Well, here we are. Tomorrow marks the start of a new year and a new decade: 2020. A fresh start, a new opportunity, and another chance at becoming that person we all want to be.

But before the New Years Eve festivities begin, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight some important client victories of 2019. 

Now, I’d love to highlight all of my clients for their hard work and for supporting me, but many clients are private people who don’t desire nor want to be out in the open for all the internet to see or are still in the midst of their transformation journeys, so I’d instead like to focus on one male and one female, their stories, and how we worked together to achieve the result in celebration of their work as well as an inspiration for others.

If you’d like to learn more about online coaching, more client testimonials, and what I can do for you to change your life, see my coaching page here. If you sign up with me in January 2020, I’ll even toss in an extra 25% off your coaching fees for the entire time we work together (while client roster space allows – so act fast!).

Chad: 70lbs lost + Impressive Muscle and Strength Gain

Before I started working with Joseph I was extremely depressed, extremely overweight and just downright miserable. Even though I had been working out for approximately 8-9 months before meeting Joseph I wasn’t losing weight, eating correctly, probably not working out correctly, and just wasn’t getting the results I was looking for. 

Well, it’s been about 9 months since I started training under the expert guidance and awesome coaching of Joseph Murci.

Since working with Joseph I lost 70lbs. I started at 245 lbs (mostly body fat) and now am at around 175. I’ve also increased my energy levels tremendously, gotten stronger and quicker, feel more at ease in my body, and just feel amazing.

Joseph helped me not just by designing a tailored Nutritional and workout program to help me reach my goals but also by providing the support and words of wisdom when I had my moments of doubt and struggle. He has and is continuing to help me tremendously. 

I just want to say thank you Joseph and it’s a pleasure and great learning experience working with you.

Chad is a real class act. If you would have asked me at the beginning if he would have made the transformation he has, I probably would have told you no. Not because I doubt his work ethic or motivation. Not because I don’t think I have what it takes to deliver such astounding results. But because the proposition of losing that much weight and the huge life changes that have to happen for that to occur are too steep for most. As any trainer or coach can attest to, the drop-out rates are sky-high when faced with such a long, arduous journey. Yet here we are…

So how do you approach this type of situation? Ultimately, it comes down to:

1. Strong guidelines and principles to start
2. Emphasis on client education and empowerment

I’ll be the first to tell you that I am not a fan of meal plans or strict programs because they can be oppressive, monotonous, and don’t teach a person about what to do to be successful on their own, but that’s exactly how we started out. We needed structure and fast results to kick start this process. That:

1. Ensures results by taking guess-work out of the equation
2. Builds strong habits and consistency
3. Is very motivating due to the fast results and observable changes 

The fat was literally melting off day by day, week by week. And as it did, I got to see Chad embrace a feeling of pride in the process, garner excitement, and become more and more inquisitive as to how things work and how he can take ownership of certain aspects of the process. 

And that’s exactly what we did. I taught him the ins and outs of what we were doing and why, and this enabled him to find a system of his own using my concrete guidelines and recommendations that he could plug into and be consistent with. Sustainability is key for long term results and keeping those results. 

We faced some bumps along the road at times – especially as he got into shredded territory, but we dealt with these swiftly and when times got hard, we were “like water” and adapted our processes to the situation at hand rather than try to fight it. A good example of this is implementing a diet break, including cardio rather than cut calories any further, and incorporating more frequent “refeed” days to help with adherence and motivation. 

And it all paid off. From late January – November 2019 he lost over 70lbs and gained considerable muscle across his frame. He completely transformed his physique and outlook on life. He is considering going into training himself and one day competing on stage. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have been a part of his journey. 

