Brian Stromberg

A recipe of added motivation, consistency, and community support helped this 46-year-old turn his fitness around.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated March 28, 2024

Brian Stromberg was a busy professional who needed a spark, and he found one in my 2023 Holiday Challenge. I've highlighted Grand Prize winners of past challenges, like PJ Boehm, but Brian wasn't one of those. He didn't win the big money. That doesn't matter. What he gained from that challenge is bigger than any cash prize.

“I've been involved in fitness for the majority of my life,” Brian says. “While I feel like I have a good understanding of health and fitness, I was becoming very bored with my workouts and not seeing the results I wanted. I work in a stressful environment and travel almost weekly, so it's easy to find excuses not to work out or eat healthily, and I found myself doing that more and more over the previous six months.

“To try and push myself back into a daily program that gets results, I decided to sign up for the Holiday Shred Challenge. My goals were pretty simple from the beginning: follow the program and finish! I figured if I was able to complete the entire six-week program, I would see results, but I would also ignite that inner fire that was slowly flickering out.”

Needless to say, he accomplished his goals. In only six weeks (the length of the Holiday Shred Challenge), Brian lost significant weight, gained muscle mass and strength, and most importantly, got back on track with his health and fitness. Now, at age 46, he's as confident as ever and poised to make even bigger changes.

Immediate Results

Truth is, it doesn't take six weeks to start noticing positive effects when you're following the right training and nutrition plan.

“I immediately felt the change in my workout intensity by following HIIT 100,” Brian says, referring to the featured program in the 2023 Holiday Shred Challenge. “Workouts were intense and increased in intensity each week. I completed it all the way to the finish line. To help fuel my body through the intense workouts, I began taking JYM supplements, specifically Pro JYM, Pre JYM, and Post JYM. I immediately felt the difference in energy levels, and these supplements helped me ensure I finished each workout with full intensity.”

Brian also followed a 16:8 Intermittent Fasting protocol, eating all of his meals between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm every day. For the most part, he avoided processed foods and added sugars as well and eliminated alcohol almost entirely during the six weeks.

What Brian didn’t expect from the challenge was the amount of support and camaraderie he got from the JYM Army. “Overall, I was very pleased that I completed the program and that it got me back on track to continue my fitness journey versus just going through the motions,” he says. “I also gained a team of supporters — the #JYMARMY — that kept me motivated every day and encouraged me to push through when things were not always easy.

The results he experienced from the combination of the HIIT 100 training program, JYM supplements, and JYM Army interaction speak for themselves: He lost 10 pounds of body fat, going from 220 pounds of body weight down to 210, and reduced his body fat percentage several points. “More importantly, I felt lighter, and clothes became looser around my waist,” he says. "Friends and family began commenting on how I looked leaner and healthier."

Brian’s 5 Keys to a Successful Transformation

Anyone is capable of making a change like Brian. My training programs and diet plans here on JimStoppani.com are a great place to start. Beyond that, here are some great words of advice from Brian himself:

Understand your WHY — only you can do it, and if you don’t have the right driving force, chances are you’ll give up.
Start NOW — don’t wait until Monday. Do it NOW.
Consistency is key — instead of measuring weight loss or increases in strength (which will happen), focus on completing each workout one day at a time.
NO EXCUSES — eliminate them. They're only that: excuses not to do what's hard.
Join the JYM Army Facebook group — being in a supportive group can make all the difference in your results and will help keep you motivated.

One other piece of advice: Once you taste success and start seeing results, keep going. That’s what Brian did.

“The results [from the Holiday Shred Challenge] were enough to encourage me to sign up for another program, and with recommendations from the JYM Army, I decided on Super Shredded 8, and I’m currently halfway through Week 3. I’m looking forward to the coming months and trying as many of Jim Stoppani's programs as possible to get in the best shape of my life!

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