JP Consult Experience

[johnnypain]

Consult Clients, please post your testimonials/ experiences here. Thanks. I appreciate it.

[DLong]

I am 42 and way too fat! I was never a super fit guy, but did not grow up fat. In my 30's I was fat and at 1st Weight Watchers and cardio worked. With some health/medical concerns I put on more weight and it wasn't coming off. A lot of depression around the weight and motivation. I was teaching a bunch of Spinning classes and started doing triathlons and 1/2 Marathons (I am 5'5'' with 27"legs)I lost weight, but was still not where I wanted to be. I did CrossFit and Gym Jones and Turbulence and ate Zone (strict) and Paleo(strict) and was still not happy, I have big fat deposit in my stomach and it would not budge. With 20lb weight swings and food plans all over the place I felt like I was going no where. I had not really gotten into lifting because I was convinced that I wanted to get smaller, not bigger. Injuries and adrenal fatigue kept coming. I called John after reading some of Greyskull stuff and seeing his name on Rob Wolf's site. The 1st consult was very simple---what to eat and when and that the new goal was body recomposition through increased muscle mass. My protein jumped from 100-120 to 240G and I was eating actual carbs (oats and rice) My energy went up right away and I did not need a spread sheet or loads of Tupperware and measuring cups. The workouts were all LP stuff and way outside of what I was used to. My starting lifts were humbling and it fucking hurt to add weight every workout, but I did it. John is super accessible and had quick fixes when issues came up. My bench went from 165x5 in August to 210x5 in November. Squat from 265x5 to 310x5 and deadlifts went from 275x5 to 375x5. I was never overloaded with “things” to do and as my consults progressed John added conditioning and fasted cardio with the entire premise being to increase muscle mass without adding fat. Mentally I am better than I have been in years. I admit that I struggle with body composition issues..I am not as lean as I would like to be. That being said I have added considerable amounts of muscle to my aging frame and have not added fat. My strength gains are great and it has not been even six moths. At 42 years old and not guzzling a pharmacy, I would be hard pressed to find another way of increasing my lifts the way that they have working with John. Conditioning sucks less, the food is easy, and the work outs are simple..add a rep or a pound. I have used trainers, I AM a trainer and I can tell you flat out that I have never had the results that I have with John. This has gotten long and I apologize, but it isn’t fair to how thorough John is with his consults to just put “Johnny Pain is the man” or “I added shit loads of weight to my lifts with Johnny Pain”. If you want to get shit done, get a consult it will save so much time. My single regret with it is that I did not do it sooner.

[MeleeMMA]

I'm a 22 year old Professional MMA fighter. I have been a Personal Trainer for 4 years, and have managed two gyms. I also have an Allied Health Degree with a Concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics. That being said, I know a lot about strength, conditioning, and nutrition for my age and level of experience. Or so I thought...

I first discovered John through his infamous "Why I Resigned my Affiliation with CrossFit" article a year back. I was, and am currently the head trainer at a CrossFit gym here in TN and had been feeling the same way as John. It was very inspiring to see someone who had so much to lose by speaking his mind, do so anyways without a care of what it may cost him. For days, I watched as John faced ridicule and insults by CrossFiters. After seeing all the negative comments on Johns page, I decided it was time for me to contact him and share my appreciation for the things he had said. So, I sent John an email simply telling him how I felt. Imagine my surprise when John actually took the time to personally call me only a day later! My email signature has my phone number on it, and John felt appreciative enough to actually give me a personal call to thank me and ask if he could help me any further.

Now, a year and 10,000 texted questions later, John has become my mentor in the art of Strength and Conditioning. Not only has my knowledge expanded more within the last year than in the previous four years in a state university, but my personal fitness, and the fitness of my clients has increased drastically thanks to John. JP has NEVER hesitated to answer my questions and has always given me thoughtful and encouraging advice. When JP asked me to come on board as part of the Strength Villain staff, I was honored. I honestly feel like I have made a great friend in John and am excited to discover where I will be a year from now under his tutelage. Thanks John!

[Drago]

I did starting strength with pretty good success, what I mean is in a short time I got a lot stronger but also a lot chubbier. After I lost the weight I also lost a lot of strength. Feeling a lot weaker and skinnier I went looking for help and that's when I stumbled on JP's website and went over to Greyskull for a consultation.

