn’t mean that these people are lazy and don’t train hard. In fact, a lot of them train harder than most because when someone is naturally good at something it often motivates them to work harder and get even better results.

So when you are seeking advice about diet and exercise – realize that genetics play a huge role. When you see someone who is lean, ripped, and jacked recommending a certain diet. It’s possible that they may just have really good genetics, and could of gotten similar results by following a totally different diet instead. It’s not always the diet, sometimes it’s genetics.

Nutritional Needs Can Vary From Person To Person…

Just like how our genetics for building muscle and losing fat can vary from one extreme to the other, so can our individual nutritional requirements.

The vast majority of people are going to be somewhere in the middle and will function their best by eating a well balanced diet with 1/3 carbs, 1/3 protein, and 1/3 fat. Not only does this diet provide well balanced nutrition, but it’s usually the best way to satisfy your hunger. It can be very difficult to control your appetite eating low fat, low carb, or even low protein.

Some people will respond better with a higher carbohydrate intake. For example, elite level endurance athletes, those who work labor intensive physically demanding jobs, and people who are naturally very lean with super fast metabolisms will often benefit from eating higher carb diets.

And yet others will respond better on a lower carbohydrate diet. In addition to losing fat, certain people find that they have more energy and better mental focus when they reduce their carbohydrates. Whereas others maybe the complete opposite and find it difficult to concentrate and experience brain fog if they eat a low carb diet.

This is why you will hear mixed reviews and opinions about all the various diet and exercise programs. The extreme approach that works really well for one person, may be a total disaster for another person.

How To Find The BEST Diet For You…

Ok, so you’ve stuck with me this far and hopefully you have a better understanding of why certain people will respond better (or worse) to different diets. But you still have one big burning question…

What type of diet should YOU be eating to lose fat, build muscle, and feel your best?

Well, I recommend that you keep it simple and start with the basics.

Rather than worrying about what foods you need to avoid and eliminate from your diet. Focus instead on what foods you need to ADD to your diet to nourish your body.

Most successful fat loss diets are based around good old fashion whole foods.
Quality Proteins like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
Quality Carbohydrates like potatoes, rice, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit.
Quality Fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, fish oil, flax oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.

Right now, do a quick evaluation of your current diet and see what areas you maybe lacking in…

Not eating enough vegetables?
Well look for ways that you can include more vegetables with your meals.

Not eating enough quality protein?
Then make it a priority to include a serving of protein with every meal, and even supplement with protein powder if necessary.

Not getting enough omega 3’s in your diet?
Start supplementing with fish oil and flax seed oil while purposely eating more foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds.

Not drinking enough water?
Well keep a water bottle with you at all times and sip on it throughout the day.

As you start to include more “good habits” in your diet, you’ll naturally start to filter out some of the “bad habits”. This is a much easier and healthier approach than just focusing on what foods you need to avoid.

Eat More 1 Ingredient Foods…

Try to make up the majority of your diet with natural 1 ingredient foods. What’s a 1 ingredient food you ask? Well it’s food that doesn’t need a nutrition label because it’s just 1 thing. For example, apples, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, beef, chicken, eggs, and fish are all 1 ingredient foods that are natural and unprocessed.

Compare that to a frozen pizza, a container of ice cream, or a box of pop tarts. These are all packaged processed foods that have a long list of ingredients, along with a bunch of artificial flavors, additives, and preservatives that you don’t need clogging up your body.

When planning your meals, make sure to include each of the following:

• A serving of protein (i.e. meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.)
• A serving of complex carbohydrates (i.e. potatoes, rice, beans, whole grains, etc.)
• A serving of vegetables (i.e. broccoli, spinach, cucumber, peas, carrots, etc.)
• A serving of healthy fat (i.e. avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, flax oil, fish oil, etc.)

By prioritizing these foods with each of your meals you’ll fill up your stomach and satisfy your appetite with quality nutrition. This will naturally decrease your desire for eating unhealthy processed foods because you won’t be as hungry. “Dieting” is a lot easier when you focus on filling up on the good stuff, rather than simply trying to cut out the bad stuff.

If you just start doing these few things, you will see noticeable improvements within a month. Chances are you’ll feel better, have more energy, and you’ll probably drop a few pounds of fat without even counting calories.

Just keep it simple and focus on being consistent with the basics. Then after you have built a solid foundation with eating a well balanced diet, you may want to experiment with varying your macro-nutrients. You could try reducing your fat, reducing carbs, or even reducing animal protein to see how your body responds. Doing so may help, or it may hinder your progress, but either way you’ll gain valuable insights into what works best for YOU – and you can use that information to make better food choices in the future.

How To Lose Fat And Keep It Off…

Very few people will need to go to the extremes with a low carb ketogenic diet, or eliminate all animal protein with a vegan diet, in order to get lean. Just making some small simple changes and improving your current diet usually works best for most people.

The “All Or Nothing” approach rarely works long term. When you get down to basics, you just need to tip the scale in favor of burning more calories than you consume, and LET your body burn stored fat for energy. Rather than trying to FORCE your body to burn fat with brute effort and extreme dietary restriction.

A great quote that I heard from Dr. John Berardi is:

“Most people over estimate how hard losing fat will be,
but they under estimate how long it’s going to take.”

These days everyone is in a hurry to lose fat. Even though it probably took months, years, or even decades to get fat in the first place – we somehow rationalize that once we start “dieting” the fat has to go within the matter of weeks.

The truth is your body can only lose weight at a certain rate before you suffer metabolic problems. For most people that’s going to be losing about 1-2 pounds of fat per week.

Now if you think you can bust your ass in the gym and follow some crazy diet for a few weeks and quickly lose all your excess body fat – forget it – that approach never produces lasting results.

If it did, then everyone who ever went on a diet would have kept the weight off and stayed lean… But we both know that’s not the case.

Anyone can starve themselves and quickly lose weight in the short term. But doing so only sets you up for disappointment later on with the re-bound weight gain from yo-yo dieting. Trust me – I’ve been there, done that, and understand the process all too well …most likely you do too.

In order to lose weight and keep it off; your diet and exercise routine has to become a part of your lifestyle. It has to be just hard enough so that you are in a slight caloric deficit. But at the same time easy enough so you can keep doing it and actually enjoy the process.

The cool thing about it is once you get the ball rolling and start seeing some positive changes – Such as feeling more energetic, getting stronger, losing weight, and getting compliments from friends and family – Your motivation is going to skyrocket!

You’ll be one of those people who loves to go to the gym, workout, and eat healthy. It will become part of your identity of who you are as a person. You’ll no longer see yourself as fat and out of shape. But rather as the lean, healthy, and active person you want to be.

Would You Like Some Help?

If you would like some help with this, then I would be more than happy to assist you. Since I started my website back in 1999 I’ve personally helped hundreds of people lose fat, build muscle, while improving their overall health & fitness. And if you want, I can help you do the same.

Just check out my customized diet and training programs. I’ll help you get on track with a personalized program that’s specifically designed with your body type, lifestyle, and fitness goals in mind.

I hope you found this article informative, and if you have any questions, please send me a message – I’d love to hear from you!

all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Muscle Building Coach)

Click Here for more information about my Customized Diet and Training Programs.

Well, before we dive into that – we first need to know exactly what we’re talking about… “Amino Acids” are molecules that combine to form protein. When protein is digested, it gets broken down into the various amino acids.

Protein makes up the structural components of our cells and tissues. Our bodies are made up of thousands of different proteins and these proteins are continually being repaired and replaced throughout our lives – which is a process known as “protein synthesis”. So in order to live we require a continuous supply of protein.

Amino acids are simply proteins that are broken down to their most basic level. To give you an analogy. Imagine a cross section of muscle like a paragraph of written text. Each word in that paragraph resembles a protein. And then each individual letter represents an amino acid.

Just like certain combinations of letters make up words, certain combinations of amino acids make up proteins. There are approximately 500 known amino acids and they all play various roles in the body – everything from aiding with metabolism, to performing critical biological roles in the body, producing hormones, building and repairing tissue, helping us deal with stress, recover from illness, etc.

In humans, there are 20 standard amino acids that are used to synthesize proteins. Of the 20 standard amino acids, 9 are called Essential Amino Acids because the human body cannot synthesize them from other compounds at the level needed for growth, so they must be obtained from food.

Failure to obtain enough of even 1 of the 9 essential amino acids will result in degradation of the body’s proteins (i.e. breaking down body tissue). Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the human body does not store excess amino acids for future use. That’s why we need to eat adequate protein throughout the day in order to provide the body with the amino acids it requires for proper growth and development and to prevent muscle loss.

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Amino Acids are classified into three groups:

1. Essential Amino Acids – these cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food.

2. Nonessential Amino Acids – our bodies can produce these amino acids on it’s own, even if we do not get them from the food we eat.

3. Conditional Amino Acids – these amino acids are usually not essential, except in times of illness and stress.

The 20 Standard Amino Acids Are:
Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Proline, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Tryptophan, Serine, Threonine, Cysteine, Methionine, Asparagine, Glutamine, Lysine, Arginine, Histidine, Aspartate, and Glutamate.

The 9 Essential Amino Acids Are:
Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Histidine.

Of the 9 Essential Amino Acids there are 3 Branched Chain Amino Acids:
Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) fall into the category of essential amino acids. But BCAA’s are metabolized within muscle tissue, allowing them to be oxidized and used as energy by muscle cells.

NOTE: most bodybuilding amino acid supplements contain BCAA’s, but these days we’re seeing a rise in popularity of EAA supplements. Personally I’d recommend choosing EAA’s over BCAA’s because they contain all 9 of the essential amino acids that your body needs, and not just the 3 branched chain amino acids.

Conditional Amino Acids include:
arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine. Again, the body can manufacture these amino acids on it’s own without dietary sources. But in times of illness and stress they are needed in greater amounts, so it would be advantageous to consume them through dietary sources to ensure there are enough on hand to meet the body’s needs.

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Will Supplementing with Amino Acids improve your muscle gains in the gym?

Now that we covered what amino acids are, the big question is will taking them (i.e. BCAA’s or EAA’s) help improve your exercise performance and muscle gains?

Well it depends…
In some cases supplementing with amino acids will have a significant improvement in one’s performance and progress in the gym, and in other cases it will have little noticeable impact at all.

The main advantage that amino acid supplements have over high protein food is rapid absorption. BCAA or EAA supplements are already broken down into their simplest form and are readily available to be utilized by the body. When you take an amino acid supplement, those amino acids will be available to be utilized by the body within 20 minutes.

Whereas high protein food needs to be digested by the body in order to get to the amino acids that will be used for recovery and muscle growth. So when you eat a chicken breast (or any other high protein food) it will take several hours before that protein is broken down into the amino acids that will be used to recover from your workout.

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The Need For Speed…

To help you get a better understanding of when and how speed of absorption can make a difference, let’s use cars and automotive performance as an analogy…

For the average person who drives their car back and forth to work and to run errands. They are not going to need any special advanced fueling strategies.

But what about a race car?

In a race situation every second counts. When a race car comes into pit lane they have high speed fuel pumps to fill up the car as fast as possible. They have a pit crew who can change a set of tires in the matter of seconds. Everything is designed to be as fast and efficient as possible because every second that they waste in pit lane is time lost on the track – and that can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Now compare that to when you take your car to the gas station, does it really matter how long it takes you to fill up with gas? If it takes you 10 seconds or 10 minutes, in the greater scheme of things will that make any difference to you and the performance of your car? Probably not.

Filling up your daily driver with high octane race fuel from a high speed fuel pump won’t help you get through rush hour traffic any faster. But it will help a race car get around the track faster. So it’s not a matter of “Good” or “Bad”, it really depends on the needs and situation.

The same idea applies when considering supplements like Amino Acids – whether or not they will make a difference depends on the individual and their training situation.

For the average Joe who lifts weights for an hour 3 days per week. Supplementing with amino acids isn’t going to make that much of a difference. But for a high performance athlete who is doing twice a day training, supplementing with amino acids can make a huge difference.

