I started 2 yrs ago at 6"3, 165 lbs and 15% body fat. Now im 6"3 175lbs, and 11% body fat doesn’t sound like much, but my bench press has gone from 85lbs to 225lbs, my squat from 230lbs, to 420lbs. Going from not being able to do a chin up, to 15 in a row. DOn’t be embarased about starting low I started training my roomate this year, his bench was 40lbs, I can’t imagine how he felt benching the bar and needing help with the lat rep, his squat and dead lift were equaly dismal but he stuck with it, his numbers now bench 135, squats 235, deadlift, 250.
Feb '05 275 lbs 5’11 at age 28. Couple of reasons why I started, one was to impress a girl (didn’t happen), but I continued anyway because it’s interesting. Another reason was because at one point I started realizing that I was having trouble walking up one flight of stairs. Now, I can run up two flight of stairs in 5 seconds. Would be out of breath, but I could recover within 30 seconds. Other reason was to get my butt away from a computer.
I’m down to 260 lbs now, and generally find myself a lot stronger now as well as being a lot more fit. It’s a great feeling to be playing half-court basketball and not be wheezing on the floor by the 7th point.
Started at age 24 was, 150lbs at 5’11" after 10 years of playing tennis through high school and college. Not sure what got me into it, but my roommate critisized me when I first started and I just kept going at it though.
At 24, I worked out for 1 1/2yrs got up to 180 and then got into whitewater kayaking… didn’t touch a weight until a little over a year later and then got back into it for 1 year and then took another year off, then now I’m back training for 5 months now and am 185 5’11" and 9%bf and going strong thanks to T-Nation.
Starting age: 18
Height: 5’9’’
Weight: 108lbs
Makkun
[quote]Keith Wassung wrote:
a kickass post
[/quote]
That’s an awesome story. Thanks for letting us in on it.
I feel like I’m constantly a beginner. So asking where I began is a bit of a misnomer. I begin every day I get up to do battle with the iron.
No matter how strong I get, or how lean, or whatever, it seems like someone else is always stronger/leaner/whatever. So my goals keep receeding no matter how advanced I get. There’s always something more for the iron to give to you.
Dan “beginner” McVicker
Started- Age 14, 130 lbs, 5’8"
Now- Age 15, 184 lbs, 6’1"
I started because I remember when I was a lot smaller, my dad was into the whole body building thing, he was huge, ripped… and he was happy. Then he just quit and he got bigger and bigger, and not in the muscular way. Then he wasn’t happy anymore. So, I was only 12 years old, and I was about 4’9" and really really fat, so I decided to start playing football for my junior high. I started getting in better shape just from the cardio and practice, then I started getting better at the game. The next year, I started on the team, then my coach told me about lifting weights. So I started light, at home… doing a lot of push ups and curls, french curls, and over head db presses with the one set of 15 lb dumb bells i had. I started to get into really good shape then, and I thought wow. Then, I had surgery… which was a huge set back, I lost a good forty pounds bc of my lack of eating due to the surgery. After that, I joined a gym, and got my dad who still remembered his old exercises to help me write a program. Then about three months after I joined my gym, I saw the biggest guy there wearing one of the black Testosterone shirts… which made me wonder. And I asked the guy who works at my gym what it meant. he explained and told me about this sight, then my training has really taken off.
-CJ
18 years old, 5’9, 130 pounds maybe 1% body fat (I was a skinny bastard!). Now I’m 22, 5’9, and 170ish pounds. Mass quantities of beer and booze in college probably acounted for 10 pounds of fat and a lot of lost progress though… damnit, but I’m back on track!
Okay, here’s my story…
When I started playing basketball in junior high, I kicked my butt working out…practicing, running flights of steps, riding my bike. However, I was young and didn’t know much about nutrition, so I didn’t have the body that I wanted and was self-conscious throughout junior high and high school up until my junior year. That year, I learned a lot about nutrition and totally changed the way I ate. I also began to exercise differently. I did mostly calisthenics every night on the floor of my bedroom and then began running long distances. By my senior year, I had lost 30lbs and was on the cross country team. Unfortunately, I took this transformation too far. Without going too much into detail, I literally almost ran myself to death. I was a weak skeleton and couldn’t play basketball my senior year because of health concerns.
I had to stop running and had to start eating more, but my metabolism was shot from what I had put myself through. Therefore, I gained a lot of fat mass back very quickly and, once again, was not happy with my body.
