End Of The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Challenge: Where To Go From Here

by Dr David Minkoff April 16, 2024 7 min read

Well done on completing the 30 Day Lean Body/Lean Bulk Challenge!

While you may feel and look different on the outside... on the inside things are even more different.

We’ve balanced hormones and repaired or replaced trillions of cells.

We’ve removed fat not only from our fat cells, but from our organs such as our liver and kidney, where it can make them less efficient or prevent them from doing their job.

We’ve built lean muscle and, depending on where we started, changed our body shape.

We’ve improved digestion and the microbiome, the most important gatekeepers for our overall health.

We’ve improved our body’s energy levels, our endurance, and our body's ability to recover, burn body fat and build lean muscle.

And we've set ourselves up, if we maintain our current lifestyle, to stay lean and continue to add muscle.

And if we have some extra deserts and gain a couple of pounds... we're now much more physically and hormonally set up to lose that very fast, often within a couple of days.

In short… we’ve done a lot!

But what do we do now?

Are we done? Are we not done? Is there something else to help lose any last stubborn bits for the lean, toned body we want? How do we get more cut or keep adding lean muscle or even speed it?

Well, first, take your ending pictures and measurements and compare them to the ones you took at the beginning of the challenge.

Make sure you take any pictures from the same place and angle you took the first ones for proper comparison.

This is where we see the difference.

And make sure to share in the VIP Group for others to see!

And then...

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Everyone started this challenge at a different place. And no one will be finishing at the same place.

First, if you want to keep building more lean muscle and you started on the Beginner To Intermediate Workout Regimen, then switch to the Advanced Workout Regimen.

And if you’re already on the Advanced Workout Regimen and the number of sets is now too little, because you still have plenty of energy at the end, increase each exercise by one set.

That’s the first thing to do.

But there’s more.

Macros...

One thing we were trying to achieve on this program, which should have occurred by now, was you getting to know your own body.

When is it actually hungry and you need more food for recovery and to keep gaining, and when do you not need more food?

As long as you’re taking your PA before each workout then, no matter how intense it is, your body will be prepped for results beforehand.

But how you feel and how hungry you are afterwards will determine whether to eat the same as you did the day before or eat more.

So if you want to go more intense, you will be hungrier and need to eat more. Just keep to the general macro ratios and types of food.

If you just want to maintain, then carry on eating at your current macros and don’t push yourself for higher weights, let them come as they come.

It sounds too simple. It is simple. But it works.

You’re out of the game of consuming certain foods that cause you to have to watch your macros closely or make you feel hungry when your body doesn't need more food.

If you're hungry, your body needs food.

So eat.

As long as you stick to your current macro ratios, don’t add in junk foods or high omega 6 processed foods, and keep your protein levels high, your PA coming and your cruciferous veggies, then your body will keep it’s natural balance and tell you when it needs more and when it doesn’t.

And there’s no more need for bulking and cutting from here, which is the main purpose of counting exact macros in the first place.

Also, your body will be in a place where if you do gain some extra pounds eating some deserts, you will be able to get rid of it much more easily, usually within a few days.

But what if you want to get very cut?

IF YOU WANT TO GET VERY CUT

In that case, do this:

First, if you are around the age of 40 or above, I highly recommend you stick to the high fat/low carb macro ranges. Our bodies do change hormonally around this age and our ability to quickly utilize sugar like we did in our teens, 20’s, and 30’s reduces significantly.

If you don’t feel that’s necessary, that’s fine. But it’s something to think with if you begin to not achieve the results you used to.

For prominent Abdominals and Obliques:

If you’re looking for well-defined abs and obliques, ensure you’re doing 3 sets of abdominal training, 3 times per week. And don’t skip squats or split squats. Instead, increase them by one set each.

Remember, achieving prominent abdominals are not just about losing body fat so they can be seen, but largely building the muscle up so it is there to be seen. So we need to ensure we do build it up.

Next, reduce key macros:

While keeping your protein and PerfectAmino at the same level, multiply your current grams of fat and carbs each by .9 and run on these for 3 days to a week. Do .85 if you’re looking to be very cut.

You may feel hungry as you are likely pushing your body past where it considers a healthy fat content to be for you, but you will burn more body fat and lean out while keeping your muscle.

Add in one to two days of cardio:

Take 2 servings of PerfectAmino 20-30 minutes before you start.

This should be HIIT Training (High Intensity Interval Training). Either running, on a bike, or on a rowing machine.

Warm up at an easier speed for 5-10 minutes, until you feel energy and your muscles aren't stiff.

Then, build up quickly to going as fast as you can and stay there, pushing your hardest, until just before the point that you can’t do anymore.

This may be for a few minutes, a minute or even just 30 seconds. That’s fine.

When you hit that point, slow back down gradually to an easy pace and stay at that for 2-3 minutes.

Then build back up quickly to the fastest you can go and stay there until just before the point that you can’t do anymore.

Then slow back down gradually to an easy pace and stay at that for 2-3 minutes.

Do this 5 times.

Then do ten more minutes of cool down and make sure to take another serving of PA in the next 1-2 hours.

This will help to raise overall metabolism as well as your VO2 Max.

Increase workout intensity:

If you started on the Beginner to Intermediate Workout Regimen, then switch to the Advanced Workout Regimen.

And if you’re already on the Advanced Workout Regimen and the number of sets is now too little, because you still have plenty of energy, increase each exercise by one set.

Putting it all together:

If you’re going for the most gains you can possibly attain, this is a mix between pushing yourself to the limit, as much as you can do, and ensuring you give your body the recovery time and nutrients it needs to then repair the muscle damage done so you can increase muscle.

Doing the above should allow you to lean out even more, while keeping your muscle, producing an even more toned or cut figure.

It really is that simple.

This is in your hands now, if you keep going as above, you will achieve the results you are looking for — and you’ll keep them.

let us know how it goes and if you need any help, and best of luck to you.

And if you're new to this, make sure to check out the Lean Body/Lean Bulk Guide and 30-Day Challenge.

It's a very effective program to either slim, tone and shape our body how we want (Lean Body), or to add significant lean muscle while at the same time losing excess body fat (Lean Bulk).

And make sure to join our PerfectAmino VIP Group if you haven't already, where you can ask all of your questions and we can help you with anything you need.

We'll see you there!

Index To The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Guide:

Introductory Articles:

Getting Started:

Supplements & Macros By Goal:

Workout Regimens & Exercise Videos:

Week One:

Week Two:

Week Three:

Week Four:

Final Week: