Xtian's 2013 BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalist Video

This is Xtian's 2013 BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalist Video on his fitness journey..

I hope you will all watch! :)
you can subscribe to his channel youtube.com/xtian67

Video :: Favorite Leg/Glute Exercises

So I mentioned this a few times either on twitter, instagram and youtube - but because I've gotten a lot of requests on what my favorite exercises are etc.. I decided it would be best to break these up into a series.. so starting off with the most asked one - what are my favorite legs/glute(BOOTY) exercises..

These are ALL of our favorite leg/butt exercises that can help build the perfect Booty!

Watch the video (don't forget to like and subscribe!):

Barbell Back Squats:

Keep back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet, bend knees forward and allow hips to bend back behind. Descend until hips and knees are fully bent. Extend legs until knees and hips are straight. Rinse and repeat

When done properly (ATG = @$$ to grass.. meaning not quarter squats/above parallel) but basically when your butt touches your calf or literally your @$$ to the floor or as LOW as possible) these squats target a lot more than just your glutes and quads.. but they target your core as well (because you should keep your core/abdomen tight at all times during this exercise) 

And for those ladies that have asked me what exercises that help "build a booty" these exercises in the video and am picturing here are ALL great exercises to build your legs and butt.  I must say that in order to build muscle (booty and legs).. you need to lift heavy.. no not 20lbs.. but heavy (of course as much as you can tolerate.. i've been squatting for quite a while and have noticed a dramatic change in my legs and butt, especially after having Sophia.. After having her I literally had a pancake butt LOL but now it's getting super perky and round.. I'm definitely going to keep going until i'm satisfied with my butt lol.. so if you want to build a butt and your legs - this is definitely one exercise you'll not want to skip!

Deadlifts (RDL's):

(this is not my max. My Max is 205lbs)

(Xtian's Max is 545lbs)

There are different variations of this exercise (Romanian Deadlift, Stiff-Legged Deadlift etc) and this is a great exercise that not only works out your hamstrings aka "hammies", but also works out your glutes (as you squeeze them together), but also works out your quads, back, biceps and core. This is a complex exercise.. and I also lift heavy too.. but definitely with ALL exercises, you want to perfect and practice on form before adding heavier weight.. Nothing worse than having bad form but lifting heavy.

Bench Step-Ups:

This is single leg (but of course you do both, but not at the same time) can be very difficult if you've never done these before but definitely strengthens your glutes, quads, hamstrings, core and helps build balance. As with most exercises, you want to really squeeze your glutes when you reach the top and drive with the weight on your heels not the ball of your foot. you'll definitely feel these in your butt! The trick is to have a higher bench or a platform, but work with what you have (cause I sure didn't have a higher bench..). I just started incorporating this into my leg routine, so hence why I'm still sorta wobbly in the video!

Pistol Squats:

Another great exercise to work quads and glutes. (this is basically a one legged squat)  Can be done on a bench (like a bench step up), or as a modification can hold on to a chair or wall for support if your balance is not good. 

Good Mornings:

Another great exercise to work hammies (which in turn helps lift your booty!) When you go down, you really want to feel that stretch in your hamstrings (try not to bounce though at the bottom) and like the squat and deadlift - you want hip drive as you go up and down. so when you go back up - REALLY SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT ;D 

Bulgarian Lunges/Split Squats (weighted or not):

You definitely do not want to skip these exercises.. although it's great training both legs at the same time (i.e.: squats and deadlifts etc), these single leg exercises are great to create balance between both legs as well as balance and proprioception. This of course also prevents injury.  I know that some people complain of knee pain when doing these exercises leg exercises.. but when done properly as with any exercise, these can actually strengthen your knee stabilizers depending on how strong your glutes are. So you can do a deep lunge which will target more glutes/hammies.. or shorter distance hits quads more. Although I used an older clip from a few months ago, you get the idea! 

Lying Leg Curls:

this exercise is yet another great exercise to strengthen your hamstrings. The  lying leg curl exercise is the most common exercise to develop hamstrings, because it allows you to fully isolate your leg biceps without stressing other muscles. We often times forget about the back of the legs when we are so used to working on the quads etc.  There are many variations of hamstring exercises that are also our favorites (like glute ham raises etc, but these are just the main exercises we do)


We hope you enjoyed the video! Although we love to do other leg/glute exercises (like glute ham raises, hip thrusts, one legged RDL's etc) these are the usual exercises that we always do on leg days. Please comment, like and subscribe to our channel for more! (next up will be favorite ab, arms, etc - you decide!) 



