u/DeaconForest

Happy Mother's Day to all!

I just finished 12WTU and wanted to share my experience over the past three months. A little about me, I'm a 42-year-old male and started actively using Tonal about a year and a half ago when I hit the big 40 and was really focused on improving my health and longevity. I also started the program after coming off a lower back injury and getting clearance from the doctor to really start hitting the weights again. This program has pushed me to new levels on the platform and has truly felt like training for my old D1 track days. I feel much stronger as a result and I'm even in probably better shape than I was in my 20s at this point.

Starting month one I was definitely a bit more gun shy especially on leg days and my movement score reflects that because I was hesitant on hinge focus movements due to the lower back issue. I will say the double leg days definitely helped to improve my strength, my mobility and overall get my confidence back. The use of the juggernaut method as well also helped me to move past my preconceived concerns by pushing good weight towards the end of each month cycle. By month 2, my confidence was back, and I was really starting to feel much more confident with my lifts. I really enjoyed the progressive weights from week one to 2 to 3 and the deload week really helped me to stay fresh while still challenging me moving into the next month. I also appreciated how Joe focused on mobility and technique throughout the first two phases which helped me to rebuild a solid foundation.

It was finally in month three where I really felt like my form was back to where it should be and my confidence in my movements really allowed me to push much more weight than I had historically on Tonal. The contrast sets where you spend the first 2 days push pushing towards max weight and the cluster sets really challenged me, but also pushed me towards high athletic performance. I really enjoyed the program and the results speak for themselves and the fact that I was able to increase my strength score by over 200 points and I truly feel much more powerful and strong stronger than when I started the program three months ago. I highly recommend this program and thank Joe for also being there with us every step of the way. This programs has been my favorite so far. Joe: thanks for helping me become a better version of myself and giving back to the Tonal community as you do. You rock brother!

TLDR: if you're concerned about a three month or advanced program, I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking to push the boundaries and really break through plateaus. If you're hesitating, my highest recommendation is don't and enjoy yourself. The "new" standard is the standard

I have been using Tobal religiously for the past one and a half years and unfortunately broke my streak with a one week trip to Europe around Xmas. I had the chance to start 12WTU on the first day of the programs release and it is really pushed me to new levels over the past three months. A little bit about me, I'm a 42-year-old male and struggled with my weight for many years through my 20s and 30s and finally used Tonal as one of the catalysts when I hit the big 40 to drive my weight, loss journey and to get healthy. Since then, I've lost over 100 pounds and I'm finally in nearly the same shape that I was when I was a competitive track athlete in college (if not better!).

If you were thinking about doing this program and feeling like it might be too advanced for you, my recommendation is just to lean in to the program and try your hardest. I came off a lower back injury, which caused me to plateau for several months as I was working through physical therapy and getting back into shape. As a result, i had severely had to limit my lower back focused exercises, and that was reflected in my strength score. Over the past three months, I really worked through Joe's coaching on improving my bracing, slowing down in the eccentric portion and my overall technique which caused a 200+ point jump in my strength score and I'm now officially in the triple comma club!!

The first two month phases focusing on the juggernaut method really help you to build a solid foundation for leading into the final month and for me really helped to stabilize and improve my baseline strength of my weaker lifts, focused on the lower back, including my dead lift and RDL. I really through Joe's coaching focused on improving my technique slowing down the lifts and that really helped me to build a foundation so that I could push hard in the final month. I was holding back in the initial phases and frankly struggled during month one on several leg days, which reflect my 98% movement score. After I was able to build my confidence back up and also my base strength levels. I was really able to push myself to new heights.

Moving into the final month of the program and the shift to contrast sets and the focus on athletic performance,. I was able to really push maximum weight on all of my lifts and reach PRs in effectively every lift. Tonal has really helped me to dial in my physical fitness and I cannot be happier with the results. Huge shout out to Joe for the amazing work that he does in the community and the fact that he's there actually lifting with us was a huge motivator for me. The new standard is the standard for me!

TLDR: if you're sleeping on this program and feel like it might be too much my recommendation is DON'T! The focus on athletic performance has pushed me to new heights and I'm excited to continue my strength journey on Tonal.