I can’t say for sure, but Russ slimming down has really seemed to help. Dude also seems to be more mobile and is grinding to really make the most of this season.
He may not be the same as he used to be, but definitely seems like the effort he’s putting in is double what he was putting in last year.
I don’t know about the effort, but losing 15 pounds is definitely huge for mobility. Hell I recently gained about 15 pounds and found myself wondering why my ankle hurt going up and down the stairs for no reason. Oh yeah, because I’m growing tits now.