FTC/DISCLAIMER: NOT a sponsored post. Also, as with any exercise regimen, please consult your doctor before starting any exercise regimen/program.  We are NOT personal trainers, so please read these exercise posts at your discretion 

Video :: 12 Week Weight Loss Journey Recap

So I promised I would do a video about the 12 weeks (since I stopped at week 4).. but it's a really short video - but to those that requested it - Thank you and enjoy!

You can view the post with my final pictures :: CLICK HERE

If you have any requests (i've had a few fitness video requests) please let me know by commenting here, or my youtube channel or on our facebook page! :) 
Thank you all for your support throughout the 12 week challenge - Although I did not win, I'm not going to stop here! So please continue to follow my journey!

Weeks 5-8 weight loss update! :: Progress Pix

So unfortunately, there's no video.. but if you follow me on twitter/instagram, you probably have already seen these pictures and it's nothing new.. 


but i've pretty much been doing the same things as previous videos/blogs (Weeks 1-4) - so nothing really has changed except the weight! :) Sooo, for those that don't know - I started off a whopping 154lbs.. and just last week I weighed in at 141.4lbs.. and if you'll notice on my blog on the top right, my handy dandy MyFitnessPal counter.. will show you how many pounds I've lost thus far! 

about 2 weeks ago (when I had 6 more weeks to go lol)

I'll update this when I take better pictures, but for those

that have asked me... this will do for now!

Now there is less than 30 days until the competition/challenge that I entered on bodybuilding.com ends.. There are so many amazing transformations on there as is.. but I feel that i've worked my tail off.. And I do hope that the people from Team Dymatize see how hard I've worked.. and how much dedication and consistency I've put into my body... I really do hope I win the grand prize.. My family needs it more then ever right now... :) so keep your fingers crossed! 


I am going to take better pictures of how I look now (instead of the pic above on the right taken with my iPhone lol).. 


so I'll definitely update you all as much as I can! I want to thank you ALL so much for the support! and thank you all for following my journey so far! It's definitely not the end!

Week 4 :: Requested :: How to Cook Ground Turkey Omelette - My Staple/HG Food

So this weeks video is a little different - because it's so long - I didn't want to add anymore of my rambling to it lol.. so I will just recap everything here .. for the things that were not covered in the video..

So for end of week 1, I weighed 154lbs, weeks 2 & 3 I stayed at 146.6lbs.. and then end of week 4 I weighed in at 145lbs. So a total loss of 9 lbs.  Slowly but surely coming off. This video is about a week behind because of week 3 being behind..

So I'm going to try to get weeks 5 & 6 out as soon as I can, but it'll be tough since i'm going back to school next week (wahhh!) 

So this video is just basically MY version of the filipino torta. Filipino torta you usually could use ground beef, all sorts of other things (soy sauce/patice etc etc) but this is my healthy version since i'm on a mission to lose weight lol..

I use Ground Turkey, a pot (to boil the ground turkey), onions, tomatoes, and your choice of veggies.. this time around I used celery and broccoli. I also use russet potatoes as you could see :) i also use pam cooking spray (i used to use extra virgin olive oil until hubby and i discovered that it was loaded with calories!) so we used this alternative.. and eggs (well in the video i use one egg, but you can use as many as you'd like)

and then after all the cooking of the meat this is what i used to measure my food:

- bowl

- food scale

- serving spoon

- the cooked meat

and then as you could see in the video, i cook it just like you would an omelette or a pancake :)

This Torta is one of my staple foods during my weight loss journey. I will make another post about other types of food I eat but it's really all the same things! :) (chicken and salad or turkey burger, salmon, veggies…) 

but I do hope this was helpful for those that requested this via e-mail/twitter/facebook and/or instagram! :) 

thank you for the continued support! this challenge is going by way too fast..

Week 3 :: Weight Loss Update - Cardio/HIIT

Hi Everyone! I know week 3 is a little late, but I still wanted to put this up for those that were interested! 
This week I concentrated on adding Cardio into my routine and I go on to talk about the type of cardio that I like to do (HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training)



High Intensity Interval Training is definitely more effective than just running on a treadmill or jogging at a steady pace because your body goes into whats called a steady state. Meaning your body is used to the same pace you're going.. thus trying to conserve the fat/calories so you typically don't lose much calories nor fat..but it is good for your heart.  HIIT is great because of the short periods of high intensity and alternating with low intensity, it tricks the body, making your heart lungs and entire body work harder.. burning more calories, thus burning more fat.