In the case of the average Joe hitting the gym 3 days per week. Simply consuming adequate protein intake (i.e. 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day) will provide his body with all the amino acids it needs. Especially since he has 48 hours between workouts to allow plenty of time for the digestion and absorption of the protein and amino acids.

But with a high performance athlete who is doing a strength training workout in the morning, followed up with a game practice in the afternoon. He will need to be able to quickly recover between those sessions in order to perform at his best.

In a high performance situation, consuming rapidly absorbing Amino Acid supplements will speed up the digestion and utilization of those amino acids much faster than could be achieved by eating solid food protein. Thus there will be faster recovery and better performance for the next training session.

This also applies for prolonged endurance events that can last several hours – like long distance cycling, long distance running, triathlon – or when doing a sports competition with multiple events per day.

When you stretch out the duration of your activity over several hours you will deplete the body’s amino acid and glycogen reserves so you will need to be able to re-fuel quickly without causing a lot of digestive stress. In these situations fast absorbing amino acids, along with fast absorbing carbohydrates, are the preferred fuel sources to be used.

But for the average gym workout that lasts about an hour, you will have more than enough energy and amino acids stored within the body to get through that workout before you deplete your reserves.

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Should YOU Take Amino Acid Supplements?

After reading this hopefully you have a better idea of what amino acids are, how they work, and how they can help aid with the recovery and growth process.

But you may still be wondering if YOU should take them…

Well the simple answer is they won’t hurt…

Even if you are the “Average Joe” doing 3 moderate intensity workouts per week, you can supplement with amino acids as an extra insurance policy to make sure you’re meeting your body’s needs and optimizing your recovery.

But if you’re on a tight budget and want to take the minimalist approach to supplements – then you don’t need them. You can still make progress simply by being consistent with your workouts, consistent with your nutrition, consistent with your sleep, and living healthy lifestyle habits.

Amino acid supplements can help, but they are by no means a “Must Have”. They can give you a slight edge marginal gain, but it’s not going to make or break your progress. Diet and Exercise are the only things that you really NEED to make progress, supplements (including amino acids) are really just the icing on the cake.

In my own case, I do supplement with EAA’s and notice a benefit from taking them. I often do weight training and cardio in the same day, so the amino acids help speed up recovery between those 2 workouts. 



How I take them is by using EAA powder drink mix and adding it to my water bottles and sip on it while I’m working out. The drink mix makes my water taste better – so I will drink more and prevent dehydration – in addition to providing rapidly absorbing amino acids to help optimize recovery.

Now I’ll still focus on my diet and consuming at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day in addition to taking EAA supplements.

I prefer to have all my basis covered so I can maximize the hard work I’m putting into the gym, rather than leaving it to chance and potentially short changing my progress due to falling short on meeting my protein and amino acid needs.

If you would like some help with planning out a fitness, nutrition, and supplementation program to get in your best shape – just click on the link below and sign up for a Free One-On-One Strategy Session Coaching Call.

During our call we’ll do a “Fitness & Nutrition Audit” of your current program and brainstorm some ideas and action steps for how you can maximize your results and achieve your muscle building & fat loss goals faster and easier than what you’re currently doing right now.

If I honestly feel that I can help you, then I’ll let you know. And if I can’t, then I won’t BS you, but I will offer some suggestions to experts or resources that can help you.

Either way, at the end of our strategy session call you’ll walk away with more clarity about what you need to do next in order to move in the right direction towards building the body you want.

Sign up for a Free One-On-One Strategy Session Coaching Call with Lee.

And I wish I could tell you that there was some magic short cut to getting six pack abs and a ripped “Beach Body” fast…

Like do 100 sit ups a day and BOOM your abs would just pop.

Or pop this fat burning pill, drink this special protein shake, or eat this super-food and the fat will just melt right off your belly.

Unfortunately no such short cuts exists – if they did we’d all be doing them and nobody would be fat or out of shape to begin with.

The truth is losing your gut, getting in shape, and building a lean ripped beach body takes time – there’s no other way around it.

But the good news is that you don’t have to be perfect, and the process of losing body fat and getting in shape doesn’t have to be stressful, or painful, and when done properly it can even be more enjoyable than the way you’re living right now.

In order to create a lasting change, you need to look at fat loss from a bigger picture, and think of it as a lifestyle change. Not just suffering it out on another short term “cutting diet”.

If your fat loss / weight loss program has a start and an end date – the results are only going to be temporary. What’s the point of starving yourself to quickly lose 30 pounds for some short term goal, only to go back to your old habits, experience the rebound weight gain, and put 40 pounds back on 6 months later?

I used to be guilty of the Yo-Yo dieting trap back when I was competing in bodybuilding. I would suffer it out for months on end with extreme levels of dedication and will power to get lean for the competition… But as soon as the contest was over, the placings were announced, and the pictures were taken – I’d go back to my old eating habits, start binge eating on all the junk food I was craving during the months of “cutting”, and then re-gain all the weight back again.

Then I’d try and justify why I was getting fat by telling everyone that I was ‘Bulking Up’ because it’s the “Off Season” and I was trying to gain muscle for next years competition…

But that was a crock of BS – The truth was I got fat because I couldn’t control myself from binge eating…

The big thing you need to wrap your mind around right from the start is you’re not going to make a life changing transformation in a 30 day shred, 6 week cut, or any other short term program.

To achieve long term sustainable fat loss there is no finish line, no end date, it’s just an on going process of small daily improvement for the rest of your life!

But the good news is if you start taking action now – you can achieve a massive change over the next 6 – 12 months.

The video below was taken from one of my past LIVE Q & A sessions where I discuss the dirty truth about fat loss cutting diets and why the extreme ALL or NOTHING approach never lasts long term… And what to do instead to get lean and more importantly STAY LEAN for life!

By following the approach outlined in the video you’ll be able to make a lasting fitness and fat loss transformation so that the progress you make is the progress you keep – without feeling like you’re suffering it out on some hardcore restrictive diet plan or extreme workout program.

If you would like some personal help with planning out a realistic action plan to get in your best shape – without going to extremes – but rather by using my “Good Enough, But Good Enough Consistently” approach, just click on the link below and sign up for a Free One-On-One Strategy Session Coaching Call.

During our call we’ll do a “Fitness & Nutrition Audit” of your current program and brainstorm some ideas and action steps for how you can maximize your results and reach your muscle building & fat loss goals faster and easier than what you’re currently doing right now.

If I honestly feel that I can help you, then I’ll let you know. And if I can’t, then I won’t BS you, but I will offer some suggestions to experts or resources that can help you.

Either way, at the end of our strategy session call you’ll walk away with more clarity about what you need to do next in order to move in the right direction towards building the body you want.

Sign up for a Free One-On-One Strategy Session Coaching Call with Lee.

Answer:
I can totally relate to not having enough time to workout. I admit that just a few years ago I fell into the same trap myself.

After I stopped competing in bodybuilding and became a father I never had the time – nor the motivation – to keep up with 2+ hour long workouts, 6 days per week, and it didn’t take long for it to show…

One skipped workout turned into a week off from the gym… And I’d keep telling myself:
“It’s ok, I know what to do, and I’ll get back on track on Monday”

But for some reason ‘Monday’ kept getting pushed further and further back and I was always too busy, too tired, and kept procrastinating.

If you’re a parent you know what it’s like waking up in the middle of the night to a crying baby and all the extra responsibilities that go along with it. It’s easy to justify putting off going to the gym and making time for yourself to exercise.

Before I knew it I didn’t even recognize the fat guy looking back at me in the mirror. Here I was with a 40+ inch waist and a gut that stuck out further than my chest. Far cry from the former competitive bodybuilder that I used to be.

Q:
What was the turning point to change your spiraling habit?

Lee Hayward:
One day I was watching a YouTube video by Stan “Rhino” Efferding and he was talking about doing 10-minute walks and the benefits of short frequent cardio workouts for fat loss, improving digestion, and improving insulin sensitivity, etc. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend you check out his YouTube channel, great stuff.

After watching Stan’s video, it really got me thinking about just how little exercise it actually takes to make a difference.

You see, as a former competitive bodybuilder I was guilty of falling into the ALL or NOTHING trap… Thinking that if I couldn’t follow the perfect workout program and give it 100% – then what’s the point of doing anything at all.

Q:
Is it more of a mindset?

Lee Hayward:
Yes, I actually developed a mental block thinking that if I never had 2 hours to go to the gym, or couldn’t do at least 45 minutes of cardio, that:
“I didn’t have time to exercise”.

But that’s a crock of BS… Something is always better than nothing. That’s why these days I keep telling guys that you don’t have to be perfect – you just have to be:
“Good Enough, But Good Enough Consistently”.

Q:
Where did you start?

Lee Hayward:
I started incorporating 10 minute walks throughout the day. Literally just putting on my sneakers and walking up the road for 5 minutes and then turning around and walking back. It was so simple, quick, and easy – yet I felt really good afterwards!

I found that just the act of getting my ass out the door was the hardest part. But once I got outside and started walking, I’d sometimes end up going for 15 or 20 minutes or more because I actually enjoyed it and it felt good.

However, I mentally told myself at the start that I just have to go for 10 minutes. And there were lots of times that I literally did go for just 10-minute walks, but about half the time it ended up being a 20-minute walk or more!

Q:
This sounds so simple. What did your 10 minutes duration’s look like and when did you fit them in?

Lee Hayward:
This was a Big A-Ha moment for me because it made me realize that even if I didn’t have 2+ hours during the day for exercise, I could still take advantage of all those little opportunities.

10 minutes before work, 10 minutes on my lunch break, 10 minutes after work, 10 minutes in the evening after dinner, etc. This was time that I was probably wasting just sitting on my arse and scrolling through social media on my phone, or channel surfing through the TV.

I kept it very simple and started with just going for 10 minute walks. But then after a month I added in doing 10 minute body weight workouts at home – such as; push ups, bodyweight squats, crunches, etc. Then I got a set of resistance bands so I could add in bicep curls, rows, shoulder presses, etc.

If you don’t think you can get a good workout in just 10 minutes, then I encourage you to try it for yourself… Do a circuit of push ups and bodyweight squats and alternate them back and forth. Literally do a set of push ups, then do a set of squats, rest 30 seconds, and repeat. Keep going for 10 minutes and I’m telling you it will be a very challenging workout that you can literally do anywhere, with zero equipment, and it only takes 10 minutes!

Everyone has got 10 minutes – even YOU… Heck, if you’re here reading this post right now, then I’m willing to bet you’ve been scrolling online for more than 10 minutes LOL

Q:
Ya, you are right. What could my first 10 minutes look like?

Lee Hayward:
I challenge you to make time today to get outside for a 10-minute walk. Start with that. It doesn’t matter when you do it, just as long as you do it.

The hardest part of exercising is just getting started, and if you make the task very small (i.e. a 10 minute walk) it reduces the friction of getting started because it will be done and over before you know it. There’s really no excuse. You can even do 10 minutes on a cardio machine. If you have a bike, treadmill, or elliptical at home – that can count towards your mini 10-minute workouts.Once you build the habit of doing short frequent workouts into your routine, you can always expand on them and make them more challenging.

Q:
Any closing comments you want to leave me with?

Lee Hayward:
The big take home message here is to let go of the mental block that a workout has to take an hour or more to be effective, because it doesn’t.

You’ll be amazed at how doing mini 10 minute workouts like this can compound over time and make a dramatic difference in your health and fitness. However, it’s not going to be some overnight miracle. Regardless if you workout today, or you don’t, you’re still going to look the same tomorrow.

But just imagine what would happen if you did a 10 minute walk and a 10 minute bodyweight workout each day for the next year? It doesn’t sound like much, and it’s not, but those little workouts can make a substantial difference when compounded over time.

Who knows, doing mini 10 minute workouts could be the start to your “Dad Bod Transformation”, just like it was for me!

Dad Bod Transformation Resident Coach Interview with Lee Hayward from Newfoundland Canada. Lee is a former competitive bodybuilder and one of the pioneers to the online bodybuilding and fitness scene. He started his “Total Fitness Bodybuilding” website back in 1997. In 2006 he started making YouTube videos and in 2011 he was chosen by YouTube’s Next Trainer Program as the top bodybuilding coach that year. These days Lee’s main focus is on helping men over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and get back in shape with his Muscle After 40 Blueprint Coaching Program.

