Hannah’s 15-Month Periodization Journey to building the best physique of her life as a mom of three.

Scared to spend a year building? So was Hannah

I’m stoked to bring you a very special periodization case study.

Hannah (my little sister!) works for EPN and TPA as our Social Media and Customer Service Manager.

In March of 2024, I asked her to trust me and join a muscle-building cohort after watching her do at-home workouts and having had on-and-off gut issues for years. Given that she was beta-testing the brand-new Practical Athlete Programming, this was the perfect time to dial in nutrition.

She had been working hard to get rid of her “mom belly” after 3 kids and was anxious about attempting to gain weight, when that would seemingly take her further away from her goals.

She trusted the process, and in 2024 spent 30 weeks building muscle, here’s what happened.

Hannah’s Journey

The Periodization Plan:

March - July 2024 : Found Top End Maintenance & Built

Hannah came in averaging 1600 cals per day, with many low days. By the end of the build we gained 7.2lbs and found maintenance was 300 calories higher than she came in eating

August 2024: 5-Week Deficit

She lost quite a bit of inflammation from the end of the build and dropped 6.4lbs

October 2024 - March 2025: 6-month Build

The second build is always a little easier once you know what to expect, she gained 5.7lbs

April 2025: Performance Maintenance

Hannah ran the Trail Sisters Half with us!

May - June 2025: 7-Week Fat Loss Phase

Hannah lost 3.7lbs

What’s Next For Hannah:

After absolutely smashing her body composition goals, Hannah is eager to continue the process. She signed up for a local half-marathon this November, so we are transitioning into a performance maintenance phase before another build.

July - November: Performance Maintenance

Hannah will be following the TPA endurance track and training for her half marathon race

November - January: Muscle Build

Post race, she’ll transition to a muscle-building phase through the holiday season

January - February: Fat Loss

We have another short 6-week fat loss phase planned for the end of January into February to give her a few weeks buffer before a cruise she has planned for spring break 2026

Hannah’s Key Takeaways of the Process:

Maintenance Phase:

I was initially nervous about finding my maintenance, especially since I was someone who used to skip breakfast and barely ate more than 1,400 calories a day! Now I eat 1800 calories!
I’ve learned to love breakfast—now I can’t imagine starting my day without it!
I started seeing body recomposition almost immediately after finding my maintenance

Muscle Build Phase:

Muscle building felt intimidating at first—especially as someone who’s always been a ‘smaller person,’ as Laura likes to say—but it was so worth it. I’m proud of my results, and I know it’s only going to get better from here!
Lifting during a bulk is the best—it’s the strongest and most energized I’ve ever felt!

Deficit Phase:

The data speaks for itself. My deficit started off slow, but staying consistent was so worth it—I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. There's nothing like seeing results from hard work!

I’ve truly learned to trust the process!

Two years ago, the idea of doing a muscle build—or gaining 10 pounds—would’ve made me laugh. But letting go, committing fully, and following through has changed everything. I feel better than ever and I'm now training for a half marathon in November—something I never would've imagined back then.

I feel like a new person, and this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in another two years!

Having a supportive coach like Laura and a great community made it so much easier to stay consistent and see results. Sometimes I look at my back and and can’t beleive I built that!