12 week transformation... is it possible?
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Squatsandbench
Posts: 24 Member
What if I threw all doubts out the window and really went for it... is it possible to get lean and strong in 12 weeks?
I am about 30lb overweight and I want to aim to get quite lean and strong. If I ate the correct amount of calories, upped my protein intake and followed Starting strength do you think it would be possible?
Is there anything else I need to think about?
I am about 30lb overweight and I want to aim to get quite lean and strong. If I ate the correct amount of calories, upped my protein intake and followed Starting strength do you think it would be possible?
Is there anything else I need to think about?
2
Replies
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First of all.. Why 12 weeks?
If you're 30 lbs overweight and you want to get "lean", 12 weeks is not enough time. (A more realistic time frame, to me, to lose 30 lbs is about 30 weeks.. And depending on what kind of muscle base you currently have, you may not look "lean" just from losing the weight.)
I'm also assuming you're rather new to lifting, hence using Starting Strength etc. 12 weeks is not enough time to build much muscle or strength either, unfortunately. (A big part of looking "lean" is having a solid muscle base, which takes a long time to build.)
That doesn't mean you shouldn't put in an effort to work towards your goals though. I'm just saying it takes a long time.7 -
You won't get there in 12 weeks, but you'll be a heck of alot better off! If you want the weight you are losing to be mostly fat, you should probably aim to lose 1 lb per week and make sure to hit your protein goal while doing a progressive weight training program.
You can get leaner and stronger in 12 weeks, but will you lose 30 lbs and look fit in 12 weeks? No. Not trying to be negative, I just think it's healthier to have realistic expectations!7 -
I like and respect your level of ambition on achieving your fitness goals, but can you lose 30 pounds in 12weeks?? Absolutely...however chances are you'd be sacrificing some of your hard earned muscle/lean mass. As kimmy72 mentioned losing anywhere from half a pound to a pound a week is realistic and sustainable by the way. Losing 2 pounds a week is considered very aggressive even in the bodybuilding world.I bet you any amount of money that if you lost 10-15 pounds of fat you'd look incredible. Sometimes people underestimate what losing 5 pounds of fat can look like. I know this because I did it back in 2014 lost about 10 pounds of mostly fat while dieting for a show with my strength coach and let me tell you I went from 25.6% bdfat to 19.2% and I looked completely different I actually looked bigger more muscular. I was losing about one pound a week. If you push your body too hard to lose the fat, it could backfire and do more damage than good. hope this helps, good luck.5
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haroldrios1692 wrote: »I like and respect your level of ambition on achieving your fitness goals, but can you lose 30 pounds in 12weeks?? Absolutely...however chances are you'd be sacrificing some of your hard earned muscle/lean mass. As kimmy72 mentioned losing anywhere from half a pound to a pound a week is realistic and sustainable by the way. Losing 2 pounds a week is considered very aggressive even in the bodybuilding world.I bet you any amount of money that if you lost 10-15 pounds of fat you'd look incredible. Sometimes people underestimate what losing 5 pounds of fat can look like. I know this because I did it back in 2014 lost about 10 pounds of mostly fat while dieting for a show with my strength coach and let me tell you I went from 25.6% bdfat to 19.2% and I looked completely different I actually looked bigger more muscular. I was losing about one pound a week. If you push your body too hard to lose the fat, it could backfire and do more damage than good. hope this helps, good luck.
No, maybe not 30! Perhaps I could lower it to a lb a week and focus on hitting a protein target and progressing on the lifts. Thank you.4 -
I lost 65lbs in just under 7 months. In the first 3 months I went from 265 to 229, so i lost 36lbs in 12 weeks. This was the difference in my body in those 3 months:
And this is the end of the 7 months, having lost 65lbs
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You can get leaner and stronger in 12 weeks. Not as much as some infomercial promises. Long term consistency is the key.
Best of luck4 -
I lost 65lbs in just under 7 months. In the first 3 months I went from 265 to 229, so i lost 36lbs in 12 weeks. This was the difference in my body in those 3 months:
And this is the end of the 7 months, having lost 65lbs
Oh brilliant results. Thanks for posting.
I have worked out a calorie amount and a protein amount. In terms of food I think consistency is key.. eat the same meals everyday etc etc
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If you go all out with HIIT, maintain a proper diet, have an on-point training schedule you follow religiously etc. etc... you would still have difficulty losing 30lbs in 12 weeks. You can still do it, don't get me wrong, but as the other guy said, you'd have to be very very aggressive with weight cutting which is not necessarily healthy. It is possible though.
But, getting lean on the other hand... yeah, if you're not dosing up on dem roids real good getting in 12 weeks that's kinda impossible. You will grow stronger and leaner no doubt, but for people to actually look at you and say: "Oh, look. That guy's so lean!" you'd have to put in a lot of effort. Even if you lift super-heavy ( I'm talking power lifter style, where you can't do more than 2 reps or your arms are gonna fall off) getting "strong" and "lean" in 12 weeks is impossible.
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I lost 65lbs in just under 7 months. In the first 3 months I went from 265 to 229, so i lost 36lbs in 12 weeks. This was the difference in my body in those 3 months:
And this is the end of the 7 months, having lost 65lbs
Nice work I think I'm at about your mid point now. Getting below 20% bf is proving very difficult. Did you have to be really strict with your macros? I think that's my downfall
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Don't make too steep of a deficit. The goal here is to lose the weight while holding on to as much muscle as possible. To do that you need to lift heavy, and if you slash calories too drastically you'll have no energy for it.
Pick a sensible calorie goal...get all your protein in....and stick to your training program. You can make a ton of progress over three months time.2 -
If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.
I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.
For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.
If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.4 -
If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.
I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.
For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.
If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.
That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.0 -
If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.
I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.
For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.
If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.
That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.
They are good at marketing an elaborate plan to create a calorie deficit and not much else.3 -
trigden1991 wrote: »If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.
I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.
For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.
If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.
That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.
They are good at marketing an elaborate plan to create a calorie deficit and not much else.
Money side... I didn't find the food all that expensive. It's a lot of lean protein and veg, which isn't that different from a normal healthy diet anyway. They do recommend whey protein, but that was about it. There are a number of other recommended supplements, but they're all totally optional.
I now work with a trainer, and it's costing me more than the plan!
And yes, it's a fairly elaborate plan but isn't just about calorie deficit.
Some people (me) just find it easier to outsource the planning, particularly if you want noticeable results in a fairly limited timeframe and don't have the patience to try out numerous approaches.
Just pointing out that it's an option that could fit with the OP's desired timeframe, and has a record of getting results, including my own personal experience.1 -
I've found tremendous progress on 12 week programs like Body For Life. I say go for it OP, just realize you may need to keep going past 12 weeks to see optimal results if you have 30lbs to drop.2
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In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible
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VeggieBarbells wrote: »In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible
First off....blubber?????
Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple
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VeggieBarbells wrote: »In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible
First off....blubber?????
Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple
it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.2 -
I did in that time frame, but it's safe to say it's not advisable for most people.0
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It is very possible. Its just very hard and takes immense discipline. I've done 30lbs in 4 months with cheat days once a week, I would imagine skipping cheat days would bring you very close to 30lbs in 3 months. I agree with haroldrios1692, often times we underestimate how much weight we need to lose in order to like what we see in the mirror.1
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