Name: Graham Hill
BodySpace: Naturalgraham4
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 202 lb
Member Since: 2009
Graham Hill has a lot of big plans. And he knows he can accomplish every one of them thanks to a strong confidence and a will to persevere through adversities. Graham stays busy as the owner of his own delivery service, but he's determined to follow his passion and have a successful competitive bodybuilding career in the process. Graham knows he has what it takes to compete against the big dogs of bodybuilding, and he plans to do so without the use of steroids … thus explaining his BodySpace name Naturalgraham4.
As a business owner, Graham knows too well that organization is a huge component to being successful. For Graham and one million other members, BodySpace has proven to be an unmatched organizational tool that aids in the development of a phenomenal physique.
Another reason Graham gravitates to BodySpace is all the like-minded people who supported him throughout the years. As you will soon learn, he takes none of this for granted, but is eternally grateful for his close-knit community.
In an in-depth interview, Naturalgraham4; September's BodySpace Member of the Month; shares how he got to where so many of us want to be when it comes to fitness. If you're not already friends with him (he has more than 7,500 friends), then be sure to stop by his profile to request his friendship, and congratulate him on his amazing achievement.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Graham Hill, I live in Chicago, Illinois, and I own a delivery service.
How long have you been visiting Bodybuilding.com and using BodySpace?
I have been a BodySpace member for almost 3 years now.
What was it that made you decide to start focusing on your health and fitness?
I grew up heavily involved in sports and I have always looked up to athletes and the discipline in their training. When I stopped playing sports I was left with a void in my life and filled it by recreational weightlifting.
I was a small and skinny kid and I wanted to be big like the guys I looked up to. Looking good was my drive at first, but I learned to love the techniques bodybuilding and weightlifting taught me about how to push myself to the max.
I was a small and skinny kid and I wanted to be big like the guys I looked up to.
Do you compete or do you stay so dedicated for other reasons?
I have been competing for three years. I never thought I would be a bodybuilder without using steroids, but I put in the time anyway and kept my fingers crossed. After 8 years of training I finally felt ready to jump on stage.
Competing is one of the biggest reasons I train, but the desire of natural strength is what keeps me interested. Strength and vascularity are some of the greatest feelings in the world!
What is the most important thing you've learned since you started training?
I learned how to take myself out of my comfort zone. It was easy my first few years of training to go in the gym and do a bunch of exercises I excelled at and neglect the ones I found uncomfortable.
Hitting those weak points is what makes you a great bodybuilder and a dedicated weightlifter. Temporary pain and discomfort can lead to long-term satisfaction.
What is your favorite bodypart to train and why?
I love to train my legs and lower back. It's where I have the most room for improvement. Deadlifts are the rawest form of strength against gravity. Pulling that bar up my shins and over my knees is a huge adrenaline rush for me. I grip so tight the weight feels like a part of me.
Deadlift was one of my weakest lifts when I first started doing it and now it's my strongest.
I love to train my legs and lower back. It's where I have the most room for improvement.
What is the best fitness advice you could give to someone who is just starting?
Stay consistent with your dieting and training. I feel people worry too much about what they are doing wrong in the gym. Mistakes are going to be made, this isn't a sport you can dive head first into. You have to learn from your mistakes and by watching others who excel in weightlifting. There are so many factors going into every repetition, it takes time and patience to learn all the motions and exercises.
With bodybuilding and fitness there is always something to be thinking about inside and outside the gym. Do work when you're in there, eat well when you're out and recoup on your down time. Setting the stage for improvement in your physique is the biggest factor in achieving your goals.
How often do you treat yourself to a cheat food and what is your favorite?
I rarely use cheat foods. I always have a plan and food is my fuel. I love fruit and nuts; and yes sometimes I overindulge on both of those.
Why do you think Bodyspace would be beneficial to others?
BodySpace is such a great support group to have. Like-minded people with similar goals can trade and share techniques they have used to help each other. I searched for a long time for a website like BodySpace. Until I joined I never felt as appreciated as I do now and it gives me the drive to achieve my goals.
The site also supplies you with the tools you need to track your progress. If things aren't going well, it gives you a way to find solutions. If you're fitness minded then there is no reason you shouldn't have a BodySpace account.
BodySpace
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Join the largest online fitness communityWhat are your future fitness goals?
The sky is the limit. I want to be a successful bodybuilder and fitness model. I want to inspire more and more natural bodybuilders and show people why bodybuilding is one of the greatest sports ever invented.
In the gym I want to put up good numbers and reach my strength goals, improve my weak points and build my physique!
Is there anything you would like to say to your fellow BodySpace members?
Thank you. BodySpace members have had my back from day one. When I needed justification for bodybuilding, the BodySpace members were there and they believed in me. I might have never stepped on stage without the encouragement from this website.
I feel forever indebted to them, and to have the opportunity to repay them with the knowledge I have gathered along my journey and know it's going to have a positive impact on them is endlessly fulfilling. I feel a connection with all of them and our desire for long term self-improvement bands us together.