And while it would be great if you could just eat whatever you want and still get ripped… Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

However, there are some simple strategies that you can use – My Top 5 Fat Loss Tips – that will help prevent you from gaining fat and actually get leaner over the holidays… Without feeling like you’re suffering it out on an extreme diet or avoiding holiday meals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDag2qizinw

Lee’s Top 5 Holiday Fat Loss Strategies!
Click Here To Watch The Video on YouTube

Here’s My TOP 5 Holiday Fat Loss Tips To Get Lean!

3:41 – Holiday Fat Loss Tip # 1
See the “BIG PICTURE” of the Holidays…

7:11 – Holiday Fat Loss Tip # 2
Prepare for your “Cheat Meals” in advance…

11:14 – Holiday Fat Loss Tip # 3
Workout Before You Pig Out…

12:37 – Holiday Fat Loss Tip # 4
Fill Your Plate with Protein and Veggies First…

17:15 – Holiday Fat Loss Tip # 5
Get back on track and “Start Again” for your very next meal…

If you’d like to get a complete program to build muscle and lose fat, then just visit my website at: https://www.MuscleAfter40Blueprint.com

And if you’d like to try the Built Bars that I mentioned in this video, you can visit their website at: http://builtbar.me/2XJGoEG​ And make sure to use coupon code: LEEH10 when placing your order to get an awesome deal.

The topic of what’s the ideal training frequency for each muscle group to stimulate maximum growth and hypertrophy is a commonly asked question.

If you listen to the online “Experts” and “Gurus” they’ll give you all kinds of answers…

Such as:

“Bodybuilder X says you should workout each muscle group once per week…”
“The trainer at my gym says we should be working each muscle group twice per week…”
“On PubMed there’s a university study that says 3 workouts per week is optimal…”
etc…

If you ask 10 different people, you’ll get 10 different answers.

Bottom line, it all works – as long as you’re consistent enough to actually let the program work for you.

But how you personally structure YOUR WORKOUTS really depends on you, your fitness level, your goals, your schedule, etc.

It’s not as simple as having everyone follow a one size fits all “Cookie Cutter” approach, like some gurus preach.

I just posted up a video breaking down the PRO’s and CON’s of the different training splits so you can decide which one you should follow for yourself.

Watch This Video…

What’s The BEST Workout Frequency for YOU…?

It’s much bigger and more important than that…

Being fit means that you are strong, healthy, and have energy to burn so you can be there for your family when they need you… Not being so fat and out of shape that you have to crash at the end of the day from exhaustion, not even able to muster up the effort to be an active participant in your family… Or worse, needing people to tend on you because you can’t even look after yourself…

This message was made clear today when I logged into the private Muscle After 40 VIP Coaching Group and seen a post that one of our senior members, Paul Miller, shared with the group.

With Paul’s permission, I’m sharing that post here with you here because it’s an inspiring one. It goes to show that you’re never “Too Old” to start taking care of your health and fitness.

Two Different Births…
Two Different Stories:

When fitness hits home!

In 2016, my first granddaughter, Ellie, was born. I came, held her, and was soon fast asleep because it had been a tiring drive… 15 minutes! I was rotund and almost devoid of excitement and energy.

Fast forward to 2021… August… my son’s first child, Kyler, is born. I came, held him, carried on engaging conversation, enjoyed a baseball game… and was alert, full of energy, and the drive was 35 minutes. I felt glad to be there.

Fitness is not all about six-packs… and oh! How I long to sport a set of those, but it is about deeper connections, family connections, life events. Thanks to Lee’s coaching and guidance, I did more than lose weight; I thrived. I took up the challenge of no-gyms-because-of-COVID and did something about it.

This year, I entered a Body Transformation Challenge… and became a gold and silver medalist. My granddaughter, happily, will not know me as Fat Grandpa, but my grandson will know a Fit Grandpa who will take him to the gym when he learns how to walk and show him the great world of exercise (Yes, I jest…a bit). I’m glad to be among you, and this week that privilege has been underscored by a tiny little bundle of 7 pounds and 4 ounces.

If you have a big enough reason WHY you want to live a long, healthy, and active life – you’ll find a way to make it happen – and the truth is you have all the tools, strategies, and resources available to you RIGHT NOW to make a life changing health, fitness, and physique transformation… You just have to be open to receiving them and not be too proud to ask for help!

Unfortunately, as men get older – into their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond – most just give up on themselves. It’s quite common to see hard working men spend their entire adult lives working hard at their job to provide for their family, put food on the table, and a roof over their heads – while neglecting their health and fitness in the process.

I realize that putting your family above your own needs may seem like the noble thing to do. But in the greater scheme of things is this really a wise choice?

Neglecting your health and fitness will eventually come back to bite you. It’s like trying to get ahead by ignoring the maintenance on your car. Things are going to break down and fall apart if you don’t look after it. And what might have been a simple routine maintenance repair job – could lead to engine failure if left unfixed.

Now when it comes to a car, you can always get another one. But the same can’t be said for your body – you only get one – so you better look after it now while you still can.

Just think about it…
All the years of working hard to provide for your family isn’t going to mean much if you die before your time, and leave your wife without a husband, and your children without a father, and never even get to see your grandchildren!

That was almost the case for Paul Miller, a 62-year-old English Teacher from Alberta, Canada. The stress of his work caused him to seek relief through “Comfort Food”… Rich, fatty, greasy, calorie-dense foods… And doing exercise was the last thing on his mind.

It got to the point where Paul no longer cared about how fat and unhealthy he had become. At the end of the day, he just wanted the temporary relief of eating junk food while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV.

As the years progressed Paul’s weight climbed to over 240 pounds. The extra layer of bodyfat was circling his heart like a seal in shark infested waters… He was a ticking time bomb and ended up having a cardiac arrest which put him in the ER…

Thankfully, the Paramedics and ER Doctors were able to save Paul before it was too late. And one of the physicians told him afterwards:

“The Universe has given you a gift, you’ve been given a second chance at life! …what are you going to do with that gift?”

Those words burned right into Paul’s core and changed his perspective on the value of life forever!

Paul and I made a video together discussing his health & fitness transformation journey. He shared exactly how he was able to turn his life around after a near death experience at age 62.

Hopefully Paul’s message will help inspire someone who’s in a similar situation to make a change NOW …before it’s too late!

Paul has a powerful message to share, this literally saved his life, and you need to hear it – especially if you feel that there’s no hope, or that it’s “Too Late” for you to make a change...

If you would like some help to re-gain control over your weight, health, and fitness – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you…

I Help Men Over 40 To Lose The Gut, Build Muscle, and Revive Your Entire Body – without starvation diets or extreme workouts – While Strengthening Your Heart and Joints For Years To Come!

If you are ready to “Start Over” for the last time and finally claim the gains you deserve… Without Punishing Your Body… Then let’s chat and plan out a strategy that’s right for YOU!

Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call with Lee.

Here’s the harsh truth… 97% of people will NEVER succeed in reaching their fitness and fat loss goals – Ouch!

In the video below you’re going to learn EXACTLY what the top 3% of achievers do differently than most people who struggle…

Back in 2000 Microsoft did a study measuring how long the average person could focus on one thing for a specific amount of time. The results showed the average person’s attention span was 12 seconds… Today – 20 years later – it’s dropped down to less than 8 seconds!

Based on that information, I know most of you are NOT going to watch the video below, so you’re NOT going to benefit from it…

However, those rare few of you reading this right now who have attention spans longer than 8 seconds – the top 3% of achievers – you’ll find that the content covered in this video could literally be life changing for achieving your health, fitness, and fat loss goals.

Get This Through Your Noggin…
Your success (or failure) doesn’t come down to your goals, your workout program, your diet plan, your calorie intake, your macros, or any of that “STUFF”…

…It goes way deeper than that!

In order to succeed you need to learn how to overcome your own self doubt and insecurities – and trust the process long enough to let it work for you – and that’s exactly what I’m going to show you how to do in this video.

Watch THIS Video – Trust Me, It Will Be A Game Changer!

P.S. this was shot on a grainy webcam, so the picture quality of the video sucks, but if you can get past that and focus on the actual content – it can be life changing – if you apply it.

P.P.S. if this message related to you and you’d like some help with reaching your fitness and fat loss goals – then book in for a FREE 10-Minute Strategy Session Fitness Audit Call with me and we can brainstorm an action plan that’s right for you!

Book in for a FREE Strategy Session Fitness Audit: www.LeeHayward.com/call

Even though they maybe exercising regularly and eating well – they just can’t seem to lose that last bit of stubborn weight right around the middle…

If you’re frustrated by your lack of progress and have hit a fat loss plateau – your “Cheat Meals” or worse, your “Cheat Days” – maybe sabotaging your progress!

If you’d like to learn a better alternative, one that still allows you to enjoy eating your favorite foods and satisfy those cravings – without blowing your diet and sabotaging your fat loss progress…

Then download a copy of my “How I Got Ripped After 40 E-book” – for FREE.

There’s some killer tips, tricks, and real world strategies that you can start implementing TODAY to make better progress while enjoying the process!

In addition to that, I’ve also posted up a YouTube video that dives in deep into how to structure your eating plan for maximum fat loss. I explain how I’m still able to “Cheat” on my diet, enjoy my favorite foods (within reason) while leaner in the process.

Click PLAY to watch the video below…

If you are ready to “Start Over” for the last time and finally build the lean healthy body you deserve… Without Punishing Yourself… Then let’s chat and plan out a strategy that’s right for YOU!

Click Here to schedule a FREE 10-Minute Strategy Session Call with Lee Hayward.

During this call we’ll do a “Fitness & Nutrition Audit” of your current program and brainstorm some ideas and action steps for how you can maximize your results and reach your personal health, fitness, muscle building & fat loss goals.

If I honestly feel that I can help you, then I’ll let you know. And if I can’t, then I won’t BS you, but I will offer some suggestions to experts or resources that can help you.

Either way, at the end of our short 10-minute strategy session call you’ll walk away with more clarity about what you need to do next in order to move in the right direction towards building the body you want.

If you consistently follow proper nutritional habits along with doing some form of daily exercise, even if it’s just for 10 minutes, it will add up overtime.

Most people who start a weight loss diet focus only on the number on the scale.

If their weight on the scale goes down, they feel good… But if their weight on the scale doesn’t go down, they feel like a failure and quit… That’s why over 90% of dieters quit after 1 month.

However, you need to realize that your weight on the scale doesn’t always go down every time you eat a healthy meal or workout… Just like the scale isn’t going to go up every time you eat an unhealthy meal or skip a workout.

Imagine how fat people would be if we ‘gained weight’ at the same rate when NOT dieting, as most people expect to ‘lose weight’ when dieting?

…That would be scary!

When you look at things from that perspective, it’s actually a good thing that the body is resilient and change takes time.

But rest assured that when you eat more healthy meals, and do more workouts, the scale will eventually move in the right direction but it’s not instant.

There’s a lag time between the actions you take today and the results of those actions. For example, if you workout today, you’re still going to be fat tomorrow. Or if you smoke a pack of cigarettes today, you’re not going to get lung cancer tomorrow. Those actions have to be repeated over and over again many times for the results to compound and accumulate.

The process of becoming overweight didn’t just happen quickly, it occurred very slowly. You may have only gained 1 pound per month – or less. But by consistently eating a poor diet and living a sedentary lifestyle – the body fat added up year after year until eventually you became overweight.

Just think what would happen if you simply reversed those numbers, which isn’t that hard to do once you understand how your body works.

Instead of slowly getting fatter year after year, you could slowly get leaner year after year. That’s how you can live a lean healthy lifestyle and maintain it.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are advanced strategies that you can use to speed up your rate of fat loss to the point where you are losing 1 pound per week (or more) with focused effort. But even if you go in “slow motion” and only lose 1 pound per month… Celebrate that, pat yourself on the back, because it’s still positive progress!

Heck, even if you just maintain your weight – that’s still a victory – because it’s much better than gaining weight.

