Blaine Crawford
Gaining muscle and strength, while dropping body fat, has helped this young family man be the best dad and husband he can be.
Gaining muscle and strength, while dropping body fat, has helped this young family man be the best dad and husband he can be.
Written by Blaine Crawford
I grew up playing football my whole life, up through high school. Even with the training programs, I was never really taught to lift properly. I graduated in 2005, but it wasn't until 2010 that I took lifting seriously. It was "all party" until then, and even for a few years after.
I was a 5'10", 155-pound, skinny 22-year-old. I knew I needed to add mass and strength, so I started with workouts wherever I could find them. I got a subscription to Muscle & Fitness, where I was introduced to Jim Stoppani.
His workouts and articles were exactly the direction that I needed; they led me to his website, jimstoppani.com. I found his JYM System stack and started right away with 6 Weeks to Sick Arms, program followed by Down and Up Mass.
My weight jumped from 155 pounds to 208 pounds over the years following these programs with others sprinkled in. I continued to lift hard, but I was eating whatever I wanted without a real thought outside of protein.
It wasn't until the New Year's Challenge 2018 that I finally got my diet in check. I read Dieting 101 and started intermittent fasting and carb cycling. I was now doing the full JYM supplement line – Vita JYM, ZMA JYM, Alpha JYM, Omega JYM, and Shred JYM on top of the Pre JYM, Pro JYM, and Post JYM I was already taking. My workouts intensified, and in what seemed like overnight, I dropped from 208 pounds to 194 during that six-week challenge.
I'm currently doing the Countdown to Strength Challenge. My one-rep max on bench was 345 pounds at the start of the challenge, and it's climbing! (I was benching 185 before I found jimstoppani.com).
I've never felt better — both physically and mentally — in the gym with these workouts, combined with the full JYM line of supplements. I'm only three weeks in and down four more pounds to 190 and gaining strength every week! It's such a good feeling to be constantly setting personal records with each lift. I'm so excited to finally be on the complete right track!!
I quit partying and even drinking at all during the challenges. Following the constant flow of tips from both Dr. Jim Stoppani and Mike McErlane has changed my life! I can't wait to see the final results of this challenge!!
If I had any advice to give, it would be to commit fully to the JYM system and trust the process. Jim and his team have made it so easy to supplement and to get the best out of the workouts by taking out all the guesswork. I spent years trying to build the right workout and take the right supplements, ending in nothing but confusion and what feels like years wasted in the gym. Follow Jim's workouts, get all the reps, buy into the whole JYM supplement system, and you'll achieve amazing results! It's that easy! My only regret today is not doing it years ago.
Join the JYM Army on Facebook. Ask questions and you'll get answers from others sharing all the knowledge that Jim spent years testing — videos, articles, and sometimes even Jim himself will be there to explain everything in full detail!
I plan on following Dr. Jim Stoppani as close as I can from here on out and never looking back! Every challenge, every tip, and all the supplements have changed me into the best version of myself.
I'm 30 years old now and in the best shape of my life, all thanks to the JYM system! I still have more body fat to lose and always more muscle to gain, so I'll never be content. But going in 100 percent has been the best decision I've ever made for myself.
Now I am the strong husband and father that I set out to be eight years ago. I see my motivators (wife and 2-year-old son) every day and it feels great to know that I'll never be too weak or too obese to give them the best version of myself that they deserve. Dad is a beast! And again, I owe it all to these amazing people!
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