Welcome to the Miami Beach Wedding Workout Challenge!
There are many wedding workout challenges, but this is the ONLY one with a showdown set to reveal the winner on the shores of Miami Beach in November of 2016.
This is a competition to see who can get the most “MORE jacked.”
(Since we’re already, you know, pretty jacked.)
Without further ado, let’s meet our contenders!
Contender #1: Lee
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 206.2
Measurements:
- Belly: 37.5″ unflexed, 35.5″ flexed
- Bicep: 15″ unflexed, 15.75″ flexed
- Chest: 41.5″
- Shoulders: 47.25″
- Thigh: 22″
Gameplan:
Lee’s going for the abs.
Lee knows how to get cut, and his strategy is to lose as much fat as possible.
After overindulging on this vacation, he’s going to start the challenge with a 48-hour fast (water, herbal tea, coffee only) to get some positive momentum. After that, he’ll continue with this routine:
- Mostly paleo diet
- Lifting 2x/week (Wendler-style, focused on incline bench and front squats)
- Yoga 2x/week
- Basketball 1x/week
Comments:
As Neil’s brother, Lee has a lot going for him. He’s a big, solid dude with the heart of a lion and the pecker of a woodpecker. (J/K ROFL.)
Lee is leaner and taller than Neil, which gives him a big advantage in terms of bodyfat & muscular definition.
Lee hasn’t been lifting heavy the past few years, though, which puts him at a disadvantage in terms of overall muscle mass.
Will Lee be able to pack on the pounds and discover his inner He-Man?
Or will he fade into obscurity like MC Hammer and AOL?
Only time will tell!
Lee’s Before Pics:
Contender #2: Neil
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 191.4 lbs
Measurements:
- Belly 36″ unflexed, 34″ flexed
- Bicep: 14.5″ unflexed, 15.5″ flexed
- Chest: 42.5″
- Shoulders: 49.5″
- Legs: 21.5″
Gamplan:
Neil’s going to lean-bulk with a focus on gaining strength.
He’ll do this by lifting 4x/week (focusing on incline bench, overhead press, deadlifts, and weighted pull-ups) and cardio 3x/week (steady-state or HIIT sprints).
Neil’s challenge will be tightening up the diet to lose that fat to give those muscles some definition! His strategy there is to have 1 low-calorie day/week (~1000 calories), probably Sunday.
Then, starting about 6 weeks before the wedding, he’ll switch it to cut mode to “Reveal the Neil.”
Comments:
Neil is a little shorter than Lee, which gives him a little less leeway in terms of bodyfat.
He has the advantage in terms of mass & strength, but will need to succeed in dropping his bodyfat to sub-10% levels to win this competition.
The only thing standing between Neil and supreme wedding workout challenge glory is his love of fatty steak burritos.
But there’s also a wildcard factor in this challenge:
As the founder of strongerleaner.com, Neil has one huge advantage: if he doesn’t win the competition, he can always delete this blog post and the world will never know.
Muahahaha!
Neil’s Before Pics:
Keys to the Matchup
Mass vs low bodyfat
It’s a classic matchup of strong vs lean. Neil has the edge in muscle mass, but Lee has a lower bodyfat percentage.
Height
Lee has the advantage in height, which gives him a slight advantage. Taller people have more body area to spread out their bodyfat, which helps them to look leaner.
Think about it: this is why the calculation for BMI includes height and weight.
So in other words, if Neil (6’0″) and Lee (6’4″) both had 20 pounds of fat on their bodies, Lee would look leaner than Neil.
Strategy
Lee’s strategy is simple: get as ripped as possible. Neil’s strategy is more complex, with about 6 months of lean bulking followed by 6 weeks of cutting.
Lee’s plan will be easier to accomplish, but Neil’s is more ambitious.
The contest could depend on Neil’s ability to pull off his body recomposition strategy.
Age
Slight advantage here for Lee (31) over Neil (soon to be 34), but they’re so close we’ll call it a wash.
Workout Plan
Lee’s plan includes a wider variety of exercise, including lifting 2x/week, basketball 1x/week, and yoga 2x/week. Neil’s plan has more weight lifting (4x/week) with cardio 3x/week.
Neil’s workout plan gives him the advantage in mass building, but Lee’s may burn more calories.
(Neil also has an advantage in that his gym is a 30-second walk from his apartment.)
Diet
Both our contenders eat fairly clean paleo-style diets with some amount of fasting/intermittent fasting. The key will be who can keep calories down to cut that bodyfat.
3 Tips for YOUR Wedding Workout Challenge:
Interested in having your own wedding workout challenge so you can look your best for that special day?
Here are a few tips to steer you in the right direction:
Tip #1: Strategize for your specific body type
What’s the current state of your physique?
- If you’re overweight (BMI > 25), you’ll get the best results from losing bodyfat. You should exercise (weights & cardio), but most of all clean up your diet.
- If you’re underweight (BMI < 20), you’ll get the b est results from adding muscle. Lift weights and eat more clean protein & carbs (meat, rice, potatoes, that sort of thing).
- If you’re average (BMI 20-25), you’ll want to do a bit of both. Gain muscle and lose fat. See Tip #2 for how to make this work.
Tip #2: Strategize for the amount of time you have
How much time do you have before the wedding?
- If you have 6+ months, that’s great news. You have time build up some muscle before losing fat. First focus on lifting weights to add muscle. Then, starting 2-3 months before the wedding, switch gears and clean up your diet to lose fat. (I’m leaving just 6 weeks because I’ve done it before and don’t have a ton of bodyfat to lose. Vary your own timeline depending on how fast you can lose weight and how much weight you have to lose.)
- If you have 3-6 months, you still have time to build up some muscle. Focus on lifting weights, BUT make it a lean-bulk. (In other words, work on getting stronger but don’t let your diet get too sloppy.) Then switch gears when you’re 2-3 months out.
- If you have 3 months or less, that’s OK. You don’t have time to bulk up first, so focus purely on weight loss. Exercise helps, but your main focus should be on cleaning up your diet.
Tip #3: Strategize for your wedding location
Since my wedding is in Miami, there will be lots of beach time—so we’re focused on getting ripped to look great on the beach.
But most weddings aren’t on the beach, which means you don’t have to go that far.
If you’re attending a typical wedding, your main goal should be looking good in your clothes. The good news is that this is much easier than looking good with your shirt off!
Losing weight is the #1 most effective way to look better in a suit or dress.
Exercise helps, but make sure to do a combination of weightlifting and cardio. Lifting weights will help you to build & maintain muscle mass, which prevents “skinny-fat syndrome” and gives you a more attractive body shape.
As far as lifting weights is concerned:
- Men should focus on creating a V-shaped taper for their upper body. That means doing overhead shoulder press, incline bench press, and pull-ups/rows.
- Women should focus on working their entire body equally. Squats are probably the best exercise for you to do.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be sure to dominate your own wedding workout challenge!