Jackie: Pro Bikini State Championship + Olympia Qualifier

I contacted Joseph about 8 weeks out from my second pro show with a lot of work to do. Joseph’s coaching style was way different than anything I had done before, but I was excited to try something new. Throughout the entire process Joseph was very involved with checking in and asking how I was doing with different changes he had made in my diet and lifts. He also was willing to adjust different things to help fit my lifestyle better. I especially appreciated how supportive he was during the entire prep, no matter how stressed I got. If you’re looking for a prep coach and really want to see some results, I highly recommend working with Joseph.

I can’t say enough how much I loved the process of working with Jackie. She consistently brought high energy and enthusiasm to the table and trusted me throughout the entire process despite challenging her prior experiences – even when under the high-pressure situation of stepping on stage soon.

When she first approached me with only 2 months to get her into stage-condition, I let her know that ideally for such a process I’d like to have 3-4 months to work with her but that if she was open to working hard and accepting a rockier path, that I was confident we could get her where she needs to be to have a shot at winning her Pro show and qualifying for the Natural Olympia later that year. 

From the jump, this was a textbook example of bro-science vs. evidence based fitness. 

You see, her previous coaches were old school. She had been conditioned to believe in many myths and practices that had a foundation in broscience, so  my foundations in actual science were a foreign concept to her previous way of doing things. She, of course, knew this and is one of the reasons why she decided to work with me. After a certain time living “bro”, you start to question whether there is a better way. That’s what happened in my own case as well. 

Prep isn’t much different from a regular dieting process. The only difference is that you push even more towards the lower end of bodyfat and you have a time restraint to do so. In our case, we were working with 1/2 to 2/3 the time that we’d ideally want to work with, so the time restraint was even more magnified with little room for error. To do so I:

1. Implemented a strong – but not severe – caloric deficit with macro and meal timing/frequency guidelines centered around mostly whole, nutritious foods. 
2. Established a structurally sound, efficient training routine that emphasized the top muscles for a bikini competitor: the glutes, shoulders, lats, and then the rest after that. 

We tracked progress meticulously through multiple weigh-ins per week and frequent progress picture updates to have a good glimpse of what was going on throughout the whole process to see where changes needed to be made. 

We also had periodic calls to discuss how things were going in the gym, how life outside of the gym was going, and to look at her diet to better optimize things like fiber, satiety, and micronutrient intake. Where necessary, we tweaked here and there.

Despite implementing a lot of new things that she hadn’t experienced before, she gave me full control and trust throughout the process, and this is something that I attribute to our success. Many competitors can fall into a trap of thinking that they know everything or falling back on their old habits or what they see other competitors doing (which is usually just more bro-science that isn’t as effective or mentally/physically healthy), so there can be a tendency to want to argue or push-back on certain things with their coach…especially when stress is high due to the looming competition. 

We dealt with none of this. It was smooth sailing and I had free reign to stretch my legs and really do what I do best : get results.

This extended even into peak week. Traditionally, peak week is a period where bro-science really reaches its peak – pun intended. And unfortunately, this fact can often times ruin a competitor’s appearance or mental state where it’s most important. 

Instead, we took an evidence-based approach to peak week. Over the phone, she was audibly a bit hesitant, but I assured her that I knew what I was doing, explained as best I could, and at the end of the day to trust me on this.

Now, I’m not gonna reveal my secret sauce, but the results are there to see. She trusted me, took 1st place at her Pro Bikini Show, and won herself a spot to the Natural Olympia. I’m exceptionally proud of her hard work and commitment to the process, and for her trust and devotion despite venturing into the unknown.

I’ll never forget the message I got after she woke up on show day and saw the final results of peak week and the 2 month prep we had traveled together:

“You’re a scientific magician!”

Is it Your Turn?

So there you have two stories from 2 of my clients that stood out to me in 2019 for their hard work and accomplishments.

If you’re somebody who has been unimpressed with your results or are curious about what an evidence-based approach could do for you with an experienced online coach, don’t hesitate to reach out. Don’t forget there’s a 25% discount for the whole time we work together if you sign up in January (while spaces allow).

May 2020 be filled with success and blessings for you all.

Joseph Murci

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