Body Transformation: Newfound Power

The pressure to lose weight drove Idean to anorexia at age 13. With help from Bodybuilding.com, he added 20 pounds of lean muscle mass in three years and helped countless others!

Name: Idean Aminian
Email: IdeanAminian@gmail.com
BodySpace: Aminian

Idean Aminian Idean Aminian
AGE 13
HEIGHT
5'6"
WEIGHT
210 lbs
BODY FAT
32%
AGE 16
HEIGHT
5'10"
WEIGHT
166 lbs
BODY FAT
11%

Why I Decided to Transform

Before I fell into bodybuilding, I woke up one morning at age 13 and looked at my reflection. I was absolutely horrified at what I saw. I didn't pay attention to my eating as a kid and got pretty fat because of it. I couldn't even look at myself. Then something switched in my head.

During the next eight months, I went from a chunky 210-pound, 5-foot-6 kid to a 150-pound, 5-foot-7 1/2 teen. I was losing weight, but had no idea what I was doing to myself. I was falling into anorexia and starved myself throughout the day to get lean. Without much muscle tissue, I got sick constantly.

At 145 pounds, I found bodybuilding. I was 14, and my life changed at that point. I started lifting by following simple workouts I saw on Bodybuilding.com and fell in love with the iron. I got stronger consistently and started building an awesome physique. The Zen I experienced during those first few sessions was incomparable to anything I experienced. It was life-saving and I fell in love with clean eating and training.

I put on more than 20 pounds of lean muscle in about three months, dropped my body fat from 18 to 14 percent, and went from 145 to 165 pounds. I felt stronger, more energized, and more alive in every sense of the word. However, as all bodybuilders discover, this sport comes with trial and error, and you will hit error at times. I decided to bulk up to 195 pounds—a 30-pound gain in five months—that winter and failed horrendously.

My physique put on lots of fat and gained minimal muscle. Suddenly, I was on another mission to fix my body. I got back down to 160 pounds, leaner and bigger than ever, with cuts I never knew existed in some areas by using Kris Gethin's 12-Week Hardcore Trainer. It's the most structured step-by-step program on Bodybuilding.com.

The lesson I want give everyone is to work hard, have lots of fun, and don't rush. At this point, I'm applying myself to become a fitness guru and hopefully one day a world-renowned personal trainer. Before I fell into bodybuilding, my past always played around with me. I didn't do well in school and was going down the wrong path. I was lost and could've easily fallen into drugs and alcohol. My first lifting sessions weren't just endorphin-crazed experiences; they gave me a newfound sense of purpose. I knew it was something I could do to better myself and those around me.

Bodybuilding brought me back, and it's motivating me to get better grades so I can specialize in sports medicine. It also saved my friends from their obesity problems. It took a little pushing and tugging to get hykopsyco and ChaggaSwagga to the gym, but once we started working out they got to safe ground.

How I Accomplished my Goals

Focusing on your goals is extremely important to being successful in bodybuilding and life. I never lost sight of my goals no matter what. I woke up an hour early, prepared my meals, took them to school, and got laughed at for it, but I never gave in to the people who doubted me. I always made sure to tell everyone, especially my close friends, about my goals so I would stay accountable.

During my winter bulk, about six months into training, I put on fat because I wasn't dieting or training correctly. I was also diagnosed with a sickness that kept me down and pushed me to the edge. There was guy on one shoulder telling me to quit and another guy on the other shoulder telling me to keep going. It was a tough, but I broke through it. This sport isn't for the weak. I have seen many people give up or lose sight of their goals even with my help.

A lot of inspiration comes from my dad and his "no bull" attitude. My inspiration also comes from evaluating my weaknesses and turning them into strengths. I entered the Border States Classic in the Men's Physique teen division and placed second out of four. I will never forget that day. The feeling that someone was better than me lit a fire under me, and now it's burning with one sole purpose: be better.

What Aspect Challenged Me the Most

Every time I looked in the mirror, a great anger sparked within me. I knew I was better than that. To get competition ready, I had to be on point with everything and still keep my priorities in order.

I overcame it by looking in the mirror, getting fired up to change, and accomplishing my goals. Life is not all bodybuilding. I have to stay well-rounded and find the balance between passion, family, and friends.

My Future Fitness Plans

Competing opened up a new world to me and I'm more motivated than ever. I'm training and dieting hard to become a teen physique champion in the United States. I want to enter a natural bodybuilding show when I grow more. Being 16 is exciting because there are no limits to my mind.

I want to get into the fitness industry and be known worldwide for my training techniques and sports science credentials. I'm going after my Ph.D in sports injury/medicine.

I hired pro natural bodybuilder Paul Revelia to guide my journey throughout natural bodybuilding and physique.

Suggestions for Aspiring Transformers
  • Make it fun.
  • Don't get discouraged if you're not getting anywhere. Rome wasn't built in a day.
  • You will always have weaknesses, but work hard and you will benefit.
  • Keep your head up and stay true to yourself. Hit me up on BodySpace for support.
  • Be better than you were yesterday.
How Bodybuilding.com Helped Me Reach My Goals

Bodybuilding.com is the whole reason I'm here today. Bodybuilding.com is where I learned the basics to exercise. The forums, articles, and programs are the best hands down. No matter what your goals are, there's a place for you on Bodybuilding.com.

Thanks

I want to thank my family, my best friends, and my girlfriend for being extremely supportive and helping me out every day. I hope one day I can do the same for you.