RJ Norton knows what it means to set goals and keep pushing forward. As she entered the second half of her first year of medical school, she set her sights on getting stronger, improving her pull-ups, and even finishing a novel with her writers’ group.
“None of what I accomplished was achieved perfectly,” she said. “I had days where I wanted to quit. I had days where I felt like I had not pushed hard enough in the gym or studied enough. But now that I am on the other side, I am so proud of what I have accomplished.”
Before MacroFactor
RJ had done well with other apps and spreadsheets in the past, but with everything on her plate, she knew she needed to simplify the process.
“To be honest, I have had success with those methods, but it was always an insane amount of work,” she said.
“I set my goal to recomp hard and hit 20 pull-ups by April (I began with 13), but I was also starting the second half of my first year of medical school and looking down the barrel of some of the toughest courses I would take during my entire education,” she continued. “I also had personal goals to sleep at least eight hours per night, read three books per month, and finish a novel I have been working on with my writers’ group, because physical and mental recovery is essential to good performance, right?”
It was a lot, but RJ was on her way to pulling it off.
Showing up, week after week
For four straight months, RJ trained six days per week and did not miss a session. Her strength improved across the board. Her one-arm dumbbell row increased from 40lb to 55lb for sets of 12. Her incline dumbbell press moved from 35 to 45lb. Her overhead press doubled. She hit her goal of 20 pull-ups. And all of this while being in a moderate deficit.
“I plan to be lifting when I am 90,” she said.
“Hitting 20 pull-ups felt like proving something important to myself,” she continued. “I know there are a few gals out there who can do more pull-ups, but actually doing it myself, feeling what it takes to be that strong, has given me a whole new perspective on what is possible for anyone to achieve.”
She also maintained strong academic performance, earning an A in her studies, while continuing her writing. “I read some great books, and my novel is finished,” she said. “I am just waiting on my writers’ group for some editing.”
Favorite features and app philosophies
For RJ, efficiency was the chief concern. With so much going on, she needed a system that made her life easier. When asked about her favorite MacroFactor feature, simplicity was her immediate choice.
“Pretty much everything you would want to do on an average day of logging takes a maximum of one or two taps,” she said. “It is insanely efficient. I can honestly say this transformation would have been impossible without it.”
She also appreciated MacroFactor’s adherence-neutral philosophy and evidence-based approach.
“Diet apps have some major potential for abuse and anxiety,” she said. “I really appreciate that MacroFactor makes recommendations that are based in solid science, updates weekly to account for your lifestyle changes, and provides trend data to avoid the frustration that can come with watching the scale go up and down.”
Looking ahead
RJ’s immediate goal is to return to maintenance Calories. Longer term, she plans to finish a proper bulk and continue gaining strength in her lifts. For now, she is proud of what she has accomplished in a relatively short time.
“I am proud of my grades and the fact that people at the gym stare when tiny little me picks up the 55lb dumbbells and starts going to town,” she said. “I can do 20 pull-ups in a row now, and breaking through that ceiling just makes me want to find out where my real limits are. I am proud of the fact that I achieved all of this without starving and without sacrificing my sanity.”
“I feel amazing,” she continued. “I think that is a testament to the fact that I really did put in the time to rest and recover, and achieved all of this sustainably.”