When you do too much cardio though, it tends to burn away the muscle that you've worked so hard to build.. and my main goal is lose the fat and gain lean muscle! so I definitely don't want to do that! 


The exercises you'll see are featured in my one post:
http://www.beautyandthebrute.com/2012/05/gym-session-05092012.html


And the exercises mention in ONE set are:
Bodyweight Squats - 12 reps
Spiderman Pushups - 12 reps
Jumping Lunges - 12 reps
Plank to Pushups - 12 reps
Mountain Climbers - 12 reps
--- rest 90 seconds


all of those are considered ONE set! I started doing just 3 sets.. but have worked my way to doing 4 or 5.. and the thing I love most about doing this cardio complex is that it's so much more fun than just running on a treadmill for 30-45 minutes.  This literally only takes me 15-20 minutes and really gets my heart pumping and gets me sweating tons!


Thank you all for the support during my challenge! Next week I am hoping to do an updated progression shot.. to help keep me motivated and work harder then the past few weeks.. I'm definitely still not where I want to be, and remember results to happen over night.. so I definitely am not discouraged but rather.. more motivated!


If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Until my next video/Blog Post! :)

Week 2 Weight Loss Update!

Hi Everyone! So yes! it's end of week 2 of my 12 week weight loss challenge.  For those that are just tuning in - you can find the reason why i'm trying to lose weight and what this 12 week challenge is in the post HERE

In 2 weeks, I've lost a total of 7 pounds! Very proud of myself for still eating well and exercising.  I have not went over my caloric goal at all these past two weeks, and for that I'm very proud. I'm also proud that despite the caloric deficit - I'm still able to breast feed my Daughter (who is now 2 months old!)






In the video I talk about supplements that I take, since I've been messaged a few times and asked on YT and MFP if I'm currently taking any stimulants/fat burners etc while I'm trying to lose weight. If you watched my first video - I mentioned that already that I am breastfeeding.


So that means I cannot take any caffeine or any stimulants/pre-workout supplements/fat burners or else it will effect my daughter and of course I do not want that.. so I want to clear the air - I Am NOT taking any fat burners or stimulants (ie. pre-workout supplements etc).. The only products I am taking are Pictured here:

Combat Powder Protein :: How I take this:

16 oz water

1 Scoop (1 serving size)

mixed in a shaker bottle

I will take this only when I have not met my calories for the day (my goal is 1500 calories per day)  and if I'm still hungry at the end of the day. I try not to eat after 8PM, but if I do 'eat' anything, it's going to be a protein shake.  

Or I will take this protein shake if I've had a really monstrous workout (typically leg days cause I'll squat and deadliest super heavy).. then I will take this post workout.

Armor-V = MultiVitamin I take daily

Fish Oil = So many benefits (i.e.: aids in lowering high cholesterol, treating heart disease, treating anxiety/depression and it can also help with weight loss naturally) 

Iron = Need it because I'm anemic. Was anemic during pregnancy and doctor says I need to take it for a few months after pregnancy. I probably will stop taking it soon though (after next check up)

Fenugreek Seed And Blessed Thistle = For Breastfeeding to increase my milk supply. 

So those are the only things that i'm taking.. This past week I've been mainly working out in my husband and my home gym.  You'll hear him in some of the video while I'm working out because he is so supportive of me - that he trains me! 

For Week 3, My goal is to incorporate more cardio into my routine. Right now I sort of go to the gym every other day.. and my "rest" days - I want to really use those to my advantage and put in some hard work doing cardio complexes (which I will discuss in week 3!)  

Thank you to everyone who's been so supportive of my journey! And thank you to all the new subbies on our YT channel - I'm so thankful! I'm hoping this inspires you other ladies and mommies out there! If I can do this while I have a newborn and 2 other tots :) you can too! Don't forget to visit my Mommy website as well! (www.WorldForMoms.com) 

If you have any questions that you'd like me to address in my next weekly weight loss update - please leave a comment here, on YT, e-mail me or message me on twitter or YT! :) 

Till Next time!

My Week 1 Weight Loss Update!

