K Ponti – ‘I’m learning and participating in my own physical development’

K Ponti, what were your goals when signing up with me?

I have always struggled losing weight since I was a teenager. Additionally, I’m a really busy guy. I work 40+ hours in a sedentary office job and commute an hour to and from work daily. In my off time I tend to my family, girlfriend, and friends and I am also a musician, often having strange hours and eating schedules. I had been training on my own for a couple years but I kept running into training plateaus or injuries and would get set back months at a time.It felt like a grind and I decided I would look into getting an online coach.

 I was interested in working with Steve because he seemed to be a refreshing alternative to the ego-driven, fat-shaming coaching I typically ran into in the United States. Our focus has been two-fold: to cut my body fat down, and to gain strength to compete in a powerlifting meet.

What reservations if any did you have before we started working together?

I was worried it may be a scam (but I’m paranoid), I was worried I wouldn’t see results, and I was worried I would have to give up flexibility in my life around food.

How was I able to help you with your reservations?

Steve never skipped a beat. He started adapting things to me right away. I like that there are several different ways to get towards my goals and that it is always an option to try something different if things aren’t working. Also, Steve has a good understanding and compassion for the psychological aspect of this.

I’m a really busy guy, and Steve has worked with me to find routines that fit my schedule, lifestyle, and ability, and always tells me he can change things up if something does not work. And he’s always been very accessible. I can send him an email and he gets back to me within the day despite being across seas. Also, in the rare occasion I can’t reach Steve, I have access to the Team Revive community and can run my questions by them. They are a positive bunch of folks and I’m happy to be a part of that learning community.

In point form, can you list your achievements training with me thus far?

• Lost a lot of fat, dropping 14lbs.
• Stronger and with improved form, despite injuries and a caloric deficit.
• More knowledge about my own body.
• New eating habits that will sustain me in my long-term health.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Steve is incredibly body-positive, non-shaming, encouraging, and focused on helping me reach my goals. He also has an incredible amount of knowledge that he is willing to share, and for me that’s what sold me: I’m not a mindless robot being told how to eat and how to train, I’m learning and participating in my own physical development, which is empowering.

I’m stoked with how my body has been progressing and with how much strength I’ve gained in such a short amount of time. I have more knowledge about my own body, and have gained new eating habits that will sustain me in my long-term health.

Steve is truly a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to other male and female strength athletes, and anyone looking to transform the way they think about dieting and health.

I look forward to the next phase of my training and competing in a powerlifting meet this next year!

K Ponti came to me seeking to drop fat without it impacting his strength, but further to that he wanted to learn. His application form was incredibly detailed and I could tell he had put a lot of time and effort into his training a nutrition already. I changed things up pretty quickly, dropping his previously high fat intake and prioritising carbohydrates. Also K Ponti was doing a horrible cardio protocol 6 times a week, which I dropped right down as well. I am so proud of the results we have achieved together, it hasn’t been without its hardships but through K Ponti’s positive attitude and hard work we have got through it. I can also proudly say that when/if K Ponti decides to take the reigns of his own nutrition and training he has the knowledge of how to successfully do so.

Interested in online coaching? You can check out what I have to offer here.

‘Macro Friendly’ Protein Brownies

This is another one of those ‘I bloody love that food, but it just doesn’t really fit in my diet’ recipes. I aint gonna lie, brownies are amazing, sugar, butter, chocolate, all the chocolate, they’re delicious, soft, gooey. Just yum. But one little brownie can set you back 300 calories and normally 15g of fat and minimal protein or micronutrition. So this is one of those recipes, where obviously it isn’t as good as the real thing, but it isn’t bad either, and it is full of goodness.

What you’ll need:

• 100ml Skimmed Milk (any liquid would do)
• 20g Protein Powder (I recommend a whey or mixed protein)
• 240g black beans (any bean will work)
• 30g Philidelphia Lightest (optional)
• 45g Flour (can be reduced)
• 1 Medium Egg (can be switched to egg whites)
• 5g Cocoa Powder (optional)
• 4g Baking Powder
• Sweetener of your choosing
• Additional goodies e.g. oreos, chocolate chunks, kitkat (optional but a no brainer)

How To Do It:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and BUZZ.
2. Add all ingredients to a lined baking tray.
3. Cook in a 200 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
4. Take it out and delve a knife into the middle of it, if it comes out pretty much clean, you’re good to go.
5. Leave to cool.

What You’re Getting From It:

• A massive brownie.
• 42g Protein, 55g Carbohydrates, 14g Fat (18g Fibre) – 532Kcal (without additional goodies)
• Eggs ‘natures multivitamin’ containing antioxidants helping protect our eyes, choline a powerful nutrient for brain function and a high quality amino profile.
• Beans one of the best natural sources of fibre on the planet. I recommend everyone gets a minimum of 25g of fibre, and in general 10% of their total carb intake (eating 300g of carbs, get in 30g of fibre minimum).

If you liked this you will want to check out the following:

• 5 Ingredient Protein Pancakes
• 5 Steps to Ramp Up your metabolism (so you can eat more!)
• The Perfect Diet
• 5 Minute Protein Cake
• Joghurt – 2 ingredient mega volume protein jelly

If you enjoyed this or any of the above please share the love!