Hey! Anybody remember Mount Crushmore?

If you’re late to this party, Mount Crushmore was a program I made back in March where I brought my readers through 12 weeks of workouts and meal plans. I lost 3.4% body fat, gained 6.6 pounds of muscle and lost 7.3 pounds of fat.

That was a win for me but it was also a win for my readers as everyone ended up with a free workout plan and a free meal plan to go along with it!

So what if we did it again?

Since Mount Crushmore’s conclusion in July, I have been living the good life. Business has really picked up, I’m incredibly busy and truly feel like the gods have given me their blessing. Each day that passes I’m another step closer to being a full-time trainer and being able to bring you guys content like this on the regular.

But with that busy schedule so came a lack in opportunities to work out the way I wanted and the addition of many a pizza night with no limits, several cakes, pies and cookies and a general need to just relax any chance I got.

I’m not going to pull the pity card and whine about “getting fat” because I didn’t … but my numbers aren’t doing great and I’m ready to change it.

And so, let’s answer some questions:

Question 1: What the Hell?

“The Hell” is the same as the last Hell. I’ve lost a lot of control lately and it’s time to clean it up a bit. I know it will be challenging to do it over the holidays but I’m always up for a challenge and I’m ready to do battle with the annual temptations and tests of willpower.

Question 2: How the Hell?

No miracles; No magic. Just hard work, a sustainable meal plan and a bad-ass workout routine. I will be operating at a caloric deficit of 750 calories (about 20% of my overall requirement) and will be lifting weights four days a week in addition to my weekly boxing, kickboxing and MMA classes. I’ll consume treats in moderation, continue abstaining from alcohol and will be implementing a variety of dietary supplements that I’ll detail as the program continues.

Fat loss only occurs with a calorie deficit — simply put, you burn more than you consume. Believe me, I truly with there was a different way — an easier way — but there’s not. No pills, no surgeries, just science, y’all.

Question 3: Who Wants To Be King?

History Channel’s beloved series Vikings will be beginning its sixth season this week. But it was season four, episode 10 when great Viking king Ragnar returns to Kattegat after being MIA for 10 years. Standing before his sons Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd and Ivar the Boneless, Ragnar is plainly aware of how hated he is and how unwelcome his return is. Regardless, his challenge to his children and even the common folk of his city to kill him if they think they could be a better king goes unanswered. It’s a powerful scene depicting a powerful man demonstrating his alpha status even after a prolonged absence.

I, too, have been absent and am choosing to harken back to this powerful moment in a highly sensationalized drama that’s just barely based on historic fact about the Vikings as my proud announcement that I’m back.

Question 4: How Do We Do It?

As with Mount Crushmore, I welcome anyone and everyone to follow along. Even if you’re late to the game you can always start with day 1 and see where the program takes you! I’ve already answered many questions about calorie requirement, macros and motivation throughout this blog and I do not intend to do any repeat posts but I will frequently link back to things I think may be important to you. If something’s missing, I’ll hopefully address it in a future post.

Question 5: What Can We Expect to See in the Blog?

Weekly you’ll see my weigh-in reading, my calorie requirement and macros for the week, a meal-plan outline and my workout plan.

Bi-Weekly you’ll see my body fat percentage, Skeletal Muscle Mass reading, Body Fat Mass reading and a more detailed look at my meal plan.

Note that I’m not going to be including physical measurements even though they’re a good indicator of success. I wasn’t crazy about tracking these the first time so I’m just not going to this time around.

Occasionally I’ll share other bits of info including how to calculate your caloric needs, how to calculate macros, podcasts I’m listening to to stay motivated, custom workout playlists, progress photos and supplement breakdowns.

Question 6: What Do I Need to Start?

Great questions. First, you’ll need a way to measure your success. If you’re obese, I’d suggest just using a good old-fashioned bathroom scale but if you’re already pretty toned or merely a bit overweight, I want you to find a good way to measure your body fat. I’ll be using InBody Technology that anyone can have FREE access to if you know of a health shop that offers it.

For meal prepping I’d suggest being comfortable with common kitchen items including your oven, stove, microwave and basic cookware. I’ll also be using a charcoal grill, Kitchenaid Stand mixer and an Instant Pot but please know that these are not required, simply nice to have. You’ll also NEED a kitchen scale and meal prep containers.

Question 7: Why Start Now?

Justin, I’d love to do this with you but the holidays, mannnnn! I can hear you already. The holidays are tough, I get it. Fall gets you in the mood for pumpking spice EVERYTHING and the cool, crisp air is exactly what you need to start firing up thick, hearty stews and mugs of cocoa. Thanksgiving gives you a license to eat your body weight in pecan pie and let’s not even talk about the amount of egg nog I usually drink in December.

Watching what you eat around the holidays is friggin’ hard. I won’t deny it. But why would we start on January 1 with all the other do-gooders and resolutioners when we can take a stand for ourselves and start today? Furthermore, I’ve found that if you’re not willing to start today, you won’t be willing to start four weeks from now. Food for thought.

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So Week 1 started today … let’s do the damn thing?

Weekly Weigh-In: 230 Pounds (Goal: 220 pounds)

Bi-Weekly Measurements:

• Body Fat Percentage: 21.7% (goal: 15%)
• Skeletal Muscle Mass: 102.7 Pounds
• Body Fat Mass: 50 Pounds

This Week’s Calorie Requirements and Macros:

This time around I have a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) of 2,236 calories with an additional 1,230 calories to account for my activity level, making my maintenance calorie requirement 3,466. To cut fat, I’ll be cutting 750 calories per day, thus my goal is 2,716 calories per day and I’m calling it 2,700 for simplicity’s sake.

At my current weight, I’m aiming for 230 grams of protein, 115 grams of fat and 149 grams of carbs per day.

This Week’s Meal Plan:

Holy smokes, y’all, this week’s meal plan is shaping up to be one of my favorites of all time. I’ll detail this plan later this week in a post of its own but here’s this:

• Meal One — Breakfast
  • Egg and Canadian Bacon Breakfast Burrito and one protein shake mixed with water
• Meal Two — Lunch
  • One Can of Campbell’s Chunky Soup with a Ham and Cheese Sandwich
• Meal Three — Mid-Afternoon Snack
  • Baked Chicken Tenders and a Greens Shake
• Meal Four — Post-Workout
  • Protein Shake Mixed with Water
• Meal Five — Dinner
  • Baked Fajita-Stuffed Chicken with Cheesy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This Week’s Workout Plan:

• Monday: Boxing — 60 Minutes; Weightlifting — Leg Day 1
• Tuesday: Weightlifting — Upper-Body Push Day 1
• Wednesday: MMA — 60 Minutes
• Thursday: Boxing — 45 Minutes
• Friday: Boxing — 60 Minutes; Weightlifting — Upper-Body Pull Day 1
• Saturday: Weightlifting — Leg Day 2
• Sunday: MMA — 60 Minutes

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And there you have it. Another challenge accepted.

If you have any questions about any of this or simply want to follow along, please reach out to me on Instagram and follow #JTFWhoWantsToBeKing.

Later this week I’ll be detailing the meal plan for weeks 1 and 2. Get ready for the takeover, Viking Army!

Ever onward,

-JTF