So for those of you who didn't know - I had my 3rd baby the Middle of March, and was cleared to start exercising again at 6 weeks post pregnancy.  So to kickstart my weight loss journey, I entered in a body transformation.


It's the Elite Ambition Transformation sponsored by Dymatize Nutrition

It's a 12 Week Competition (84 days to be exact) and pretty much whoever has the best transformation by judging before and after pics by the bodybuilding.com judges - wins! 

The prizes are as follows:

There is a Male and Female Grand Prize winner which will be:

And the runners up will receive:

• Second Place (one entrant) — $2000 Cash, $400 of Dymatize Products (Bodybuilding.com retail value)
• Third Place (one entrant) — $1000 Cash, $300 of Dymatize Products (Bodybuilding.com retail value)
• Fourth Place — $250 of Dymatize Products (Bodybuilding.com retail value)
• Fifth - Tenth Place — $100 of Dymatize Products (Bodybuilding.com retail value)

So yes, I had to post quite embarrassing 'before' photos of me. I was kind of grossed out at how big I had gotten after having Sophia, but I really had to remind myself that I just had a baby and of course My Body was not the same as it was before.. but that motivated me to want to get in the best shape of my life, not only for me.. but for my kids! I want to be a good role model for them because I think it's important they know they need to take care of themselves and be healthy... to live a long and healthy life.

So! with that being said.. I started this competitions at  153.6 (body building.com rounded it to 154lbs -  *merrp* lol).  After week one I weighed in at 148.0lbs! I know that healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs per week, but remember since I'm just starting out, I have a lot of water weight to lose.. hence why it was more than 1-2lbs. 

Here is a quick video on some of the exercises I did (and that i've blogged about in my 'Gym Session' Posts!) to help me lose weight for week 1.  

Keep in mind that I ate clean - meaning NO fast food! I tracked everything I ate on myfitnesspal (which if you have it - you can add me 'MyFitBeauty') 

For my diet, I just did a basic caloric deficit.  Before I signed up for the contest, for 2 weeks I tracked everything I ate to gauge how many calories I was eating that caused me to maintain my weight.

From there, I decided to cut 300 calories from my diet.. this has been working for me so far.. I can't cut my calories too much because I am breastfeeding Sophia which also makes it a little harder for me to have a drastic transformation because I cannot take any pre-workout supplements etc.  So yes i'm doing this with NO stimulants (no caffeine, no pre workout supps/drinks) and yes sleepless nights, lack of sleep does take it's toll on me.. where days I have huge migraines from lack of sleep.. but it's not an excuse for me! 

I'm very motivated! and will continue to stay motivated for myself, my kids & my friends and blog/twitter friends that supporting me to the finish line of this challenge! so until next week's video and blog post.. :)

Bodybuilding.com Live Shredded Transformation challenge winners!

This was supposed to go up yesterday when it was announced... but :) better late than never!


So, around 12 weeks ago, My Husband entered the Bodybuilding.com Live shredded transformation challenge, sponsored by MusclePharm. He embarked on his journey to live shredded. He managed to lose over 20lbs and in the process, he got ripped! if you have not seen some of his progress videos, check out our Youtube channel, as the middle of his progress he was at 6.6% body fat (179lbs of muscle) and at the end of his contest, he retested his body fat, and came out an amazing 3.3% body fat!








We want to take the time to thank all of our family, friends and all of you who retweeted, and supported us through this journey. I honestly had strong feelings about him winning, because of his progress. His transformation was phenomenal. 


We are thankful for everyone who supported us, kept him motivated with your kind words!, so without further ado, here's the picture of the winners! 

and to see what My Husband won (there was a male and female winner, 2 runner ups, and a final 10)

please click HERE

And if you are a member of bodyspace, please add us!

Xtian: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Xtian/

Xtine: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/MyFitBeauty/

And if you want to see his tranformation progress pictures (also located on his bodyspace) here it is:

I cannot express how proud I am! through all the blood, sweat and tears, it was worth it all! With baby #3 coming very soon, me not working, this couldn't have happened at a better time. I'm forever grateful that His dedication has lead us to this! 

Again, we thank each and everyone of you for all the support and motivation! 

P.S. for those of you wondering what his workouts were, what he ate etc.. please visit the blog post where he shares ALL of that information HERE

Official - My Hubby's final picture - 12 week body transformation

Please visit his bodyspace. (please feel free to sign up and start your fitness journey too! IT'S FREE!)