The point of all this is I want you to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Stop stressing over how fast you can lose weight in the next 30 days, and start thinking about where you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years.

If you master healthy habits, you could be living your life in a lean and athletic body – and loving every minute of it.

Or you could keep going down the same path you were on before, and end up living your life in an obese body that is riddled with health problems… The choice is yours!

Every little decision you make – good or bad – is like casting a vote for the type of person you want to become. And just like with any election – you don’t need a unanimous decision to win – you just need to make good decisions the majority of the time to win.

Don’t let your short term results – or lack there of – derail your long term progress!

It’s so sad when I hear people say:

“I tried dieting for a month and didn’t see any results, so I quit.”

Imagine if a student went to school for a month, but didn’t get any smarter – and quit.

Or if a businessman started a business for a month, didn’t get any richer – and quit.

Or if a farmer planted his crops for a month, didn’t get any produce – and quit.

In other areas of life we know that it takes time to get results, and we are willing to put in the time to get the results. But for some reason when it comes to losing weight if we don’t see instant gratification – we get frustrated and quit.

Bottom line – stop quitting on yourself – focus on mastering the simple daily habits of doing the right things and the results will happen.

Coming from the bodybuilding world I’ve been through my own ups and downs with yo-yo dieting – going from extreme contest cutting to off season bulking. I’ve also let myself go, got a “Dad Bod” and understand the struggles – it’s not always easy – I get it.

I’ve been working in the fitness industry coaching people since 1997 and have literally helped thousands of people during that time. Many of whom have experienced amazing life changing “Before” and “After” transformations… And there were many failures as well (unfortunately, more failures than successes).

But ironically the only time I’ve seen people fail, is when they quit on themselves… Having the best workout program, the best diet, the best coach, etc. Isn’t going to do jack sh!t if you quit on yourself…

Please stop quitting on yourself. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not complicated, it just takes making a few simple habit and lifestyle changes and sticking to the process long enough so that you actually get the results you want. And the cool thing is that the more you do it, the easier it gets!

Just take it one day at a time, one meal at a time, and one workout at a time. And when you screw up and get off track, don’t beat yourself up and quit – forgive yourself, correct, and continue – START AGAIN and keep moving forward.

If you can do that, your fitness and fat loss success is inevitable. You just need to have faith and trust the process.

If you are ready to “Start Over” for the last time and finally claim the gains you deserve… Without Punishing Your Body… Then let’s chat and plan out a strategy that’s right for YOU!

Click Here to schedule a FREE 10-Minute Strategy Session Call with Lee Hayward.

The purpose of this call is for us to get to know each other better and brainstorm some ideas and action steps for how you can reach your personal health, fitness, muscle building & fat loss goals.

If I honestly feel that I can help you, then I’ll let you know. And if I can’t, then I won’t BS you, but I will offer some suggestions to experts or resources that can help you.

Either way, at the end of our short 10-minute strategy session call you’ll walk away with more clarity about what you need to do next in order to move in the right direction towards building the body you want.

Sure you may get an occasionally short term boost of motivation to go on yet another “weight loss diet” – when the New Years Resolutions goals come around, or if you have a special event coming up (i.e. wedding, holiday, high school reunion, etc.) where you don’t want everyone to see how fat you’ve become – and you don’t want to look bad in the pictures that will be posted up on social media afterwards.

But these goals are all surface level goals and never provide a BIG enough reason WHY you absolutely have to make a change to lose the weight, get in shape, and improve your health long term.

How To Find Your Motivation To Lose Weight…

One of the exercises that I take my personal fitness coaching students through to help them uncover their real motivation for losing weight and getting in shape is what we call the “5 Whys Exercise”.

The purpose of the 5 Whys Exercise is to get you thinking deeper into the more powerful and motivating reasons for why you absolutely “Have To” lose weight, get in shape, and improve your health so you can live the quality of life you deserve.

It’s a very simple exercise, but a very powerful one – especially when you take the time to actually do it – and not just brush this off as some cheesy positive thinking bunch of non-sense… After all it’s your life we’re talking about here, so you should take it seriously.

To show you how it works, I’m going to get vulnerable and share my own personal weight loss transformation journey.

How I’ve Struggled With My Weight…

In case you’re not familiar with me and my story… I started working out back in 1990, I entered my first bodybuilding competition in 1995, and throughout my teens, 20’s, and 30’s I competed in the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation with 15 trophies to my name.

I launched my first bodybuilding & fitness website back in 1997 and was one of the pioneers to the entire online bodybuilding and fitness industry.

I have personally coached hundreds of up and coming bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. And through my website, YouTube videos, and fitness programs I had the opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of guys from all over the world.

Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s competing in Bodybuilding Competitions was my main motivation and passion. However, after I “retired” from bodybuilding competition, got married, and became a father. That motivation wasn’t there anymore.

My priorities shifted from “me-focused”… to “we-focused”…

I worked more hours to keep the bills paid and put food on the table. And for the first time in my life I understood the challenges that busy men and hard-working fathers face…

I found myself saying things like:

“I’m too busy to go to the gym, I’ll take the day off and get back on track tomorrow…”

But tomorrow kept getting pushed further and further back.

When it came to eating healthy, I was too exhausted to meal prep. So I’d tell myself:

“I’ll just order a pizza tonight, and I’ll start back on my diet on Monday…”

But week after week I told myself the same thing…

Before I knew it, my former competitive bodybuilder physique turned into something that looked more like the Pillsbury Doughboy…

I had ballooned up to 240 pounds, had a waistline that stretched the tape measure to over 40 inches, I got fat, lazy, and felt disgusted with myself…

The muscle around my chest was soft. I had man-boobs, love handles, rolls of lower back fat, and my gut stuck out further than my chest…

It was embarrassing because here I was – “Lee Hayward the Bodybuilding & Fitness Coach” – and yet my body didn’t look anything like someone who worked out or kept fit.

The crazy thing about it was I knew exactly what I had to do in order to get in shape… Heck, I was a former provincial bodybuilding champion, I’ve gotten ripped 6-pack abs in the past and I’ve personally helped hundreds of others do it as well.

But for some reason I just couldn’t find the motivation this time around to do what I knew I should do intellectually. I had become comfortable with letting myself get fat…

How I Turned My Life Around And Got Ripped After 40…

This is where the 5 Whys Exercise really helped me to turn my life around, get my sh!t together, set my priorities straight, and finally build a lean ripped body after age 40…

It all boils down to simply asking yourself…

What do you want to achieve – and why?

What kind of person do you want to be – and why?

And keep asking yourself “WHY” over and over again until you uncover those deep rooted reasons. The reasons that you’ve been burying and hiding away for far too long…

Here are my answers to the 5 Whys Exercise…
(maybe you can relate to some of them)

————

Q: Why do you want to lose weight and get back in shape?

A: Because I want to lose fat, improve my health, and maintain a lean body year round.

————

Q: Why is that important to you?

A: So I can look lean, athletic and feel good about myself. I don’t like being fat and overweight. I want to look like a fitness coach who actually takes care of his health and fitness.

————

Q: And why is that important?

A: I want people to respect me. I want to look attractive. I want to hold my head high and standout as someone who is in shape, positive, healthy, energetic, and fit… Rather than feeling embarrassed and self conscious about being fat.

————

Q: And why is that important?

A: I’ll feel more confident about myself. I’ll be able to do things that right now I don’t feel comfortable doing. I won’t be embarrassed to take my shirt off, because right now I’m ashamed to go to the swimming pool, to go on a beach vacation, and I don’t even want to get changed in the gym locker room, or let my wife see me naked because I feel so embarrassed about how fat I’ve let myself become.

————

Q: And why is that important?

A: I’ll be able to enjoy living my life to the fullest and do the things I want to do without feeling shame, guilt, and embarrassment. I’ll have more energy, more confidence, and I’ll set a positive example for my son Harvey. I don’t want him to grow up with a fat out of shape dad and think that it’s “OK” to let himself get fat. I want to lead by example so that my son grows up with healthy lifestyle habits right from the start.

————

You notice how each time I asked “WHY” I went a level deeper into the more powerful reasons for me.

If I just stopped at I’m doing this because I want to “Lose Weight” – nothing would have changed because that’s a pretty weak reason.

There’s no motivation or drive to change your life for the sake of just “Losing Weight” – hence the reason why over 60% of American’s today are overweight or obese.

It’s not that we don’t have the tools, the knowledge, or the resources… There are more gyms than ever before, you have access to better nutrition than ever before, there are more personal trainers, dieticians, fitness and lifestyle coaches than ever before…

Just think about it – right now at this very moment you have access to literally everything that you need to make a fitness and fat loss transformation… The only thing you’re missing is a big enough reason WHY you need to change, and the courage to reach out ask someone for help in doing so.

And I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, because I was just as guilty as anyone. I got lazy and became “Comfortably Overweight”. While I wasn’t happy with how I looked or felt – it wasn’t bad enough for me to change – and it took me a long time to finally realize that I needed some help to turn things around.

There wasn’t any life threatening illness, I wasn’t on any blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetic medication to stay alive. I could still do normal things like walk up a flight of stairs, fit into an airplane seat, and I could still function as an average human being.

Bottom line, it wasn’t bad enough for me to do anything about it – and that’s why I let myself get fat in the first place… There wasn’t enough pain to make me want to change anything. I was comfortable being average, and these days, being average means you’re overweight…

However, when I went deeper and started asking myself “The 5 Why’s” – it got me thinking about the bigger more meaningful things in my life. Things that went way beyond just wanting to “Lose Weight”…

Ultimately, I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I wasn’t living life to my potential. I was just enduring life and surviving… Not fully living and thriving… What a waste!

Being fat limited the things that I did, it prevented me from giving my family the experiences they deserved – like taking them on vacations, going swimming, being active, or doing anything that would reveal how fat and out of shape I had become – all because I was too embarrassed and didn’t like the way I looked.

It affected my relationship with my wife and our sex life suffered because I was too ashamed to let her see me naked. I had to make love wearing a T-shirt and with the lights turned off – just so I could try and hide my rolls of belly fat.

And then the big one for me…
What kind of example was I setting for my son Harvey?

I don’t want him to grow up with a fat out of shape dad and think that it’s “normal” to let himself get fat, be unhealthy, feel low confidence, and experience guilt and shame about his body.

Every parent knows that your kids don’t listen to what you say – they only see what you do… So if you’re neglecting your health and fitness right now – guess who’s watching and learning by example…

Bottom Line: I had to Man Up, Get My Sh!t Together, and Lead By Example so that I could be the man my family needs me to be!

This physical transformation journey has affected my entire quality of life – and the life of my family. It’s not just about me anymore. My family needs me to be strong, healthy, fit, and confident – so I can provide them with the quality of life that they deserve.

That’s been my driving force to get back in shape, and that’s why I’m never going to let myself go back to being the fat out of shape old version of me that I used to be. My life and the life of my family is way too important to let that happen.

What is your reason WHY?

When you uncover those deep reasons for “WHY” you absolutely must change – that’s when you will find the motivation to change!

I hope reading this has been helpful for you. I know it was helpful for me just writing it, because it has re-ignited my motivational fire to keep pushing forward.

I encourage you to go through your own version of the “5 Whys Exercise”.

And just to let you know, you don’t have to stop at 5 whys… But it usually takes going at least 5 levels deep to uncover your true motivation and find the deep reasons that will shake you to the core and get you to man up and make a change.

If reading this has motivated you in anyway, and you would like some help to come up with a realistic action plan for how you can finally lose the weight, get back in shape, and feel good about yourself – just let me know.

For a limited time, I’m offering a Complementary Consultation Coaching Call for guys who don’t want to be fat anymore and are serious about making a positive change in their lives.

We’ll hop on the phone and discuss a realistic action plan that’s right for you. And if you’re a good fit, we can even discuss the possibility of having you come on board with my exclusive Muscle After 40 Blueprint Coaching program so that you can create a lasting fitness and fat loss transformation for yourself.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, just click on the link below, fill out the short application form, and book a time to speak with me in my calendar.

I Help Men Over 40 To Lose The Gut, Build Muscle, and Revive Your Entire Body – without starvation diets or extreme workouts – While Strengthening Your Heart and Joints For Years To Come!

