I’ve been an avid lifter most of my life. However, fitness somewhat took the back burner while pursuing my dream to become an Anesthesiologist. I was stuck “maintaining.” Then, at the beginning of 2021, I completely separated my shoulder, which sent me down a long, frustrating journey to recovery.
I felt my body begin to atrophy. Work and family life were impaired, and I sank into a low place. Sometimes, life throws curveballs. Believe me, working in the hospital throughout the last four years and through a pandemic, I’m accustomed to curveballs. I’m a fourth year Anesthesiology Resident with two kids at home. These sound like valid excuses to look for an easy way out. I instead chose to pivot.
The pain, lack of mobility, and weight limitations were major obstacles at first. After physical therapy, my goal was to build back the muscle I’d lost and teach my body how to adapt to my injury. Looking back on my transformation over the 9 months leading up to early 2022, I gained 18 lbs of muscle (up from 184 lbs), put 2+ inches on my biceps (in 6 weeks!), began to excel past some of my previous lift PR’s. I’m also no longer limited in my shoulder movements.
I jumped into the JimStoppani.com programs Muscle Booster SDS, Six Weeks to Sick Arms, Down and Up Mass, and [as of this writing] I’m about to finish Power/Strength/Hypertrophy. I have seen improvements just about every week.
Pre JYM, Post JYM, and Pro JYM have fueled my workouts and my 24hr calls at the hospital. Rainbow Sherbet Pre JYM all the way! Apart from a good donut, night time was my major kryptonite. When I started substituting Pro JYM instead of snacks, my abs came out of hibernation. The human body is an incredible machine. Utilize it to its max potential.
Now, when people see me and what I’ve accomplished, I feel almost like my newfound drive is contagious. People see potential. Jim Stoppani’s programs not only allowed me to achieve my goals, but also instilled a mindset of self-improvement. I realized my improvement enables me to better those around me, including my patients.
I am eternally grateful for Dr. Stoppani. I believe the key to success is your mindset. It doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in donuts occasionally…balance is important. Instead, it’s adopting a lifestyle with a lifelong mission to be better. If you believe in yourself, opportunities are endless. For anyone else out there seeking change, recovering from an injury, or just stuck “maintaining,” join the JYM Army and watch your transformation begin. Like many things in life, your reward depends on how much work you put in!
