Body Transformation: Louis Keightley-Smith Bulked Down Barriers!

Vital Stats

Name: Louis Keightley-Smith
Email: Louis90@btinternet.com
Location: Cambridgeshire, England

Why I decided to transform

I decided to change my body because I wasn't happy and confident with what I saw in the mirror. It took lots of physical and mental work to transform and I am very proud of the difference in my physique during a two-year period.

It changed my life completely. My self-confidence increased exponentially during the past couple years and gave me direction in life.

Without my dedication to bodybuilding, fitness, and health, I wouldn't be going to university to study sport, exercise, and nutrition to become a sports nutritionist.

Fitness gave me satisfaction in life to help others achieve their fitness goals. I hope others can use my transformation as motivation to drive theirs.

How I accomplished my goals

The best way to accomplish goals is to set short- and long-term goals. My short-term goals were to increase weights, strength, and measurements. Over time, the steady progress drove me to keep pushing to my long-term goals.

I started training on a three-day, full-body regimen and ate whatever I wanted, which gave me noticeable size gains in a few months, but I wasn't happy with it overall. I began to research dieting and training routines and created a five-day split. In September 2012, I began my bulk and went up to 202 pounds and 18 percent body fat. In April 2013, I started my cut and went down to 174 pounds and am very pleased with it. I maintained reasonable size but got very lean.

There were days I wanted to quit due to stress and other life commitments that got in the way, but I didn't waiver. I was self-driven to get where I wanted to be. My willpower overcame the bumps in the road. When I felt down, worn out, and wanted to give up, I researched the fitness industry and found new topics and techniques that interested me.

I harvest inspiration from past and present bodybuilders and men's physique models like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steve Cook. I had the pleasure to meet Steve at the UK BodyPower Expo in May 2013. He inspired me to keep pushing to my full potential.

What aspect challenged me the most

The most challenging aspect was dieting. When I first started dieting, it was very hard to stay consistent because I didn't prep food and pigged out constantly. After a few months, I got into a routine and prepped food in advance so I wasn't tempted to eat snack foods.

My future fitness plans

I hope to become a qualified sports nutritionist and personal trainer when I complete my university degree. I plan to move to the United States to achieve my lifelong dream and have a career in fitness.

I want to compete in men's physique in the future when I'm fully confident. It will take lots of hard work and dedication to improve my physique and achieve the size and conditioning needed to compete.

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

Believe in yourself. The only person who can change you is you. You can't stop when you start. When the results come, you will want to push further to achieve the physique you've dreamed of.

Keep at it, don't let others tell you otherwise, and stick to what works for you. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates; they're your friend.

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

Bodybuilding.com is a huge help. It provided the information and direction I needed to transform with the help of articles and BodySpace. I spent hours exploring amazing transformations to motivate myself.

The athletes and trainers on the site give out fantastic information. The supplements and reviews are a great help to find out what works.

Louis's Top 5 Gym Tracks