If you are ready to “Start Over” for the last time and finally claim the gains you deserve… Without Punishing Your Body… Then let’s chat and plan out a strategy that’s right for YOU!

Click Here To Book Your Complementary Consultation Coaching Call.

all the best,
Lee

During these Home Workouts we will use minimal exercise equipment. And cover variations for beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Each day you’ll get some unique body weight exercises, dumbbell exercises, and rubber resistance bands so that you can still work all your major muscle groups to build muscle and burn fat.

This will help you get you through the tough times ahead and still make gains – even if you can’t get to the gym.

Everyday while the gyms are closed I’m going to be hosting a FREE Follow Along Home Workout. My goal with these workouts is to keep you motivated and energized and help hold you accountable to follow through with your fitness routine during these stressful times.

Join me EVERYDAY on the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Page at 6:00 pm EST for a Follow Along Home Workout.

https://www.facebook.com/total.fitness.bodybuilding

Special Update To The TFB Workout App – April 2020:
Due To Our Current Situation With The Gyms Closed Because Of The COVID-19 Epidemic – We’ve Added A Brand New “HOME WORKOUT” Section To The Total Fitness Bodybuilding App.

Now you can access these LIVE Stream Home Workout Replays along with a written detailed breakdown of the exercises, sets, and reps – within the Total Fitness Bodybuilding App.

Just because the gym is closed, doesn’t mean you can’t make progress towards your fitness and fat loss goals. Download The TFB Workout App and Follow Along with one of our Home Workouts TODAY!

Download for Apple – Download for Android

Tough Times Don’t Last, But Tough People Do… We can make it through this

In fact, the RDA is being revised based on recent research showing that daily dietary needs for vitamins and minerals are higher than originally anticipated.

Keep in mind that the RDA on food labels was established back in 1941 to try and prevent World War II soldiers from getting sick and dieing from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

It was NOT set for optimal levels of health, fitness, and athletic performance!

Just because you consume enough vitamins and minerals to stay alive, doesn’t mean that you are consuming optimal levels to maximize your strength, health, and athletic performance.

Even a minor micro-nutrient deficiency could short change the entire muscle building process and bring your gains in the gym to a screeching halt…

Not only that, but a vitamin or mineral deficiency can weaken your immune system. This makes you more vulnerable to getting sick and could hinder your ability to fight off illness or infection – which is a MAJOR concern for EVERYONE today considering what we’re going through right now.

Simply eating A LOT of food doesn’t mean you’re eating healthy…

In fact, it could be just the complete opposite!

We now live in a society where it is possible to overeat to the extent that one becomes obese from excess calories – yet can still be malnourished on the cellular level from a lack of essential nutrients.

Most processed foods today are stripped of their healthy vitamins and minerals and then loaded with preservatives, so they are nothing more than empty toxic calories.

That’s why the average person these days is overweight with health problems.

And for guys who are in the gym working out on a regular basis, you are placing even more demands and stress on your body, and need even more micro-nutrients than the average Joe.

So that’s why I recommend you pay particular attention to your diet to ensure that you are consuming adequate vitamins and minerals to meet your body’s needs.

To help you with this, I’ve put together an Advanced Vitamin & Mineral Guide For Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts!

In this Vitamin and Mineral PDF guide you’re going to Learn the BEST Foods and Supplements to Optimize your Health, Fitness, and Athletic performance. It’s a jam packed 37 page Vitamin & Mineral Guide that you can download at the link below…

When it comes to achieving optimal levels of strength, health, and athletic performance – even a minor micro-nutrient deficiency could short change the entire process and bring your gains in the gym to a screeching halt…

Don’t let this happen to you, Click Here to download a FREE Copy of my Vitamin and Mineral Guide for Athletes Today!

Today I have an inspirational story to share with you. It’s about a man named Bill Moore who turned his life around and lost 116 pounds in 2 years.

Bill’s story will really hit home for a lot of guys over the age of 40 who get caught up with the stress of day to day life – advancing in your career, raising a family, etc. while very often neglecting the most important person in your life – YOU…

When this happens very often your health and fitness falls to the wayside. But when you zoom out and look at the big picture you’ll see that your health is the most important thing you have. If you are not making your health a top priority then you won’t be around long enough to enjoy the rest of what life has to offer. You won’t be able to provide for your family and give them the life they deserve. Bottom line, you need to take care of yourself in order to be able to work, provide for your family, and be the man that they need you to be.

I encourage you to read Bill’s story because it relates to what a lot of people are going through. And if you know of someone personally who could benefit from this, please feel free to share it with them.

I have waited for this day; the day I could tell my story! Miracles come in many forms; however, the most rewarding phenomena are those that require personal effort. I believe in Miracles because I now live one daily!

I was at the end of my rope…

– I weighed 318 pounds.

– Glucose levels were 129 mg/dL (normal is less than 100) which meant I was crossing the line of becoming a diabetic.

And to top it all off I had been diagnosed with a debilitating form of psoriatic arthritis. Life was not going well… My hands feet and wrist were swollen and deformed, and the mobility in my neck, arms, and legs had been reduced by 75%.

My doctor informed me that if I continued on this path I would end up in a wheelchair within five years. He even prescribed pain medications that would help me cope and hopefully slow down some of the deterioration.

After my doctor’s diagnosis I was in shock;
“How could this happen to me, I used to eat fairly well and workout on a regular basis?”

I knew I had no one to blame for this condition but myself, years of inactivity and unhealthy eating habits had taken their toll. I had spent over eight years of my life on the road as a successful medical device sales representative. Unless one uses great caution, it is very easy to develop extremely unhealthy habits while on the road.

My weight had skyrocketed to 318 pounds, and even on days when the arthritis wasn’t keeping me from being able to move freely, my obesity was! I was buying new suits every few months due to my increases in size but never really paid any attention to it until the day I could not move – that was my wake up call…

One afternoon I was at home alone and went into the walk-in closet to grab a new bottle of Aspirin. At the time I was eating Aspirin and Tylenol like they were candy to try and take an edge off the pain. After finding the pill bottle my stiff arthritic hands dropped it and it rolled under the shelf in the closet. I slowly got down on my knees to retrieve the bottle, just getting down on the floor and reaching for the bottle proved to be quite a physical experience, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next…

Once I had the bottle of Aspirin I couldn’t stand back up, no matter how hard I tried I just could not get up! I struggled just to try and get myself up from all fours at least up to my knees, but no matter how hard I tried I could not get up. Things got worse from there because I thought that maybe I could use one of the shelves to help pull myself up. I knew that at my weight it probably wouldn’t hold, but I had to do something. I wound up breaking the shelf and pulling everything down on me. That was the first time I realized just how far I had let myself go.

I started sobbing like I had not done since the death of my grandpa. My wife was due home in forty-five minutes and I did not want her to see me like this! So I thought maybe that I could crawl into the bedroom and use the bed to get back on my feet, I crawled into the bedroom and still couldn’t pull myself up, due to the fact that our bed was so high. And then what I feared most happened, my wife came home to find me crying and laying helpless on our bedroom floor.

She helped me up and held me but then she looked me in the eye and with a stern yet compassionate voice she told me that I had to lose weight and start taking better care of myself so this would never have to happen again – This was the wake up call that I needed. Things were going to be different from here on out!

I started eating better and eliminating in between meal snacks. I started to see the weight come off slowly, at first it was nothing to get excited about but it was progress. I dropped from 318 to 310 in about a month; following that I went to 290 in another month’s time, and by the end of summer I was down to 260 pounds. But I knew that it would take more than diet alone to get to my goal of great health. I had to incorporate physical activity along with healthy eating habits.

The desire to change my condition provided motivation; however, that motivation was somewhat negative in form. I needed some positive motivation to keep me on track, something that would help me move forward with desire, rather than just the fear from having poor health. And one day while out shopping I found that positive motivation. I went into one of the local supplement stores and they had a promotion for a physique transformation challenge so I picked up one of the brochures.

I was realistic about this challenge and it didn’t matter if I won or not, the main thing was that it provided me with goal to work towards. Their slogan was “If You Finish, You Win!” I believed it and that Physique Transformation Challenge provided me with drive I needed in order to stay motivated.

However, starting a workout program was no easy task, there was so much preparation involved and I was very rusty. But one thing that definitely helped me with planning my workout routine was finding out about Lee Hayward.

The first thing I came across were Lee’s YouTube videos that laid out dumbbell workouts for every part of the body. That was just what I needed due to the fact that I was working out at home and dumbbells made up the majority of equipment that I had.

Being rusty I needed some refreshers on proper exercise execution so that I would not injure myself and make matters worse, Lee provided videos on proper form and range of motion. I literally felt as if I had my own personal trainer, and I did!! I also found myself, for the first time in my life, taking someone’s advice to heart, I wasn’t out to break any records, all I wanted was to feel better so I did exactly as Lee instructed and used a weight that I could control and perform the exercises with properly.

I must have watched the chest and triceps dumbbell videos three times a day until I could recite them in my sleep. The awesome thing was that I witnessed my strength increase naturally without trying to push things, actually increasing at a rate quicker than what I previously remember. In no time at all, about sixty days I was doing dumbbell bench presses with 50 pounds in each hand, which is not bad when you consider that I had to start with ten pounds in each hand!

I signed up for Lee’s bodybuilding training and nutrition program and I truly believe to this day had it not been for the information that Lee provided I would not have made the gains or been able to restore my health in such a way as I have been able to do! I was blown away by Lee’s commitment to his students and his commitment to practicing what he preaches is evident in that he is more concerned with helping people change their lives than making a dollar!

I am living proof that Lee’s advice works, not only did I lose the weight – but I did what so many people, including my physician, told me that I would never be able to do again and that is walk and lift! Lee helped me prove them all wrong, I no longer have a feeling of helplessness and the greatest thing is that I am now in a position to help others walk the same path that I have!

I’ve lost a grand total of 116.2 lbs off of my heaviest weight of 318 pounds two years ago! My blood pressure reading is now consistently at 120/75 mm Hg and my glucose readings are normal, consistently under 100, no more sharp stabbing pains. The psoriatic arthritis has left its mark and I still have to work through pain at times. However, the arthritis is in remission, my hands and feet are no longer swollen and I enjoy more pain free days than days filled with pain.

Everyday I suit up to exercise whether I am pushing iron or doing cardio; I know that every day I do so I am one step closer to a completely disease and pain free life! I did all this through proper diet, exercise and natural supplements – NO MEDICATIONS!

I feel amazing, as if I added 50 years to my life, I am very proud of my accomplishments and know that the best is yet to be. I plan on using my victory to help others suffering with disease to turn their dreams of health into reality. My story can convince many that they can turn their lives around. I am determined more than ever to keep going, I know have the discipline and I will live the rest of my life in RELENTLESS pursuit of excellent health!

I have since decided to become a certified personal trainer myself and have started the ball rolling in that direction. I want to help others as Lee Hayward has helped me. I desire to see people who perceive that they have disabilities overcome their fear and live happy productive lives. I know that I have been called to inspire people to live healthy and happy, for themselves, as well as their loved ones. I desire to serve, to remind others that no matter how bad the situation looks, there is hope as long as we will reach upward and fight!

I have been able to share my story with hundreds of people and to this day have numerous people in contact with me throughout Missouri and Arkansas inquiring as to how I was able to restore my health. I am already helping people take control of their health in places such as Springfield, Cape Girardeau and St. Louis Missouri, as well as Mountain Home Arkansas. There is a quote by David L. Weatherford that states: “You never stand taller than when you stoop down to help someone who has fallen”.

A month ago I thought that I was standing tall due to what I had physically accomplished in my life. However, that feeling pales in comparison to what it feels like to help someone else who is in the type of condition or a worse condition than what I used to be. Before I had the physical and somewhat mental satisfaction of a job well done, a mountain climbed!! Now the feeling I have is one that makes me whole, it affects not only the physical and mental side of a person but the spirit and the heart. My journey is one that is now beginning to lift others, the path that I have cut will soon have other footprints upon it and that makes me feel taller than any selfish accomplishment I could ever dream of achieving!

To hear hope in someone else’s voice is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever heard; however, to know that my story put that hope there is the most humbling and satisfying experiences that I have ever encountered!

I had to come up with my own rule for inspiration, on days when I wasn’t seeing the results that I wanted to see I would go back and read something that I wrote at the beginning of the challenge: “Keep Going Forward, No Matter How Slow You Seem To Be Traveling. For One Day You Will Look Back From The Top Of The Mountain!” ~ Bill Moore

I am now on top of that mountain! Even though I have much more that I want to accomplish personally concerning my physical condition, the feeling of inspiring others has taken me to a place higher than any I had ever imagined!

In just 2 years Bill went from fat, depressed, worried for his health… To now living life to the fullest as a healthy, lean and active man. He’s a better husband, better father, and better person all around – because he choose to make his health and fitness a priority.

If you would like some help to re-gain control over your weight, health, and fitness – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you… Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call.

I’m not trying to be negative or put you down. I’m just telling it like it is so that you can use this information to your advantage, and actually be successful in reaching your muscle building and fat loss goals.

Now that summer is here lots of guys are training for fat loss with hopes of getting ripped six pack abs for beach vacations, pool parties, etc.

But unfortunately most of them will fail to reach their fat loss goals simply because they don’t realize just how much weight they actually need to lose in order to get that lean ripped look.

“If you have never followed a serious fat loss cutting diet before, than you probably don’t realize how much weight you’ll need to lose in order to get those six pack abs.”

Most guys who have never dieted down before think they have more muscle and less bodyfat than they really do. I know because I used to be one of them back in my early days of bodybuilding.

To give you an example, let’s assume we have a typical bodybuilder who has been working out for a few years, has a decent level of muscular development, but is a bit soft and smooth… Say somewhere around 15% bodyfat.

Most guys in this situation would think that if they clean up their diet, do some cardio, and drop 10-15 pounds that they’ll be sporting ripped six pack abs. But when they actually try to do it, they generally don’t look any different, except they will be 10-15 pounds smaller.

To Get Ripped You’ll Need To Lose More Weight Than You Think.

To see what I mean, just check out the pictures below…
These pictures were taken back in 2007 when I dieted down to compete in the HWC Bodybuilding Championships. I had to drop 40 pounds of bodyweight in order to get into ripped contest shape.

I’m not alone with this, I’ve seen this same scenario time and time again from years of coaching competitive bodybuilders and helping them with their pre-contest fat loss cutting diets. Most guys are shocked by just how much weight you really need to lose in order to get ripped.

Part of the reason why most guys think they have more muscle mass than they really do is because when you start a fat loss diet the first 10 pounds that you lose is mostly just water, glycogen, and intestinal bulk. It’s only after that initial 10 pound weight loss when you really get into burning your stored bodyfat.

To help you figure out how much weight you’ll need to lose in order to get ripped, you first need to find out your body fat percentage. Click Here to use our online Bodyfat Calculator. Once you know your bodyfat percentage you’ll be able to calculate how much lean body mass you have and how much body fat mass you have.

For example, let’s say that a 200 pound man has 15% body fat.

This works out to:
200 pounds bodyweight @ 15% body fat
170 pounds of lean body weight
30 pounds of body fat weight

In order for this guy to get ripped with six pack abs he will have to diet down to at least 170 pounds.

Now you’re probably looking at the above example with a puzzled look on your face…

“Why in the world would he have to lose so much bodyweight in order to get ripped? According to the numbers if he got down to 170 pounds wouldn’t he have zero bodyfat…?”

It doesn’t work that way, remember a lot of your initial weight loss will come from water, glycogen, and intestinal bulk. Which is technically part of your lean body mass, since it’s not actual bodyfat.

So during the process of dieting for fat loss, it’s inevitable that you’ll lose some “lean mass”. But it doesn’t mean that you are doing anything wrong, this is totally normal and happens to every bodybuilder. Even the top pros have to lose some of their lean mass in order to get ripped.

Some of the top Mr. Olympia competitors like Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, and Dorian Yates would get up over 300 pounds in the off-season while still maintaining relatively low bodyfat and visible abdominal definition. Yet they still had to lose 50+ pounds and get down to the 250 pound range in order to achieve the ripped shredded look that we associate with top level pro bodybuilders.

Most guys who are new to dieting simply don’t realize this and very often think that they have more muscle mass on their frame than they actually do. So what ends up happening is they don’t lose enough bodyweight to actually get ripped.

Unless you’ve been around the sport of bodybuilding for some time and have witnessed the physique transformations of competitive bodybuilders first hand, it’s hard to fully grasp just how much weight you need to lose to get that lean ripped hard body look. But to give you a rough ball park estimate of just find out your body fat percentage, calculate your lean body mass, and strive to get down to that weight.

So if you have 30 pounds of body fat (like in our example above), and you lose 30 pounds of bodyweight, this doesn’t mean that you will have 0% body fat. But it will mean that your body fat level should be low enough for you to have the lean ripped condition that you are striving for.

Do You Need Some Help With Losing Fat & Getting Ripped?

If you would like some help with planning out a realistic action plan to help you lose the fat, build lean muscle, and get back in shape – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you… Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call.

About the Author:

Lee Hayward started working out in 1990 and began competing in bodybuilding competitions in 1995. Then in 1999 he started www.LeeHayward.com the very website you are reading right now.

Over the years Lee has struggled with his weight and understands first hand the frustrations of Yo-Yo Dieting – going on extreme cutting diets, losing weight, and then re-gaining it back again. Because of this he has committed himself to helping Men Over 40 who don’t want to be fat anymore come up with a realistic and sustainable solution for losing fat, building lean muscle, and developing a strong healthy body for life.

If you would like Lee to help you get in your personal best shape with personalized diet and training advice, just click here for more information… Muscle After 40 Blueprint – How To Lose Fat, Build Muscle, & Maintain It For Life!

When I get to see the dramatic improvements in progress pictures and hear about the positive impact that following a healthy bodybuilding and fitness lifestyle provides, it re-assures me that all time and energy I put into making videos, blog posts, writing programs and answering questions is actually making a difference in people’s lives.

Today I have a very impressive physique transformation that I’d like to share with you. It’s about 39 year old Jacob Fereydoonfar, who lost 42 pounds of body fat in the last 5 months, while building lean muscle and getting stronger in the process!

Jacob’s story really hit home for me, because like myself, he was a former competitive bodybuilder in his teens and early 20’s. But he had to move away to another country for work, and he stopped competing in bodybuilding to focus on his career.

The transition to a new country, new career, and new life wasn’t easy and came with plenty of challenges. The stress of work, personal problems, and trying to make a living started to add up and Jacob’s dedication to living a healthy active lifestyle got pushed to the sidelines.

It didn’t take long for things to spiral out of control… Jacob’s once lean ripped physique got soft, fat, and out of shape to the point where his gut was sticking out further than his chest.

He was ashamed by how fat he let himself get, he felt embarrassed to take his shirt off at the beach, pool, etc. and would avoid going to such places. This negatively affected his self esteem and confidence. He hated the way his body looked and wanted to make a change.

Jacob told me that he stumbled upon my YouTube channel while searching for bodybuilding and fitness videos and looking for some motivation to workout again. He liked my opinions on fitness and nutrition. He found it refreshing how I focused more about making bodybuilding and fitness apart of a well balanced lifestyle, instead of taking the extreme “All Or Nothing” approach. He related to my message and subscribed.

Like Jacob, I was a former competitive bodybuilder, who used to be in great shape “Back In The Day” but stopped competing and let myself go after the birth of my son. Then over the past 2 years I’ve totally turned my life around and came up with a realistic and sustainable approach to losing fat and building muscle after 40 that doesn’t require extreme workouts or crazy low calorie starvation diet plans.

Because of this, Jacob reached out to me asking for help and we’ve been working together to help him optimize his workouts, cardio, and eating plan so he can lose the fat without resorting to crazy low carb / low calorie diets or spending endless hours in the gym – and the results speak for themselves…

Jacob has totally transformed his body, lost the stubborn fat he was carrying, while improving his muscular development and definition all over – wider shoulders, bigger chest, muscular arms, defined legs, slimmer waistline and tighter abs!

He is no longer embarrassed about taking his shirt off at the beach or pool. He now has the lean athletic build that allows him to stand tall and feel confident about how his body looks.

In just 5 months Jacob went from 231 pounds and feeling fat, depressed, and embarrassed about his body… To now weighing 189 pounds and feeling confident, looking lean, healthy, and ripped as he goes into his 40’s. He’s a better man all around because he choose to make his health and fitness a priority.

I’m so proud of him for what he has achieved. He’s an inspiration and real world example that it’s never too late to take action and get back in shape!

If you would like some help to re-gain control over your weight, health, and fitness – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you… Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call.

Have you ever just said to yourself:

“F-it, why even bother anymore? I’d rather be fat and happy…”

That’s what I told myself just a few years ago… I fell off the bandwagon with my health and fitness. I got caught up in a negative spiral of pure laziness.

Skipping workouts, eating junk, and always telling myself that I’d get back on track “tomorrow”…

But tomorrow never came!

Part of the reason for this was after 16 years of going on and off crazy contest diets as a competitive bodybuilder. I suffered from the emotional ups and downs of extreme Yo-Yo dieting.

When it was time to get ready for a bodybuilding contest I’d go on a super strict cutting diet – eating nothing but boiled chicken, broccoli, and rice for months at a time while doing 2+ hour long gym workouts 6 days per week, along with endless cardio sessions.

I’d constantly avoid social situations, friends, family, or any event that revolved around food (which is pretty much everything) just so I wouldn’t be tempted to “cheat” on my diet.

Granted that approach “works” and you can get ripped by doing that… I’ve done it for 13 competitions over a 16 year period and did relatively well – I won my weight class at several shows and even won an overall title on the provincial stage.

But it’s a living hell…

I can remember lying awake at night during a bodybuilding contest prep, unable to sleep because of the hunger pangs in my belly, and just dreaming about all the food I was going to binge on as soon as the contest was over… Pizza, ice cream, cakes, cookies, sugary cereals, jars of peanut butter, chips, crackers, donuts, anything and everything… I was obsessed.

Months of dieting to lose the weight, and only a few weeks of binging to gain it all back again… It was a vicious cycle and I hated it.

Once I stopped competing in bodybuilding I had no desire to stay in shape. No competitive drive pushing me forward. Why bother starting another “diet” only to feel like sh!t and be hungry all the time?

I’d rather be “Fat & Happy”…
But the truth is when you’re fat, you don’t really feel happy…

Yes, you can feel good in the moment by eating whatever junk food you fancy. But whatever pleasure you get from eating quickly fades when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and feel disgusted with how your body looks and feels.



It’s no fun having a gut that sticks out further than your chest, or getting out of breath just to bend over and tie your own shoes, or feeling so embarrassed about your body that you go to bed with a t-shirt on because you don’t want your wife to see your fat pudgy belly sticking out.

Can you relate to any of this?



What if there was a way to have your cake and eat it too?



What if you could find that happy medium of where you could stay lean and healthy without suffering the ups and downs of Yo-Yo Dieting?



There has to be a better way…

Those were all questions that kept going through my mind.

Luckily for me I have a new driving force in my life, one that’s much more important than competing in a bodybuilding contest for a trophy and a handshake.

Right now, it’s the most important part of my life – it’s my son Harvey!

This little boy changed my perspective on life…

I’m not having him growing up and being embarrassed about having a fat out of shape dad…

I’m going to teach him how to live a healthy active lifestyle!

I don’t want my son to grow up with a fat out of shape dad. My goal now is to lead by example and teach him how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. I’m determined to be a positive role model for health, fitness, and success.

So over the past few years through trial and error and studying from some of the smartest minds in fitness, nutrition, and psychology – I’ve finally come up with a sustainable and realistic approach to diet, exercise, and living a balanced lifestyle.



No more extreme cutting diets and endless workouts in the gym. In fact, you’ll only see me at the gym 3 days per week tops. Because I’m no longer a slave to going to the gym everyday, I actually look forward to my workouts instead of dreading them.

