Joe: I first saw the opportunity to be a part of this program on May 28th, which was the 7th anniversary of [my friend] Dustin Chism’s drowning. I had lost motivation to lift and was eating anything and everything I could get. I felt as if I had lost the connection with Dustin and wasn’t giving my wife and children the best husband/father I could. The timing seemed like it was meant to be. I felt I could go all-in with this, help people with some of the same issues along the way, and truly learn my ultimate level of grit. There are not many times in our lives where we give 100% to something every single day and truly test ourselves, but this gives us that opportunity.
Have you made any adjustments to our recommended plan? If so, what else did you add to your workout and nutrition program?
The biggest adjustment made was incredibly simple. It came by staring at the program and reading “Use the heaviest weights you can manage with good form during all weeks”. It took a couple of weeks (and a 2nd attempt at a couple of workouts) to truly comprehend. I can finally look in the mirror each morning after my workout and say “I didn’t leave anything on the table”.
What is the most difficult part of the program for you? And how have you been overcoming this challenge?
The 1st week was incredibly tough to find the correct amount of weight to use for each exercise with minimal rest, but that resolved itself pretty quickly. The toughest part of the program for me is eating while at home. My wife is an incredibly busy attorney who is currently 32 weeks pregnant. She works full time and typically has at least 1 nightly meeting per week. She also does Zumba & Piyo classes and is an avid runner. She even did jazzercise the day before she went into labor with [our daughter] Penelope. We have a cabin, what I would consider a huge yard to maintain, endless loads of laundry and dishes, a 3.5 yr old daughter, a nearly 2 yr old son, and 4 dogs (one that is in a wheelie that requires several diaper changes daily and one is a 9 week old puppy). It’s hectic and there is always something or someone pulling us from our food.
I overcome this by having my favorite meal as soon as I get home: 8 oz lean ground beef/bison or bison steak and 1.5-2 cups of southwestern egg whites. I cook 1 lb each time so I’m only in the kitchen every other night for my 1st meal. We have something incredibly simple for dinner such as grilled salmon or mahi mahi and a side of steamed veggies (this is also when I grill my chicken & turkey for the next day or two). When we finally get the kids to bed and have our alone time, I make a BPI Sports Best Protein Vanilla Swirl shake or frappe because I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen for that valuable, minimal amount of our alone time!
What is your favorite part of the program?
My favorite part of the program is that I can knock it out every day in my garage. I don’t have a fancy set up, but I have enough to do everything required! This is huge advantage because it allows me to tend to the dogs and get the kids dressed before I leave for work. As any parent can attest, there aren’t too many things more precious in life than the hugs we receive when getting our children out of bed. So, I’m able enjoy the solace of the gym while still being able to uphold my part of the responsibilities as a father and husband.
What advice can you give to someone who is just starting the 60 Day Revolution?
First, take full advantage of the Facebook page because it truly has become a support group as it brings the gym brotherhood into your hand. Second, take the words and commitment to heart. We will all have setbacks with our nutrition and delays to our training, but you should be able to look yourself in the mirror and say, “I gave it everything I had.” Lastly, do not be afraid of failure. Our failure today will lead to tomorrow’s success.
