REASONS WHY I DECIDED TO TRANSFORM

I stopped working out soon after high school, but had always worn body fat well. As I progressed into my upper 20's without any dietary restrictions or exercise, I began to stack on more and more body fat.

I felt terrible and, to top it all off, I was diagnosed with a chronic colon disease known as ulcerative colitis. My doctor began to put me on several different medications to control the disease, but he never told me to watch what I eat or encouraged me to exercise.

I physically felt bad all the time and my wife and daughter began to encourage me to try to eat better and stay away from all of the fast food I was consuming on a regular basis—up to 3 times per day. In 2012, a friend and coworker talked me into running a 5k, so I began to run and tried to life weights. I lost some weight from the running but began to fall in love with weightlifting.

BEFORE /// 234 LBS

AFTER /// 183 LBS

AGE 34 / HEIGHT 6'2" / BODY FAT 22%

AGE 34 / HEIGHT 6'2" / BODY FAT 11%

Post To Fitboard

After eating somewhat clean and lifting through 2012, I had a desire to be stronger. So, I started to bulk. I read as much as I could on various websites on how to get huge. Many of them were telling me to eat all I can and to drink a gallon of milk per day to improve size and strength. This worked—to some degree—except for the fact that along with strength gains also came a load of body fat. That is when I met up with my friend, life-changing trainer, and BodySpace member B Con. B Con is a transformation specialist.

B Con put me on a clean bulking diet in September of 2013 and had me hit the gym through the week to focus on heavy deads, squats, and bench. My strength began to improve and I built a base of muscle through December 2013 the correct way. The only problem I faced was all of the body fat I accumulated through my dirty bulk.

In January I decided to enter the Dymatize 100k 12-week transformation challenge. B Con had experience with bodybuilding contest prep and knew how to tweak my diet and workout each week to get to where I needed to be.

The fat began to fly off and I lost 50 pounds through the contest. I have never felt better and now I am eating clean. I have not taken any prescription medications for more than a year.

HOW I ACCOMPLISHED MY GOALS

Prior to having a trainer, I did not have a clue how to gain muscle or lose fat. There are so many opinions on the Internet, in books, and magazines! A person can begin to lose focus and spin their wheels. This can be frustrating. My trainer has given me the proper instruction according to my own body regarding diet. He counts all of my calories, and grams of protein, carbs, and good fats. I simply execute the plan that B Con sets up. I also learned that in weight training you have to change your program periodically to keep your muscles growing.

COOL FACT

COURTNEY HAS BEEN AN ORDAINED MINISTER FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS AND
IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A MASTER'S DEGREE IN COUNSELING. HE WORKS
FULL TIME AS HE ATTENDS SCHOOL PART TIME.

I have thought about quitting. Transforming your body does not happen overnight. I had to keep in mind that this is a process that will take years. My wife and daughter are my encouragers. They put up with me through the diet restrictions and rigorous workout routines. They cheer me on to not give up even when I feel like it. My trainer was also a huge part of me not quitting; he still is today. He keeps me accountable on a daily basis and always encourages and rebukes me when needed.

My biggest inspiration was and will continue to be Christ. I am a follower of Jesus before anything else. He has given me a body to be a good steward of while I am here on earth. I keep that in mind continually as I continue to transform.