Instead of constantly focusing on what “Junk Foods” I have to cut out of my diet and trying to follow some extreme low carb, keto, or starvation diet – I’m doing the exact opposite.

Each meal I focus on filling up on generous portions of healthy nutrient dense foods that satisfy my hunger, fuel muscle growth, and optimize my metabolism…

Lean protein, fruits, veggies, healthy fats… And yes even CARBS!



I’ve found through trial and error that my body responds the best when I eat a well balanced diet of 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbohydrates, and 1/3 fats. If I mess with those ratios (i.e. eating low carb, eating low fat, etc.) it makes me feel like crap and drives my appetite out of whack.



By eating a well balanced diet like this I’m able to eat until I’m comfortably full at each meal, get more eating satisfaction, lose bodyfat, gain lean muscle, and do so without feeling like I’m on a “diet” or depriving myself.

It’s brilliantly simple, yet so powerful.

When planning your meals, make sure to include each of the following:

• A serving of protein (i.e. meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.)
• A serving of complex carbohydrates (i.e. potatoes, rice, beans, whole grains, etc.)
• A serving of vegetables (i.e. broccoli, spinach, cucumber, peas, carrots, etc.)
• A serving of healthy fat (i.e. avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, flax oil, fish oil, etc.)

By prioritizing these foods with each of your meals you’ll fill up your stomach and satisfy your appetite with quality nutrition. This will naturally decrease your desire for eating unhealthy processed foods because you won’t be as hungry. “Dieting” is a lot easier when you focus on filling up on the good stuff, rather than simply trying to cut out the bad stuff.

If you just start doing these few things, you will see noticeable improvements. Chances are you’ll feel better, have more energy, and you’ll probably even drop a few pounds of fat without even counting calories!

The “All Or Nothing” approach rarely works long term. When you get down to basics, you just need to tip the scale in favor of burning more calories than you consume, and LET your body burn stored fat for energy. Rather than trying to FORCE your body to burn fat with brute effort and extreme dietary restriction.

If you’d like to see exactly how I got about doing it, and how you can do it too – then check out my website https://www.MuscleAfter40Blueprint.com

The majority of guys in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond – just give up on their health and fitness. Chances are you’ve been on “diets” and lost a bunch of weight, only to re-gain it all back again a few months later. So why even bother trying again when it’s only going to set you up for another disappointment?

That was the case for Trevor James, a 58 year old man from England. As the years went on his waistline grew bigger and bigger. He had to buy new pants and shirts every year because he old ones no longer fit. It kept going until his weight topped out at an embarrassing 255 pounds.

Feeling fat, old, and scared for his health – he decided enough was enough and he needed to make a change. Not just for himself, but to be the man he needed to be for his wife and daughter.

Within 2 years of making that decision, Trevor turned his life around, lost 74 pounds, and is now in the best shape of his life at 58 years young!

Trevor and I were recently chatting about his transformation and how he was able to get lean and jacked with visible 6-pack abs in his 50’s. He was kind enough to let me share his story below. Hopefully it will help inspire someone who’s in a similar situation right now to make a change before it’s too late.

Getting Fit Over 50
– How Trevor Lost 74 Pounds and Got 6-Pack Abs at Age 58…

My name is Trevor James and I am 58 years old. 2 years ago I weighed more than 115Kg (255Lbs). Today I weigh just 82Kg (181Lbs), and now I want to tell you all about it.

I’ve always tried to look after my body and health by doing some form of exercise (karate, cardio, gym exercise, swimming, running, etc) or eating what was always considered the “healthy” foods, so I became a little confused when I started gaining more and more weight as I grew older. I guess we all do that as we age – or so we are led to believe.

As an English teacher I spend most of my day sitting down with students on a 1-2-1 basis discussing the rules, grammar, and pronunciation of the language. So, my movements become rather restrictive, my activity levels reduced, and metabolism slowed down. Up goes the weight even though my eating habits remained the same with the occasional snack – or two – adding to the pressure.

I think, that in reality nothing spectacular ever happened to cause my weight gain, other than just living the “normal” life we all live. So it did not come as any surprise when I noticed my big fat gut in 2017 while on a premature honeymoon before marrying my beautiful young wife. My weight had gone up to almost 116Kg (255 pounds), a disastrous and rather risky level of weight gain. It had happened gradually over the years, so there is no real one blame. I knew I was putting on weight as every year and needed to buy larger size clothes, T-shirts from M to XXL, trousers from 34″ to 38″, and the like.

I was good at hiding it because of my height 188cm (6’2″) so I could carry on my days in a bright and cheerful way; however, I knew it was getting me down. I was trying to lose it by the normal “healthy foods”… But it wasn’t working. I tried diets, but they always failed because I was starving myself and when the diet ended, I’d put it all back on again. I wasn’t happy inside because of my weight and wanted to find an option to lose it – FOREVER.

I have a young wife and a younger daughter (she will be 5 in September, this year – 2019) and I did not like the thought of taking her to school being fat and looking old. I hated more the fact that she would have this fat old man that was old enough to be her granddad take her to school, and what she might have to put up with from the name-calling her peers would throw at her. She had a right, like every other child, to be proud of her daddy. I owed it to her, and my wife, to be in good health and in good shape – but here I was fat, old, and becoming very concerned about my weight and the medical problems that would fail me later (and more probably not that much later either).

I was looking on the internet for ideas to permanently lose weight and keep it off, and I came across some very interesting discoveries. There were a lot of people making some rather diverse suggestions about the foods that I regularly ate (potatoes, pastas, grains, sweetcorn, and the like) and occasionally ate (chips, beef burgers, pizza, sauces, juices, etc.) and how they greatly affected my weight.

Then I came across this guy (Lee Hayward) – a professional coach in the body-building world making suggestions about how to lose fat, build muscle and get back in shape. And decided to follow his program after agreeing that there were issues with my diet and exercise. For me it meant changing the main focus of my diet and exercise once and for all. I took it slow, made changes and progress gradually, and one year later I was down nearly 20kg (44 pounds).

Another six months and I was at my leanest weight – 82Kg (181 pounds) – beaming with confidence!

I continued to follow along with Lee’s coaching and use his exercise routines at the gym. I read his courses and used his advice, along with some other material I have researched – I have also put much of what I have studied into a program ready to go out to the public on how I transformed my body.

These changes were not easy, but they have been remarkably great and fun. I have seen changes in my body that I never knew could happen. I have watched my 6-pack reappear after over 30 years – wondering where the hell my abs have been all this time; I have seen an amazing alteration regarding my health and energy levels. Before I couldn’t run a few hundred meters without some pain in my back, hips, or legs. Now I run 30 Kilometers every week in addition to doing cycling and gym workouts. I have so much energy that I feel like a 20-year-old young stallion let loose with everything for me.

As I said, it has not been easy. I had to deal with choosing to find the right foods and give up on eating snickers every week; drinking soda pop every week, juices, sauces, processed carbohydrates, etc. I had to find ways to break old habits and create new ones. I had to fight with myself and keep on when I wanted to stop. I had to challenge my desire to give-up when I knew stopping was the easiest option. I had to wake up and workout when I wanted to sleep; I had to go when I wanted to stay. I HAD TO MAKE LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND I HAD TO MAKE THEM RIGHT THEN!

When I look back on the path I had to take and the road along the way – I can say that it has been the toughest, and yet the most positive pathway I have ever taken. It has been one hell of a challenge, and I am not going to tell you otherwise. But, and I repeat BUT, it has been the greatest thing I have ever done. I am in my best shape physically, I am healthier, more active now then I have ever been. In the best shape I could ever hope for. Lee has been an inspiration, and I hope that I can equally pass on that inspiration in this testimony.

I have discovered that there are many reasons for giving up something, and usually only one reason to continue, but it is that one reason that can lead you to make the change, so why give up on your goal?

There are two things I have learnt in order to become successful in everything in life:
1. Keep on doing it, regardless of the challenges;
and
2. Never give up!

Now, you can be old, fat, boring, and grey in your mid to late fifties and beyond, or you can start making little changes and challenging yourself everyday and be the best version of you. I go to my local gym and see men and women half my age looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. It makes me feel great inside and I love it!

I’ve heard people suggesting I use chemicals, and I do: I use them to clean my toilet. I eat clean healthy food (I keep the junk foods to a bare minimum and sometimes not at all). I walk tall and proud knowing that my family love the way I have changed. I am ready to take my daughter to school; holding her hand and telling the teachers that I am her daddy!

We can all make changes. We all need to make changes. Why not make the changes that benefit you and your loved ones? SURELY YOU ALL DESERVE BETTER?

Thank you, a million times, Lee. I hope you continue to inspire others as you did to me. I hope I can enhance that inspiration in what I have written to let people all over the world in their 50s know that they do not have to give in and get fat. By making simple and positive changes – and keeping consistent – they can be the best they have ever been – EVER!

Trevor James
England

In just 2 years Trevor went from fat, depressed, worried for his health, and afraid of being a burden and embarrassment to his family… To now living life to the fullest as a healthy, lean and ripped 58 year old. He’s a better husband, better father, and better person all around – because he choose to make his health and fitness a priority.

If you would like some help to re-gain control over your weight, health, and fitness – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you… Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call.

Is there any point to even trying to get back in shape when you’re already “Over The Hill?”

Unfortunately, as men get older – into their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond – most just give up on their health and fitness. When it should be the complete opposite, during the 2nd half of life your health and fitness should take on a whole new level of importance.

It’s quite common to see hard working men spending their entire adult lives doing everything they can to provide for their family, put food on the table, and a roof over their heads – while neglecting their own health and fitness in the process.

I realize that putting your family above your own needs may seem like the noble thing to do. But in the greater scheme of things is this really a smart choice?

Neglecting your health and fitness will eventually come back to bite you. It’s like trying to get ahead by ignoring the maintenance on your car. Things are going to break down and fall apart if you don’t look after it. And what might have been a simple repair job, could lead to engine failure if left unfixed.

If you abuse your car, you can always get another one. But the same can’t be said for your body – you only get one – so you better look after it now while you still can.

Just think about it…
All the years of working hard to provide for your family isn’t going to mean much if you die before your time, and leave your wife without a husband, and your children without a father.

That was almost the case for Paul Miller, a 62-year-old English Teacher from Alberta, Canada. The stress of his work caused him to seek relief through “Comfort Food”… Rich, fatty, greasy, calorie-dense foods… And going to the gym for exercise was the last thing on his mind.

It got to the point where Paul no longer cared about how fat and unhealthy he had become. At the end of the day, he just wanted that temporary relief of eating junk food while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV.

As the years progressed Paul’s weight climbed to over 240 pounds. The extra fat around his waistline was circling his heart like a seal in shark infested waters… He was a ticking time bomb… and it almost cost him his life!

Paul and I were recently chatting about his situation and how he was able to turn his life around after a near death experience at age 62. He was kind enough to let me share his story below. Hopefully it will help inspire someone who’s in a similar situation right now to make a change before it’s too late.

Check out the zoom video below that I had with Paul Miller. He was kind enough to open up and share his story in this video conversation.  Paul has a powerful message that saved his life, and you need to hear it – especially if you feel that there’s no hope, or that it’s “Too Late” to make a change.

Starting Again After Age 60…
– Paul’s Journey Towards Living A Healthy Life…

Sirens shattered the comfortable silence of a frosty February evening of 2017.

The ambulance stopped in front of our little rental home. The EMTs clambered out, and a gurney was hurriedly pulled out, and clattered up the sidewalk into our small living room… for me!

Much of what happened after that was dim… I was dying… I thought.

This felt like the darkest experience of my life. It was, however, the catalyst that sent me scurrying down the path of health and fitness.

I was rushed to the ER of the local hospital in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with severe chest pain. The pain intensified as the minutes passed. Eventually, I lapsed into unconsciousness for six hours.

I thought I could hear my vitals read out by the EMTs… and it burned me with shame.

“Age, 62, weight… hmm… around 240 pounds”

I had never been this heavy… but I didn’t care anymore. I was dying… I thought.

Gradually, I returned to consciousness.

