How Ashley Bender Lost 7 Inches With the Holiday Shred Challenge

“I don’t go to a gym. Can I really get that kind of transformation at home?”

Ashley Bender remembers asking herself those questions when she first considered a JimStoppani.com challenge . She was new to weight lifting, working out at home, and seeing results from JYM Army members that felt hard to imagine for herself.

Her lack of confidence came from years of trying to find an approach that worked and not having success. “My fitness journey has been all over the place for about 12 years, after having my first 2 babies,” she says. “I tried every diet trend and workouts I could find but nothing ever stuck. I would lose a few pounds but they would come right back.”

After her third baby arrived in 2023, “that was when the struggle really started,” Ashley says. “My energy was gone. I was steadily gaining weight and was physically and mentally exhausted.”

In 2025, she started doing workout videos again, hoping to get her health back. “I was still clueless on what would really work,” she says, so she kept looking for guidance. “And then I found Lesly Donahoe. She was the inspiration that really got my fitness journey started.”

Finding a Plan Through the JYM Army

Donahoe, a fellow JYM Army member, was one of the first people Ashley learned from. “She gave me all the right advice and taught me that you can’t rely on motivation,” Ashley says. “That will come and go. Discipline is the key to getting the change that you want.”

Donahoe often talked about Jim Stoppani’s workouts and challenges, so Ashley decided to look into them. “Seeing the insane results everyone was getting felt intimidating,” she says. Yet, she decided to take on the Holiday Shred Challenge  and The Daily Grind workout program. 

“I tried every diet trend and workouts I could find but nothing ever stuck. I would lose a few pounds but they would come right back.”

New to weight lifting and working out at home, Ashley modified many exercises to fit the equipment she had access to. She was also facing other challenges related to nutrition and family obligations.

“Keeping meals prepped for myself so I could get all my macros in and doing the workouts with a toddler by my side were the biggest struggles I had,” she says. One unexpected boost came from the pre-workout supplement Pre JYM Plus . “It was a game changer. It helped me power through those workouts even when I wanted to give up.”

Support from her husband, friends, and the JYM Army at large also made a difference. “They made me want to work harder and push myself in ways I didn’t think I was capable of,” Ashley says.

Losing 7 Inches and Building Strength

After five weeks, Ashley had lost three pounds, which on paper may look like a modest amount. But she also lost seven inches overall. Her waist was probably the smallest it had ever been, and she noticed significant gains in muscle and strength.

“The amount of muscle and strength I gained is unbelievable,” she says. “I am finally getting my health back, not only for myself, but for my family.”

Ashley says she’s not finished with her journey. She’s already started the Down and Up Mass program and is looking forward to seeing what comes next. “This is life changing for me,” she says.

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