I was a troubled eater as an early teenager. I never wanted to eat and my body suffered from the habit. I always had headaches and only weighed 105 pounds as a freshman and sophomore in high school. At age 15 and 16, I thought I had to deal with it. My body was fragile and I got hurt constantly playing sports from being pushed around. I grew tired of my constant excuses and decided to do something about my body.
I wanted to be normal. I was friends with guys who were into bodybuilding and they taught me everything I know. They encouraged me to start lifting and eating more. I became an average high school sophomore, filled out to 140 pounds, and people took notice. But I wanted more. I didn't want to be average.
The fact that I can always improve drives me to get better. There is no limit that can be reached. There are always ways to challenge the body and force it to adapt and evolve. This is why I love bodybuilding. It's a big community of people with the same values and ideas. The fact that the people in this community view hard work as art is fascinating, and I can relate to the idea. The drive to constantly improve my body and add to the aesthetics of my artwork is what drives me day in and day out.
The feeling you get after a hard workout and the feeling you get at the end of the day knowing you ate well. These two things motivate me to do what I do and now they are habit. Of course, the magazines and bodybuilders in the spotlight are extremely motivating too. I want to know what it feels like to be in the spotlight and have people look up to me. A friend of mine, who's a bodybuilder, is a huge motivator.
My main source of inspiration is online videos. Clips of famous bodybuilders working out are a great way to get me going on a day that I feel like doing nothing. If that doesn't work, I add some pump-up music to those videos so I can get extra motivated. As a last resort, I will watch videos online with pump up music while drinking some kind of pre-workout. The sensation usually forces me to get up and do something.
I plan to compete in July. I'm getting ready for the Branch Warren Classic right now. I will be competing in the teen division. After that, I hope I have enough time for another competition before I turn 20 years old in November. Once I'm 20, I don't plan on slowing down. I will continue doing what I do and make more gains. I will compete as soon as I finish an off-season and see where it goes from there. I would also like to do photo shoots. I want to start off small, but hopefully the photo shoots can turn into magazine articles.
The idea behind bodybuilding is consistency. If you aren't consistent in all aspects of bodybuilding then you aren't seeing your full potential. These aspects include extreme workouts, dieting before a contest and in the off-season, and getting enough rest. Everything must be in balance so you can be confident.
Antoine Vaillant. I look up to him because he reminds me of myself. Everyone tells me that he's me only grown up. He's a serious bodybuilder and trains hard, but he still knows how to have fun and be silly. He does things I would and I like his attitude.
The articles are extremely helpful when I browse through them. They provide random information that I incorporate into my lifestyle. Supplements are a huge part of my regimen and Bodybuilding.com provides that. My favorite and most helpful aspect is the forums. It's so helpful to have other weightlifters in the same age group to talk to. I like to interact with others and read what they have to say. There is a forum for literally everything if you search for it. The member count is so high someone is bound to have had the same question as you.