Body Transformation: It's Never Too Late To Transform Your Body

James spent a good portion of his life being skinny and was ready to make a big change. Read on to see how he packed on the muscle and shed his once skinny frame.

Vital Stats

Name: James Bailey
Email: jamesworkout@yahoo.com
Bodyspace: JamesWorkout

James Bailey James Bailey

Before:

Age:
35
Height:
6'1"
Weight:
176 lbs
Body Fat:
18%
Arms:
13.5"
Hips:
40"
Chest:
37"

After:

Age:
45
Height:
6'1"
Weight:
201 lbs
Body Fat:
11%
Arms:
15.5"
Hips:
38"
Chest:
43.2"

Why I Got Started

I was always the slender guy who never played sports of any kind in high school or college. Best way to describe me was slender with a beer gut and had no motivation or desire to change up until something clicked when I was about 35 years and got referred to as skinny one too many times. I found myself looking in the mirror seeing no shape, no muscle, a 35-inch waist and above all else, unhappy with the overall appearance of my physique.

At the time, I was 35 years of age and had never lifted a weight in my life. I had no idea where to even begin in starting a fitness plan that would help in achieving the goals that I had in mind. All I knew is that I was not happy and was tired of being referred to as skinny, but I was determined from that point forward to gain muscle and change my physique for life.

I was determined from that point forward to gain muscle and change my physique for life.

How I Did It

My first attempt at weight training was buying a few dumbbells, which soon ballooned into a full-on garage gym complete with a solid bench, pull-up bar, concentration curl chair and some cables. I saw some pretty decent results right away as my arms grew almost an inch in less than a year. Then the growth slowed after four years of training at home.

I decided to take on a gym membership at the National Training Center. This gave my body a complete turnaround and I soon found myself training really hard and focused at the gym about four days per week and learned a quite a bit from watching other people train as well. Then I purchased a book called Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding and started some of Arnold's basic routines. There were good gains using that source but there was still something missing, I felt like I needed something to push me to the next level.

I decided to use the guidance of Staggs Fitness who created a muscle gaining meal plan that was personalized for my own body's needs. This was the final piece of the puzzle for me, solid eating with the guidance of Tim Staggs (Shredded-XFrame) along with his wife Becca. Once I started eating correctly I immediately felt like everything was coming together. I was gaining more muscle and definition which motivated me even more.

All of these small things and tweaks I have made along the way in my approach towards muscle gaining goals have brought me up to the physique I have today. I still continue in making gains in size and strength at 45-years old and will be competing in the NPC men's division of Physique early next year.

Once I started eating correctly I immediately felt like everything was coming together.

Suggestions for Others

I am not a huge guy, it's not in my genetic makeup. But I feel better than ever inside and out and now have the confidence I have always strived for.

I truly believe "It's never too late." Live every day to the fullest with determination, balance and a winning attitude.