I’m a 43 y/o Homo sapien. Started lifting and wrasslin’ age 10-11. I grew up in small mountain towns in Oregon and (mostly) Idaho after being born in the furnace called Phoenix. My folks both have Master’s degrees but my dad’s job necessitated country living.
My earliest memories are hunting, fishing, and cutting firewood with my dad.
Growing up, I took every hard job I could find. We always had manual labor on our property but I took jobs on ranches, eventually logging and wildland firefighting to pay for college.
I observed, quite early in the Iron Game, I was unlikely to have the genetic potential for bodybuilding. My dad is 6’1", brothers are both over 6 foot, mom and sister 5’9"-5’10". I ended up 5’7" but I’m not the classic fire plug. People think I’m taller because I’m broad shouldered and narrow hipped. Its the German/Austrian side I take after
I did discover I had good potential for strength. As a freshman in high school wrestling in the 119-lb class, I was deadlifting 315 for 5x5 and could nearly out bench most Seniors.
I was a decent wrestler winning districts my first 2 years, lettering my freshman year, but never pulled off the “big time” i.e. placing at the State comp. It was mental. 100%. And it still haunts me because I feel it reflects in a deeper character flaw.
I’ve faced down 300 lb predatory black bear and was EXCITED to scrap but I couldn’t pull out that mental win against my human opponents.
Off the mat, I have a killers instinct. On the mat, I think I always felt “I don’t deserve it”. I was born this way. My parents are wonderful people that did not contribute to this mentality.
I was obsessed with having proper technique and tracking my progress via log book starting age 11. I spent hours going over bodybuilding books, magazines designing programs with pen and pad.
I don’t remember my high school competitive powerlifts well but they were around 225-lb bench, 365 deadlift, and, yes, 225 lb squat (long femurs are my bane in life). I was 135 lbs day of comp.
I got Pavel Tsatsolines first book "Power to the People " when it was released around 2000. My freshman year of college. It literally changed everything for me in training.
I became obsessed with old time lifts, kettlebells, minimalist heavy daily training, and Olympic lifting (thanks to the Ironmind journals).
The strength coach at my college saw me training and he also competed. He took me under his wig and my obsession with Olympic lifting was now full bore at 17-18.
I did…ok for a 90% self taught lifter. I believe my best lifts were at 169-lbs with 140 kg C&K, 115 kg snatch. Not great but I loved the sport. Injuries and becoming a single parent at 25 ended that.
When the routine settled with my boy and I, I re-entered powerlifting ending at age 30 with more injuries. I managed a 535 deadlift (raw), 300 lb (raw)/365 lb (single ply) bench, and 405 (raw), 475 (single ply) squat in the 165 lb class.
I competed up to the 198’s but never got the strength increase I expected. I WAS a beast at 198 lbs Olympic lifting in regards to all around strength. I could behind the neck jerk 165 kg, deadlift 500 lbs with no warmup, jump onto kitchen counters flat footed, etc.
After “retiring”, I never let up on training but it just became "be as strong AND athletic as possible "…without breaking my body again.
Age 39, I achieved my second most muscular physique with sub-20% bodyfat at 200 lbs using “The Best Damn…” series. I ate 6 meals per day, walked 5 miles/day, and trained 6 days per week without "enhancement " to get there
Today, I’m an aging but spry primate. I started TRT for hypogonadism 9-10 months ago. One of my “boys” gave up the ghost d/t an anatomical defect. 100 mg/week. No "blasting and cruising ".
Current stats:
Bdywt: 185 lbs, sub-20% bdyfat. Just above 15% on Inbody.
Ht: still 5’7"
Training: 3x/week rotating Push/Pull. 2 weeks ago, added 10-15 minute HIIT sessions on off days to trim the fat a bit.
Goals: strength and muscle as I age. I want to be the capable man I’ve been trying to be my whole life. I deep country elk and bear hunt every year for 2-3 weeks straight. Solo.
I NEED to come back to my son and wife so my mentality is “be hard to kill”.
Training session pending…and a horrible picture of my back at 200-lb bodyweight 4 years ago.