Over my consultation we talked a lot about my diet and how I went wrong in the past. It was the simple things that we all get wrong when we want to get big; you know the idea of stuffing your face with ice cream before bed, or drinking a whole gallon of milk when your BF is already above 15%. We talked about shitty ideas that people come up with with diet and training. Any one that talks to Johny Pain knows that what he says is shit he learned from experience and spent time researching.

The consultation are awesome, you're going to learn more then you think and probably about some things you didn't expect (recently its been about beating people up and guns). In two months since I met JP I gained 20lbs which is not a lot but I'm killing my old PRs and I didn't get fat. This is going to sound a little cheesy but since my friends have been back for thanksgiving break alls they have been talking about is how much bigger I am and from what I can tell getting bigger is some how linked to getting laid more.

[LittleBigBrother]

I met John when my Bigger-Younger-Brother (Quitter) carried me up to Greyskull and basically said “John, this guy needs help.” One of the first things I remember him saying, “If you sprinkle some glitter on yourself you’d make a good Twilight poster boy.” If anyone else said that, I would have looked at them like a dick, but it sounded more like a genuine concern than an insult. I was about 163lbs, starving, and was in belief that I was strong for my BW. “So are ants”, said John, “but millions of them get crushed by the day.” Out of the kindness of his heart, John invited me to lift with him and the guys at Greyskull. He put me on the right track from day one and by the end of the summer I had already gained a solid 15lbs. I was able to lift at Greyskull with John and those guys for a little over a month before I went back to school and part time work. In my short time there, John taught me how to properly lift, efficiently take in more calories, and started me on the Greyskull LP. He took the time out and really helped build a foundation of strength training . I think John was reluctant at times to admit it, but even he noticed the rapid muscular physique I had taken on in my short time with him.

John made Greyskull a great place to hang out too. Sometimes, we would just hang out after training and talk till the wee hours in the morning about women, music, success in life, and Bony. Other times the guys stayed after and watched me clash with Battlecat for the last piece of pepperoni. I always had fun up there training and spending time in the gym. I learned a whole lot this summer and I owe my knowledge and success in training to John. He is a guru in training and nutrition, a great friend, a gentleman, and a scholar. And the list goes on. Thanks again John and I wish you success with Strength Villain and all you do.

[JK Goes Red & Black]

I've consulted with John on two separate occasions, first for nutritional reasons and secondly for a combo nutrition & programming talk. While I run a gym myself and am fairly comfortable helping folks with their nutrition and programming, my own diet and training has suffered greatly over the last year as I've worked to build my business and clientele. When I talked with John, I wanted to feel like I was getting concrete plans from someone with skin in the game, so to speak, and that's exactly what I got.

John's a great dude to talk with--affable, funny as shit, and a wealth of information. But more than that, he's effective. During both consults, I never felt like the conversation was veering too far afield--even as he talked with me about dudes doing chins in prison and how much we both enjoyed watching Lockup, the focus remained on keeping our eyes on the big picture of hard work done consistently. In fact, I'd count John's voice on hard work, consistency, and getting rid of the bullshit completely in league with Rip and Wendler--that's pretty great company if you ask me.

I couldn't recommend a consult with John any more highly--money and time incredibly well spent. I use something from our two sessions every single day with my trainees, as well as personally.

[DLong]

I use something from our two sessions every single day with my trainees, as well as personally.

Diito this. Not to double dip here, but I didn't think to mention this. As a trainer and business owner I have found myself moving people in directions that John moved me in and the reason is becasue they work so well. I had some unwise conditioning elements out of a few clients work after John had me do the same and it was win win win.

[TobyC]

I first met John at the end of this August. I came into Greyskull for a nutrition and lifting plan consult. We spent a full two hours talking about the program and the problems with my past exercise endeavors. He answered all of the questions I had and is also a regular guy with a good sense of humor. This initial consult really got me on the right track. In the first two months I put on 15 lbs. and saw big increases in all of my lifts.
A month later I returned to Greyskull when I was having some form issues. John went over the squat, press, and deadlift with me. My main problems in the squat at this point were not descending fast enough and keeping my knees in. John saw this immediately and gave me some verbal cues which fixed the issues after a few minutes. I had never squatted like that before--I finally learned what it meant to go to failure. I could barely press after that. I also learned the importance of the belt.
On the Monday before Thanksgiving I went back again to get some help on the squat. I had progressed well but hit a plateau. To me it felt like the weight was so heavy that I could no longer judge my form. Basically I couldn't tell what was going on and I was consistently failing. Once again, John had the answers immediately. He saw that I wasn't sitting back and that I also was getting under the bar with empty lungs. This was causing me to lean too far forward and get off balance and get stuck at the bottom. John cued me to take a big breath, chest up, sit back, and come up using the hips. I did 5 reps at a weight I previously got only once.
So basically if you have any questions on where to get started John can help you. If you need nutrition advice or technique help John can help you. He knows what he is doing and will tell it to you straight. Some of you may be intimidated by the tattoos and tough talk on the website but don't worry about any of that. You will have a good time while you learn more than you could have imagined in such a short time. GET A CONSULT!!