An attending ER physician, an alert young woman, whose name I do not remember, reached out and took my hand. Her grip was vise-like and her gaze intense. In an even, but hard-as-granite tone, she spoke these words, now indelibly etched into my soul:

“The Universe has given you a gift. What are you going to do with it?”

Seconds flashed by; she relaxed her grip. She stood back, looked at me with profound care, and then, she walked away. I never saw her again. It left me both shaken and challenged… I had, indeed, been given a second chance.

But a second chance at what? Then it hit me: a second chance to live my life…

To – get – things – right. All of them. It was that day that my journey toward better health began.

Later that week, a colleague was not so fortunate. He too, had a cardiac event, but died in ER shortly after arriving at the hospital. That incident galvanized my resolve. But what would I do?

Several weeks later, after returning to work from sick leave, a new semester began at the learning centre where I worked. Shyly finding his way to one of our computers, an impressively muscular Iranian student sat down to work on his assignments. He struggled with his English and the software used for the course. He looked pleadingly at me for help. I sat with him, and in the days that followed, to help him.

Intensely curious, I asked him, “Mr. M, how did you get so… big?” He laughed and shared his story, a story of coming from very poor health, and how he eventually became a fitness trainer and bodybuilder. He had also come from a dark place. I also shared my story, and he was profoundly touched by what he heard. He suggested we meet after school and get started on a better path to improving my health and fitness.

We met regularly, and I learned much from him. Day by day we saw small steps of progress.

Unfortunately, the pressures of that young man’s schooling required him to leave the campus in search of an internship for his course of studies.

I was left on my own, trying to keep up my regimen, calling it my “Professional Development Project.” Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I went to our school’s weight training room to carry on with my “project.”

Eventually, I added Tuesdays to my schedule, but I really did not feel or even see as much change as I had hoped. But little by little I whittled away a few inches here and added some strength there, and in my greyer moments, I thought that such would be my path. That was until I was introduced to another man, Mr. K. who also had some language learning struggles.

During my conversation with Mr. K, the fact that I worked out in our school’s gym caught his attention. He, too, had his own regimen. His own stirring story of where he once was and where he was now caught my attention. Was this another “second chance?” He asked if he might join me on the following Friday to see what I was doing and offer me some tips.

We met; I worked out, and even though he gave a few helpful hints, I sensed he wanted to say more. “Is that what you do?” I nodded sheepishly.

“Well that stops today. Meet me Monday, and we are going to start a new program.”

The following Monday we met, and everything changed. We added different kinds of stretching, various carefully-paced exercises to improve my cardiovascular system, and a structured strength-training regimen. If I had thought that this was all to his plan, I was sadly mistaken. We sat down and worked out a nutrition plan as well. When all the pieces of his proposed training plan were laid out, the objective was clarified:

“It is a plan,” he explained with a contagious passion, “to create the best version of you.”

In 2017 I was 240+ pounds, in 2018 I was still hovering around 220 pounds – but in the six months that followed, with all that I learned from my “Coach”, I dropped to 172 pounds. I felt healthier than I had ever felt before, and saw a new-found strength in my body, top to bottom, inside and out.

Much like Mr. M, my new “Coach / Brother” Mr. K, needed some time away… and I did not know if he would ever return to keep watch over my regimen.

That was when I came upon Lee Hayward’s website. The exercises, stretching routines, and parts of the nutritional advice were remarkably similar.

I had found… a new home… and a new competent coach.

I will soon be 65 and I am taking on physical challenges I never would have dreamed possible just a few years earlier.

When colleagues see me, I keep hearing, “Age really is just a number.”

My gym-friends constantly talk to their other friends about “that grandpa who crushes it in the gym.”

I will always be grateful to these two friends. I will always be grateful to Lee’s coaching and insights, but what made the biggest difference? I did. I decided. I changed. I ate better food, went to the gym, did the reps… and it has been well worth the money and time invested.

If I can make the change, I am completely convinced anyone can… without needing a near-death experience to shock you toward that change.

The health I feel now has affected my entire world, mind, soul and body. If anyone reads this and wants to change, then this is my advice: do it. Get a coach and mentor, find some like-minded friends, eat properly, commit to going to the gym, and day by day, step by step, you will be so glad you started down the road to wellness… at last!

In just 2 years Paul went from obese, stressed, depressed, and nearly dying from cardiac arrest… To now living life to the fullest as a healthy and active 65 year old. He’s a better husband, better father, and better person all because he choose to make his health and fitness a priority.

If you would like some help to re-gain control over your weight, health, and fitness – just let me know and we can schedule a time to chat and come up with a realistic action plan that’s right for you… Click Here to book a Free 10-minute Strategy Session Call.

NEW Progress Update August 2020…

Paul will be 66 years old this month and he just recently set a new personal best strength goal by completing an unassisted pull up with his entire body weight. He’s now up to doing 6 pull ups with his body weight and still getting stronger!

Just goes to show progress is always possible, even in your 60’s and beyond, keep it up Paul – you’re an inspiration to many

Regardless if you’re eating 6 meals per day, 1 meal per day, keto, paleo, vegan, carnivore, or if you’re following Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, Gluten Free, or any other diet plan… If you don’t create a calorie deficit – by either eating less and / or burning more – you are not going to lose weight – Period.

Counting Calories does work when you do it properly and consistently. You just have to figure out your numbers and have the discipline to stick to them.

But that’s where the problem lies…
Because most people suck at discipline when it comes to dieting.

If you purposely stop eating before you are full, it goes against your body’s natural appetite sensations. For example, most people feel hungry when reducing calories. And vice versa for people who are purposely trying to bulk up and gain weight, they feel stuffed when increasing calories. This makes it physically difficult to stick to any set diet plan over the long term.

But there is a sneaky trick that you can use to manipulate your appetite – and thus manipulate your caloric intake – without feeling hungry. You’ll actually be able to leave the table feeling comfortably satisfied after each meal, which is what your body wants to do naturally.

It all comes down to how you plan your meals. You see we don’t just eat calories and macro nutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). We eat meals that consist of real foods.

And what do we enjoy the most about eating? The taste of the foods we eat, specifically the variety of different tastes. In fact, our appetite can be triggered or suppressed just by changing the taste of the foods you eat, regardless of calorie consumption or food volume.

There’s Always Room For Dessert…

Let me give you an example that you’ll be able to relate to…

Think of the last time you ate a big home cooked family dinner (i.e. Christmas, Thanks Giving, 4th of July, etc.) You snacked on the appetizers, stuffed yourself on the main course, went back for second helpings, and then sat back feeling like you couldn’t possibly eat another bite.

Then a few minutes later you hear someone say…
“Who’d Like Some Dessert?”

For some crazy reason, even though just minutes earlier you just felt too full to eat another bite of the main course foods (i.e. meat, potatoes, veggies, etc.). Your appetite has all of a sudden been triggered again to desire some sweet tasting food with the dessert.

This situation happens all the time, we always have room for dessert, regardless of how much food we’ve eaten during the main meal. You can literally go from feeling full, to feeling hungry again with the introduction of a new taste of food.

The 5 Basic Tastes…

Sweetness – Sweetness is regarded as a pleasurable sensation and is produced by the presence of sugars. This can include natural sugars from fruit, honey, and maple syrup as well as processed foods that are high in sugar.

Sourness – Sourness is the taste that detects acidity. Sour fruit such as lemon, grapefruit, and limes. The taste of wine and beer. As well as the taste of fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.

Saltiness – Saltiness is a taste produced primarily by the presence of sodium (i.e. salt).

Bitterness – Bitterness is the most sensitive of the tastes, and many perceive it as unpleasant, sharp, or disagreeable, but it is sometimes desirable and intentionally added to food. Examples include; coffee, dark chocolate, olives, citrus peel, and alcohol.

Savoriness – Savory, or savoriness is an appetite taste and is occasionally described by its Japanese name, umami or meaty. This is the taste of meat, fish, chicken, etc. The amino acid glutamic acid is responsible for savoriness.

There are a host of other various flavors and taste sensations as well, such as; spiciness or hotness, coolness, fatty, starchy, temperature, etc. These things all affect the flavor and taste of the food you eat.

Your Appetite Is Based On Taste – Not Fullness…

Your appetite, isn’t based on eating a certain number of calories or a certain food volume, but rather from the taste of the foods you eat. When you feel “full” after eating, what’s really happening is you have satisfied your desire to eat the taste of that particular food. But if you introduce a new taste, you stimulate your appetite all over again.

This is why you can eat until you’re “stuffed” with chicken, rice, and broccoli – but then easily find room to eat a piece of pie or bowl of ice cream for dessert. Or sit down in front of the TV after dinner and eat a bag of salty potato chips.

Now that you’re more aware of how the taste of food can simulate or suppress your appetite. You can make better food choices to help meet your dietary goals for calories, protein, carbs, and fat intake.

Eating For Fat Loss – Losing Weight…

If your goal is fat loss and reducing calories. Then plan your meals with fewer food choices. Rather than having a buffet style meal where you can pick and choose from multiple different foods and tastes, each of which will stimulate your appetite more and more. Keep your meal menu simple. One source of protein, one source of complex carbs, and one source of vegetable.

Now you can vary your foods with different meals. For example, one meal may include chicken, rice, and broccoli. Another meal may include steak, garden salad, and sweet potato. And another meal may include some sweet tasting foods such as a fruit smoothie with protein powder. But separate them and don’t combine too many different flavor foods into one meal. This will satisfy your appetite more with less food, because you can only eat so much of one type of food before you get “full” from the taste and texture of that food.

Eating For Gaining Weight – Bulking Up…

If your goal is to gain muscular bodyweight and increase your calories. Than you should take the opposite approach and include a wide variety of different foods with your meals. This will make it easier to increase your calorie consumption without feeling overfull and stuffed.

For example, have a couple different sources of protein (i.e. steak and eggs), have a couple different carb sources (i.e. pasta and bread), have a couple different veggie sources (i.e. peas and carrots). Include a healthy dessert such as fruit and yogurt. You can even experiment with different seasoning, sauces, and spices to further enhance the taste and flavor of your food to make it more desirable to eat more.

By having more food variety with your meals, you’ll naturally want to eat more total food because even though you may satisfy your appetite for the taste of one particular food, you’ll stimulate your appetite again with the introduction of a taste of another food.

Conclusion…

Simply knowing how many calories, protein, carbs, and fat to eat to meet your personal fitness goals is one thing. But finding easy and practical ways to make them fit into your daily lifestyle without having to rely on grit and will power is the key to long term dieting success.

If you don’t enjoy the way you eat and get eating satisfaction from your meals, then you’re not going to stick with it for the long term.

Anyone can muster up some discipline and will power for the short term. Just think of how many people you know personally who “went on a diet” and lost weight…

However, 6 months or a year later they are back to square one, having regained all the weight they lost, and usually a few pounds more. (If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve probably done this yourself).

Will power alone can only take you so far. Eventually you’ll run out of will power and you’ll resort back to your default habits. That’s why most people who go on a strict diet end up quitting and giving up once they reach their limit of will power and self discipline. It’s a vicious cycle that millions of people go through again and again.

But if you understand exactly how your body works, and learn how to reprogram your default eating habits, you can set yourself up to win by not only losing weight… But more importantly – keeping it off for life!

These tips here about manipulating your food choices to get more eating satisfaction from your meals is just one of many advanced strategies that you can apply to your nutrition program. If you would like some help with creating the optimal nutrition plan to make it easier to reach your muscle building and fat loss goals, than check out my Muscle After 40 Blueprint Coaching Program.

Through this program I’ll personally work with you to design the ideal nutrition and exercise plan based on your specific body type, lifestyle, food preferences, and fitness goals. And the best part is we’ll use advanced dietary strategies to make the process easier to follow and stick with so you can finally get the results you want… Whether that’s to Build Muscle, Lose Fat, and Improve Your Overall Health – Trim Down for a Beach Vacation – Or Go All The Way and Get Ripped For A Bodybuilding or Physique Competition.

Click on the link below for more info about the Muscle After 40 Blueprint Coaching Program.

And if you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail to: lee [at] leehayward.com and we can chat.

Click Here for The Muscle After 40 Blueprint.