But without further ado, here is a picture of my Husband's Body transformation.

So for those of you who don't know, he entered a 12 week (84 day) Body transformation on BodyBuilding.com, it's sponsored by musclepharm. He started on August 28, 2011 and his end date was yesterday November 20,2 011. His overall goal was to lose 20lbs and get "shredded". 

I'm so proud of My Husband for not only surpassing his goal, but showing great determination and strength during this entire challenge. :) I cannot express to you all how proud I am of my Man! 

The winners are chosen based on the most dramatic transformation of before and after pictures. If the above picture isn't proof enough of an amazing body transformation, then what the heck is? 

He looks so amazing, and pictures really do no justice! but we are going to hope and pray that he gets this win! the winner of this body transformation contest wins 10k, a year supply of supplements, a professional photo shoot as well as other goodies! so please cross your fingers, and if you'd, visit his BodySpace and comment! 

He'd like to post his final essay with pics/vids on here, once the contest has officially ended. But for now this awesome picture will do!

Don't forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel, blog and "Like" us on facebook! 

I've also had a few questions about now that I'm pregnant, do I feel pressured to be equally fit as my husband. I do not feel pressured as i'm freakin pregnant LOL.. no way i'd want to lose weight right now. But surely if you knew me before at my old blog (myfitbeauty.com) You'd know I Lose 21lbs after my second baby before getting preggers, and now that My Husband has finished this, I'm so much more motivated to get fit and go beyond what I was before. I am still continuing to work out and lift weights so that I can build a strong foundation for when I give birth and am ready, to give it my all :) 

I have such an amazing husband and family who supports me :) so this will be no problem for me! feel free to check out my bodyspace as well (not really updating it since i'm not wanting to lose weight during my pregnancy).. but it's free! :)

UPDATED (posted his final essay from his bodyspace)

"Why I joined: I have been working out for about 5 years or so. I spent all that time building muscle and gaining weight, but never took any time losing fat. I think now is the best time than any to take things to a whole other level and live shredded.

Date Joined: 08/28/11" - Xtian

I wrote that 84 days ago before joining the Inspirational Live Shredded Body Group and Challenge. Now I'm at the end of this epic journey and I can say with confidence, that I'm living shredded. I have lost more than 20 lbs., and even dropped under 6% body fat. How I accomplished my goal? Consistency played a major role for accomplishing my goal. I have been consistent with my supplementation, training, diet, and most importantly, spent a lot of time on the Live Shredded Body group for motivation.  Seeing others make tremendous progress was very empowering. I knew I wasn't alone in my journey and I was able to look to others for the needed inspiration. 

Watch this video of me while I have my body fat measured!

My workout routine/schedule

The days I go to the gym may vary, as I juggle my schedule based on childcare/family time and work.

Day 1 Leg/Arms/Abdominals (Quadriceps dominant, hamstring accessory)

Day 2 Back/Shoulder or Shoulder/back 

Day 3 Rest

Day 4 Leg/Arms/Abdominals (Hamstring dominant, Quadriceps accessory)

Day 5 Back/Chest or Chest/back

Day 6 Rest

Day 7 Rest

My routine varies as I train based on how I feel on a particular day, some days I spontaneously throw in a max attempt (to gauge my strength levels), some days I throw in a huge amount of volume (to keep my body guessing). No training day is ever the same! I don't like restricting myself; I like the freedom of listening to my body! However, I do like to start off each muscle group by working my way up and increasing the weight for every set until I reach a 3-6 rep max, I try to do this for each muscle group. 

Here's an example.

Back squats, below parallel

135 lbs x 10 (warm up)

205 lbs x 8 (working set)

255 lbs x 5 (working set)

300 lbs x 5 (working set)

315 lbs x 5 (hit my 5 rep max)

I usually try to add an additional 2-4 exercises, 3-4 sets, of 8 or more repetitions for each muscle group that I'm training on that day. What I do is all dependent on how I feel after working up to my 3-6 rep max. I also love throwing in a combination of compound and isolation movements. My favorite exercises are different variations of squats, deadlifts, lunges, dips, presses and pull ups.

See my video for samples of my exercises

My diet/supplement regimen

Muscle Pharm's Assault, Shred Matrix, Armor V + Calorie Deficit + Training + Consistency = Weight Loss!