[Flex Luthor]

I started doing SS earlier this year weighing about 150 pounds. I did the GOMAD as well as eating just about everything in sight. MUST.....WEIGH.....200....POUNDS.... It took me about 4 months to gain the 50 pounds. I got there with milk. pizza, kitchen sink shakes and double cheeseburgers. I was so enamored with the quest for 200 that I didn't notice my spare tire until it had gotten out of control.

Fast forward to July....My squat had gotten up to around 300 and I was having a lot of knee problems. I lift at Gold's Gym...mirrors everywhere...smith machines and bicep curls are the order of the day. I was feeling kind of alone in my quest for strength...so I decided to make an appointment to get up to Greyskull. Drove 5 hours from VA to Philly...hoping it would be worth it.

I meet JP at the gym and we get acquainted. I knew right away that this was my kind of guy and my kind of place. Really easy to talk to...and he knows his shit. Gym has everything you need and nothing that you don't. There is a mirror, but that's mainly to work on posing routines.

First we looked at my squat. Basically, I was lifting like a geared lifter....without the gear. Squats were pretty high, and I needed to get my knees forward sooner in the movement. JP used his TUBAL (terribly useful boot and leg) technique to make sure my knees were tracking properly. Fixed a couple other things (sliding my nipples down the wall) and my squats were looking pretty strong after about 15 mintues. Buryin' and Bouncin'

After that we went through the press and deadlift, both needed a bit of work. JP always seems to have the right cue to get you in the right place...and they almost always involve an erogenous zone or touching another dude.

"touch my leg with your knee"
"slide your nipples down the wall"
"shove your dick in the wall"
"push up on my hand" -hand was on my ass at the time.

I had 350 on the bar for a heavy deadlift double (previous PR was 335x5). I smoke the first 2 and JP yells 5! I mutter something under my breath, something about motherfuckers....and pulled a crazy heavy PR 5. Learned a lot that set.

After we went over the lifts...we moved to diet/programming. I told him about my quest for 200 pounds and the subsequent barrel ass effect. I pointed to my gut and said "I want to make this smaller". He pointed at my chest and said "You need to make this bigger"....We didn't get too much into the bro-science, but he described his ideas for diet and they made a lot of sense to me. Talked about the program...which is basically the Greyskull LP that is being discussed on the forum now.

I'm glad we knocked out the educational part of the day so quick because we had plenty of time to talk about chicks, billiards, pussies, glitter, and all sorts of important things.

Fast forward to today....

Just the little changes in my form have been invaluable to my strength training. All my lifts are efficient now....I'm not wasting energy getting out of line. It's amazing how much farther you can push a set when every rep is in the groove. You gotta put up a video of the bench press setup that you guys use...that shit it SO FUCKING STRONG.

I've been sticking pretty close to my diet (you can check it out in my beginner log) and have noticed an increase in mass with a decrease in my gut. The fat isn't melting away...but I can tell I'm moving in the right direction. It took me 5-6 months to turn into a barrel ass, so it will likely take the same time to get it down.

I only wish that I could lift at Greyskull every day. I wear my flannel and my scowl at Gold's so I can feel at home. If you guys didn't know...lifting in a flannel adds 20 pounds to your squat and 10 to your bench.

Anyways....I can't say enough good things about my trip to Greyskull. John knows his stuff and is a great guy to hang out with. Being at that gym is like kicking it with some friends...who happen to be strong as fuck. The diet will maximize your recovery while minimizing fat accumulation. Your lifts will get more efficient, so you can move more weight.

[KittyMcTaco]

my trip to Greyskull...

you got to watch Ben Affleck have an after school special rage blackout. so funny