I was in 9 grade gym class and we were doing basic bench and squat. Immediately this 150 pound freshman was benching more than his body weight. I immediately fell in love. I started sports just to workout and understand exercises. Could care less about football or track. Then as a senior I went from 200 pound bench to breaking the record at 295lbs at 175 body weight.
I studied exercise science, sport management and adaptive training. This helped me become extremely knowledgeable in the field. I pursued powerlifting and with totals nearly 1500 lbs but injury after injury I needed a change. then physique and bodybuilding came in. This was a little easier on the body. But actually taking the time to heal and understand the body mechanics and patients I needed would get me there.
Finally in Florida I found a gym, a coach, and a lifestyle I wanted to pursue. I was cut and lean then I got another set back. My arm was going numb, I couldn’t rotate my forearm. A cyst was forming inside my elbow joint and needed surgery. As I focused on legs and cardio for 4 months along with personal life stress of a dying relationship and working on a promotion I went from 200 lbs of lean muscle to 180.
Then I got the flu. Dropped another 10 pounds. Finally had surgery and he moved my bicep Brachialis and told me a 6 week recovery time. That muscle took 5 months to heal properly. Through that extremely difficult time in my life I used my stress and put into the books of nutrition to learn the way these bodybuilders eat, train, recover and get lean muscle. It was a tough point in my life, but that athlete, that never quit attitude, the inner strength we all have to find was found in the toughest, hardest time in my life. My focus was on my body and my physique and I don’t think I would’ve ever got to this point if I did not suffer through the injuries and emotional stress that I went through in the last 2 years.
You need to focus on you and your health. Sometimes you have to be crushed to realize that you can actually do some of the hardest crap out there. You just have to convince your mind you can get through and make it out of top.