Luckilly, when I came to college last year, I met an exercise science major and T-Nation member who directed my attention towards strength training and the world of training and nutrition information here on T-Nation. (As a nutrition/dietetics major, this site is right up my alley!) To make a long story short, we hooked up :), and he his helping me train safely and effectively. He has also changed my perception of beauty; I no longer desire to be so thin that a strong breeze could crack my frame in half. I love feeling strong and healthy, knowing that my hardwork is really helping, not hurting.
I’ve experienced the highs and lows of good and bad nutrition and exercise…It’s been a winding road, but I am very excited about where it’s headed.
Any notice that just about everyone here is short, and didn’t grow after they started lifting?
That kinda creeps me out.
[quote]PiracyPatrick wrote:
Since I’m just starting, and I got a lot of ground to cover, just wondering where all of you started at and why you decided to work out. I’m 16 145lbs and 5 foot 6. Looking to get stronger for 1) Of course to be healthier and 2) Sounds corny, but yeah to help out people that get picked on. Sounds cheesy, whatever. Hate seeing when people get made fun of so hardcore they cry. Especially relatives.[/quote]
Hey PiracyPatrick, I started with a broomstick with two gallons of water (old milk jugs) because I was picked on by highschool freshmen when I was in sixth grade, (I was 6’3" @ 145 lbs.) So I too stand up for the underdogs!!
I started as a fat kid in middle school. Well, okay, I didn’t start training then, although when I putzed around in the weight room I tried to keep up with the big kids (and was sometimes able). Then puberty happened, and I was all of a sudden on the weak end of the spectrum again, weighing a MASSIVE 135lbs at 5’10".
Being the genious that I then was, I thought it would be a good idea to wrestle my junior year, so I started running distance to “get myself in shape.” I then wrestled at a svelte 130 and couldn’t figure out why I kept getting my ass kicked. So, I set out to find information from sources outside of my coach.
From here I discovered the question and answer board of Fred Hatfield, one of the smartest men to ever get under the bar. I took a lot from his work and from asking questions (I remember when CT used to post there!! A big help to many even then), eventually stumbling onto this site in its infancy (I think issue 28? Or is that adolescence?) and taking a lot of information that I didn’t understand.
This led me to try to figure out how to understand it, and, long story short, I’m finishing up a degree in exercise science with plans to go for a masters in kinesiology. I’m at 210lbs (appx same bodyfat as 130) now and competing in strongman after catching the bug from the TPS guys.
And now I spend WAY too much time on these forums when I should be writing the literature review for my upcoming study…
-Dan
[quote]jerry lamb wrote:
PiracyPatrick wrote:
Since I’m just starting, and I got a lot of ground to cover, just wondering where all of you started at and why you decided to work out. I’m 16 145lbs and 5 foot 6. Looking to get stronger for 1) Of course to be healthier and 2) Sounds corny, but yeah to help out people that get picked on. Sounds cheesy, whatever. Hate seeing when people get made fun of so hardcore they cry. Especially relatives.
I was 14 years old when I first started playing around with weight training. I was 15 when I got involved in my first structured weightlifting program. Both were because I was playing football. The first was voluntary, the second was mandatory if I wanted to play ball.
In 1981, at 15 y.o., I was 6’3" and 165lbs at around 16% to 17% BF. By the time I graduated high school, I was 6’4", but 220lbs at 12% BF. By the time I finished playing football in college, I was same height, but 240lbs at roughly 12% BF. Currently, I’m 39 years old, still 6’4", usually between 265lbs and 275lbs and still at about 12% to 13% BF. Since 1998 I have been focusing primarily on powerlifting training, but I watch what I take in nutritionally very closely.
I encourage you strongly to concentrate on using compound movements (Bench Press, Deadlift, Squat, Overhead Press, Barbell Rows, Dips and Pullups)and to eat as much good food (milk, eggs, chichen, fish, lean beef, sweet potatoes, etc) as you possibly can, while avoiding fried foods, soft drinks and fast foods.
Stay focused and be disciplined and you can accomplish amazing things with your body. Good Luck!!
Jerry
[/quote]
What do you mean by compound excersizes?
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=326945
That’s the story in detail but the Cliff Notes would read:
19yo: 5’2", 110lbs, 11%BF. Had been training with/dating a competitive BBer for about 4 months at that time and had planned to compete in the Emerald Cup in another 3 months. I have no idea where I was prior to that.
Life altering changes led to…
24yo: 194lbs and unknown BF. Started water aerobics and lifting, lost a lot, gained a lot back over the next few years.
I think I was 29 when I posted that thread, details inside.
Currently: 31yo, 134lbs and ~20%BF. Just started training, dieting, logging after a 2 year hiatus.
Goals: 124lbs, 14%BF. To actually do/know/have PR’s and 1RM’s and then increase them.