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| AGE 15 HEIGHT 5'10" WEIGHT 133 lbs BODY FAT 10% |
AGE 17 HEIGHT 6' WEIGHT 182 lbs BODY FAT 7% |
Why I Got Started
Growing up I was always the tallest kid; very tall and very skinny. I spent a lot of time running, competing as a sprinter in many different competitions while also playing Sunday league football for my local club. Being a very active kid I was insanely fit, because of this I became incredibly 'ripped,' especially for my age; skinny, but incredibly defined. I maintained this level of 'ripped-ness' as I matured, but still I was skinny with 'noodle arms.'
At age 13 I started dating a girl much older than myself, her being 16 at the time. Crazy right? At first this was great, for the first year or so, but her being much older than me meant that her male peers had twice the size of my body; they were obviously much older and regular gym goers. This got me down somewhat; I couldn't see her wanting to stay with when she was to start college.
Around age 14 I decided I would start to work out. Not really having a clue what to do, I quickly became discouraged when the press-ups and pull-ups were showing little gains, blaming it all on my 'skinny' genetics!
After speaking to a family member, who was an ex-pro bodybuilder and shot putter, I discovered that at age 14 I was way too young and lacked the knowledge to start working out with weights and that I should still stick to the push-ups and pull-ups, as these would increase my strength and build the foundations for serious weightlifting. He also informed me that I should wait until I was 16 before I joined a gym and started to take things seriously.
He did this for one girl, but will attract hundreds!
I took these words and not before long my 16th birthday came around and my parents bought me a 12-month contract at my local gym as a birthday present. Here I had a meeting with one of the gym instructors, creating a gym routine, which I would use for the months ahead to try and build some decent muscle in my first year of body training. This year proved to be successful, in that I gained more than a stone worth of solid, lean muscle.
After the year had gone by I reviewed my progress and what I could do to further increase my gains. Throughout the year I learned many things, different workouts, etc.
How I Did It
Motivation. I never lost it. No matter how demotivated I was feeling about my 'little gains,' I made sure I kept at it, because I knew the moment I stopped I would never reach my goals and gain anything; everything I was working for would have been a waste of time!
For the past two years I have trained heavy and hard; six gym sessions per week, pressing as heavy as I could. I have also incorporated a diet that works perfectly for me, allowing me to stay lean year-round while also gaining muscle at the same time. Diet has been all important in my lean muscle gains.
Suggestions For Others
My one suggestion would be to understand that change doesn't come overnight. It takes hard work, determination and discipline. If you have these three elements you can transform your body; just be patient!