I used a combination of Muscle Pharms Live Shredded stack (Shred Matrix, Assault, Armor V, MuscleGel Shot), calorie deficit, intense training, and consistency to lose more than 20 lbs in 12 weeks. This was my first attempt at trying to lose some serious weight and I was surprised at how simple it was with the right supplements, training, and diet! I started off by determining my calorie deficit; I came up with around 2500 calories as my range for losing 1-2 lbs a week. I used a combination of intense training, and a daily intake of 180 grams (minimum) of protein to transform my body into a shredded, muscular machine. I adjusted my Fat intake to less than 100 grams, and filled in the rest with carbs to round out my diet. My goal was to eat less than 2500 calories a day, while hitting my nutritional goals. 

Here is a breakdown of my typical day Monday-Sunday. 

6:30am 3 capsules Shred Matrix 30 minutes before breakfast

7:00am (meal 1) Breakfast 

• 1 serving Protein shake high in carbs = calories 385, fat 9g,  carbs 36g, pro 40g
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 cup fruit = calories 119, fat 2g, carbs 12g, pro 14g

8:00am*(Preworkout) 1 full scoop Muscle Pharm Assault = 80 calories 18 carbs

8:30am gym 1-2 hours of intense/heavy/vigorous activity

10:30am (meal 2) AM snack

• Muscle Pharm MuscleGel shot = calories 90, fat 0g, carbs 2g, pro 22g
• oatmeal cookies (1 serving = 3 cookies) = calories 110, fat 2g, carbs 21g, pro 2g

*6 capsules of Muscle Pharm Armor V Multivitamins

12:30pm (meal 3) Lunch

Beef and egg omelet and salad

• 4oz ground beef = calories 295g, fat 23g, carbs 0, pro 19g
• 2 Large eggs = calories 160, fat 9g, carbs 0, pro 15g
• 2 cups bistro salad = calories 20, fat 0g, carbs 4g, pro 1g

3:00pm (meal 4) afternoon snack

Egg salad sandwich

• 3 Large eggs = calories 240, fat 13g, carbs 0, pro 21g
• 2 slice wheat bread = 130, fat 1.5g, carbs 25g, pro 6.0
• 1 tbsp. mayo = calories 90, fat 10g, carbs 0, pro 0
• 3oz Romaine lettuce = calories 15, fat 0, carbs 3g, pro 1g

6:00pm (meal 5) Dinner

• 7oz salmon = calories 340, fat 22g, carbs 0g, pro 37g
• or 8oz chicken = calories 240, fat 3g, carbs 0g, pro 52g
• 2 cups bistro salad = 20, fat 0g, carbs 4g, pro 1g,
• 2 tbsps. Italian dressing = calories 80, fat 7g, carbs 4g, pro 0g

8:00pm (meal 6) night time snack

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 8 oz mixed fruit = calories 119, fat 2g, carbs 12g, pro 14g
• oatmeal cookies (1 serving = 3 cookies) = calories 110, fat 2g, carbs 21g, pro 2g

10:30pm sleep

approximate total = calories 2317, fat 94g, carbs 157g, pro 194g

I don't like restricting myself to the same foods every single day, so I like to throw in a variety of foods. I'm always looking for the nutritional values when I take my family out to dinner. If I can track it, I will eat it, just as long as I don't exceed my 2500 calorie limit!

Why I should win?

I say this to everyone, if I could do it, anyone can. My wife recently lost her job, and on top of that, we're expecting our third child. As a result, I had to work more hours to keep my family afloat. I needed to be at peace with myself, away from the heavy work week and the stressors of life, and I found that place while I transformed my body. I want to show everyone that this can be done as long as you’re dedicated and consistent. I have shown great perseverance and dedication throughout the challenge even though my preexisting injuries could’ve set me back. I have a torn shoulder labrum, and have been rehabilitating after ankle surgery a few years ago. I’ve inspired my family, friends, and colleagues to live a healthier lifestyle. My neighbors have started working out with me, I even get random people stopping me while I go about my day, asking me how did I get my physique. This challenge has not only made me stronger in the gym, but also stronger mentally. I have so much more confidence, and I'm most definitely a better person, father, and husband because of it. 

I plan to keep this momentum rolling by joining a bodybuilding/fitness competition. This challenge has catapulted me into greater things. Thank you Bodybuilding.com and Muscle Pharm for this life changing experience! I want to thank my wife, for her patience, support and motivation, my girls for making daddy laugh after a long day, my brother Jay, and my friends and family for pushing me on.