I started working out on January 10th of 2006 after glancing in the mirror one
day and really disliking what I saw. I simply decided that after studying and
understanding what makes a �ehardgainer,�f there would be no short-circuiting
my pulling the trigger, putting my head down, and getting to work.
I took before photos with my digital camera and was so discouraged that I�fve
buried the file
I started working out on January 10th of 2006 after glancing in the mirror one
day and really disliking what I saw. I simply decided that after studying and
understanding what makes a �ehardgainer,�f there would be no short-circuiting
my pulling the trigger, putting my head down, and getting to work.
I took before photos with my digital camera and was so discouraged that I�fve
buried the file somewhere so I didn�ft have to look at it. It didn�ft, however,
discourage me from starting or sticking with my plans.
After the photos, I weighed myself, measured parts and body fat, went to my
gym and got my bearings on where I was at, what I could lift wisely, and
determined where I wanted to land at the end of all of this. I even decided to
find some photos of other guys with results within my body height/weight
ratio. That is, goals I hoped to one day gain, long-shot though it seemed.
I�fm 42 years old and have always had a lean build with all the trappings, not
least which is being able to �eeat whatever I wanted.�f You know the story�c
though I could eat anything, there is a wide chasm between that and eating
wisely and on purpose such that it works with the body to build and improve.
I office at home and realized that I had the means and, now that my three
young children are in school all day everday, the time to hit the gym three
mornings a week and see what I could truly achieve if I truly tried.
I started at 5�Œ9" 139# and 12% bodyfat. Chest was 38.5, waist was 29, biceps
12, thighs 20.
Somewhere in here I lost track of where I started and just looked ahead and
allowed this to be a slow build.
Today I�fm 160#, 7% body fat, 30 waist, 41 chest, 14.5 biceps, 22 thighs. I
can�ft tell anyone here anything you all don�ft already know: the benefits of
eating properly and working out intensely have done more for me inwardly
and outwardly than I anticipated.
Nevertheless, somewhere in the jounrey I lost track of wanting to look like
some guy I thought was way out of reach physically, and set my sites on
myself and the goals I would set and achieve, and then set them a little higher
and then a little higher still. Next thing I knew I looked up and went, �eoh
man�cI did it.�f It�fs taken me a while to believe people�fs comments but unless
they�fre all in league making it up, I have decided that I really did work really
hard and really have gotten really cut.
I honestly think one of my best assets was that I didn�ft know I didn�ft know it
isn�ft typically like this. I mean, I studied the ectomorph body type, got the
supplements, took all the measurements, took a before photo, beat myself
up for a good hour and a half because I really despised what I saw and how I
felt�cand then I just put my head down and got to work. Only in the
beginning, and far too often I think, did I weigh myself and constantly
measure. I think that was working against me and I realized I was going to
more or less micromanage any improvements.
I can�ft say enough for researching the why and wherefore on proper diet,
regime, and supplements; I stuck to it pretty strictly and had (have) the luxury
of incredibly consistent time to work out.
When I started experiencing gains I think the momentum just built and built
and I soon stopped weighing and measuring constantly and leveraged how
good I felt inside and out into continuing on.
The hardest part was shaving my chest and stomach and underarms for the
photo lol. My wife prefers a hairy chest�cwhich made me laugh. �eI lol don�ft
HAVE a hairy chest, honey. I have SOME hair ON my chest. There�fs a big
difference.�f �eWell�cwhatever you call it, don�ft shave it off anymore.�f
Sigh. �eAlright, honey.�f
