Getting Shredded

This isn’t the typical title for a post I make on my site, and yet nothing seemed more appropriate.

I just received the following text message from my wife.

If you read closely, it’s clear that “Shirtless Friday’s” on The Berry finally has her wanting me to return to a leaner, meaner version of me.

You see, for the last few years (let’s just call this “marriage”) my goals have changed. My focus hasn’t been on body composition. I’ve stayed within 12 to 14 percent body fat, but with the exception of during our preparation for Engineering the Alpha, I haven’t been targeting a super lean body or dropped below 10 percent.

This is a shift from my single days. I spent the back half of my 20s living in vanity heaven. When I was a grad student, I trained like a crazy man, carb cycled like it was my job, and became very lean.

Then when I was working at Men’s Health (around the time I first met my wife), I got down to 6.8% body fat for a story. You can read the article here.

Since we’ve been together, my focus has been more on strength than cuts; more on cheesecake than oatmeal. More on wine than protein shakes…ok, that’s a lie. I still love protein shakes. And protein ice cream. I’m happy with my body. Happy with the way I look. And still train with great enjoyment and eat “clean” about 90 percent of the time.

Then I received this text and I couldn’t help but smile.

It’s a challenge. The first fitness challenge ever presented by my wife. That’s 5 years of her not caring how I look or what I do. It’s a big part of what makes her great; body image doesn’t exist with her. It’s all about health and happiness.

But when there’s a chance to rise to the occasion and fulfill a request from your wife—just for the hell of it—well, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Getting Shredded: Is it in you?

I called my wife and asked her if she was serious. (Full disclosure: I actually walked out of my office…which is in our home…and into my bedroom.)

She was. She doesn’t actually care if I get super lean, but she thinks it’ll be fun for me. And for her. And I couldn’t agree more.

I’m already crafting a workout and diet plan to get shredded, and enjoying every second of it.

This isn’t about building more muscle or getting stronger. This is fat loss and aesthetics. Pure and simple. I’m training to look good naked and making no apologies about it.

And it got me thinking: I wonder if anyone would want to do this with me? Literally train with me—side by side (virtually, of course)—and try to get shredded. This isn’t my typical online coaching. In that program I work with you step-by-step to build a plan and approach that works for your life.

In this approach, we’d be like a bunch of college kids entering the University of Leanness. (I’d also would be the professor.) Our mascot, of course, would be The Shredder.

The Getting Shredded Program

I decided to go all in and create something special. Getting Shredded became a community effort of people working together to drop fat, receive coaching and workouts, and do it all at a starting point that’s cheaper than a Chipotle burrito. (Yeah, I’m serious.)

To find out more about the Getting Shredded program and join the community where I answer questions each day, you can learn more here.

Be The Change,

Adam