And it’s been officially a week…. and one day since I started Lee Lebrada’s 12-week lean body trainer. Although the plan doesn’t follow a 7 days a week format, I’m counting each week since the program’s length is 12 weeks, besides, it is easier to check progress this way.
So! What are my first impressions and what results did I get, if any? Well, while I’ve been used to longer workouts, with way more sets, mainly because I try to focus on lower reps since I aim for heavier weights (except for a few specific exercises that I do higher reps), I have to say this plan has felt great. I have personally added extra sets to some of the exercises, again, because I’m used to more sets, so for me it has been easier and more effective to add a forth set to some of the exercises. If you’re not familiar with this plan, so far it seems each exercises consist of 3 sets only, with 10 to 12 reps per set.
When it comes to cardio, I have to admit the only cardio I’m used to do is going mountain biking (more like off road biking, since we don’t have mountains in Miami) on Sundays. So having to do cardio one day after a weight lifting session, and on my two rest days is kind of a challenge. To make it more challenging and efficient, I decided that my cardio sessions on my rest days should follow Lyle McDonald’s protocol for the stubborn body fat. I’m not gonna get into the details of the protocol (you can either Google it, or buy his book), but I’ll just say it is cardio on an empty stomach. Tomorrow, which is my cardio day, I will implement the supplements suggested by him as well. Needless to say, cardio on an empty stomach is a pain!
Now, what about the results? Well, although it’s been just one week, I was expecting some sort of visual changes, even if they were minimal. As you will see in the picture below, I took the picture on the left Monday morning last week, and the one on the right this Monday morning. The reason I only show this area is because this is where I see the most significant change in my body. The “love handle” area and mid-side torso are where I notice the bigger change. A visible fat reduction that is definitely a good sign. I also want to mention, I’ve only lost exactly 1 lb since I started the program. Hopefully this isn’t much from muscle mass and mostly from body fat. In any case, I’m now looking forward to see what week 2 brings to the plate.
Until next time!
(Click the picture to expand)
