John Yates

This Atlanta resident is juggling a family, a business and a dedicated fitness lifestyle with great success.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

Written by John Yates

My journey started about 14 years ago. I was a very skinny and athletic kid, but I didn’t discover weight training until I was about 20. When I did, it changed the direction of my life. I changed my major to Exercise Science, got certified by NASM as a personal trainer and begin working at Gold’s Gym in Atlanta, and later in Las Vegas. When I started training at age 20, I was around 165 pounds at 6’1.” At age 27, I was up to nearly 220 pounds.

Fitness was my life for the better part of a decade and then it all changed. My wife and I relocated back to Atlanta, I started a small business, she became pregnant with our son, and before I knew it, four years had gone by and I saw the gym maybe 15 times. Sure, I had more responsibility and circumstances had changed, but there was no excuse to let go of the life my wife and I truly loved. My wife was actually the one who gave me the boost to get back at it. We both had to look ourselves in the mirror and make the changes we needed for us to get back on track.

So at age 31, I started lifting again and weighed in at about 189 pounds. I went from 220 to 189 in four years; all the gains that I busted my ass to achieve were basically gone. I started off with a six-week program I had designed for some of my clients years ago. I had followed Jim’s work since I was in school and respected him highly. But after being out of the loop for so long, I had lost touch with what was going on in the supplement industry. I found JYM supplements and was thrilled to find out that Dr. Stoppani had created his own line. I purchased the JYM System and set my sights on Shortcut to Size.

For nutrition, I stayed around 1.5–2 grams of protein, 1.5-2 grams of carbs, and 0.5-0.75 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight. From my previous experience, I knew what to eat – it was just a matter of doing it and sticking with it. My supplementation consisted of the JYM System, Alpha JYM, Vita JYM, CLA, ZMA, vitamin D, curcumin and fish oil.

A month into Shortcut to Size, I was hooked and my passion was fully re-ignited. It became easy to stay motivated after seeing my wife crush her goals and wanting to set a good example for our young son, who loved coming to the gym with us and playing in the kids’ area. I had no plans to see all the hard work I put in go to waste. We also started a fit apparel company called Iron Office in the hopes of motivating others as well as holding ourselves accountable.

Of course, there are obstacles we all have to overcome to reach our goals. Mine was finding balance between work, family and fitness. With my business, my schedule can sometimes be unpredictable, but I refused to use it as an excuse. That’s just what you must do if you truly want to see change and make it a lifestyle. Understand that your body and health are worth the time and effort. We all have the physical tools to reach our goals. You have to get your mind right and truly commit to doing what’s needed to reach that next level.

By the end of Shortcut to Size, I was up to 203 pounds, for a total gain of 14 pounds in 12 weeks. My strength gains blew me away. I was stronger in some lifts than I was in my 20s. My friends were shocked to see how quickly I was able to transform closer to the form I once was. I was lucky enough to have the support of my wife, son and friends along the way. Now with the JYM Army, even if you aren’t getting support anywhere else, there’s an amazing group of individuals there for you.

I’ve completed Super-Man, Down and Up Mass and Showtime since S2S. I plan to keep challenging myself with new programs and new goals. Hopefully, I’ll inspire and motivate others along the way. I encourage everyone to keep pushing and never get complacent. Find your “why” and get after it. Keep a positive mind, find balance, use the invaluable tools at your disposal, eat and train for your success, and you will achieve it.

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