My Background & High School Sports

Hi my name is John, and I'm here to share my fitness journey. I started lifting dumbbells and doing various calisthenics exercises when I was 12. I didn't get a gym membership until I was 15. However, I ran track in high school which kept me very thin, and I wasn't able to build very much lean muscle due to all of the 2 a day running workouts I was doing. I actually planned on running track in college, but in the back of my mind I knew I was destined to be very muscular. I got a scholarship offer to a Division 2 school in California. I ran the 400m dash and my fastest time (49 sec. relay split/50 sec. dead start) was already faster than the fastest kid on their collegiate team. However, the college I ended up getting academically accepted into had one of the best track teams in the nation. I would have to run a 48 from a dead start (very hard) just to walk on to the team. I was on track to make that time by the end of the season. Unfortunately, I went to ride jet skis at a lake the weekend before my end of year District meet and somehow strained a muscle near my hamstring. I decided to race anyways injured. I ran the race and felt like I was going to tear out my hamstring the whole time. I ended up running a 52 in my last race, 4 seconds more than my desired 48. I was pretty devastated at the time. I remember going back to the locker room and just collapsing into tears, it was over. I was in a state of depression for a little while that my track career would be cut short. On the positive side, I was excited I could pursue lifting and bodybuilding full time. I was starting from humble beginnings at 6 foot and only 150 lbs. at very low 7-8% BF.

See how skinny I was:

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Bodybuilding & College

After my senior year of high school, the summer prior to starting college, I immediately started lifting very heavy in the gym. I was able to eat well and not burn off a ton of calories from all the cardio I used to be doing. After a lot of eating and dieting I was able to put on a lot of “noob gains” (easy fast ways that beginners get when working out). I gained about 25 pounds after about a year months to 175 lbs. I got a ton of attention from girls that I had never gotten before. I finally look normal. Everyone constantly referred to me as the "jacked guy" or the "ripped kid with the 6 pack". It felt good for a while, and I was enjoying the lifestyle. As you can see below I was gaining a good amount of muscle tone and size, excuse the weird hair!:

Then the gains started coming more slowly…
For about 3 years I worked out consistently and wasn’t super strict on my diet, yet after 3 years I weighed around 190 pounds. I had put on a lot more muscle. I was probably around 10% BF.

Then about a year and a half ago I lost my workout motivation and lost about 15 pounds of muscle and starting getting a beer belly. I wasn’t very committed anymore, didn’t eat properly, and started to binge drink and started going clubbing a lot.

Post College

So here I was about 5 years later: 170 lbs. and 16% BF. I used to be very “jacked” according to all of my college friends and girls. That’s who I was only known as, “the ripped kid with a 6-pack”. Now I just looked like a washed up frat guy. In July 2017, I was at a friend’s lake house and every guy there was muscular and in shape and had pretty girlfriends. I wasn’t muscular like I used to be and I was single. I knew I didn’t want to continue my unhealthy physique and lifestyle I was currently in. A fire was lit under me, and I knew when I got back home I wanted to get in shape again.

From July 2017 on I have been training 5 days a week at a gym, hitting all my macros daily, meal prepping, and cutting back big time on the alcohol. I believe in targeting the muscle groups you need the most work on. For me my shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, and forearms are large and don’t need as much focus. To complete a good physique I really need to work on my upper chest/chest, trapezoids, and legs. I’ve curtailed my workout below. Hitting the muscles I need to improve 2x a week, my strong muscles only 1x a week, and still maintaining healthy rest for muscle growth.

Monday: Shoulders/Trapezoids/Legs
Tuesday: Chest/Abs
Wednesday: Legs/Forearms
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Back/Bis/Abs
Saturday: Chest/Trapezoids
Sunday: Rest

I am now 185 lbs. and roughly 9% BF. I aim to be 195 lbs. at the same BF by the end of 2018. I also want to compete in a Men’s Physique show like I have always wanted to. There is one this summer in Texas, and I want to be in competition shape by then. I know it can be attained naturally. I am in the best shape I have ever been. I am so glad I made the conscious choice to switch back to the “aesthetic lifestyle”. I feel better than ever and everyone is noticing, my friends, family, and girls ;).

Showing Off The Beach Body :)

A nice conclusion to my story: recently I went on vacation with 2 friends to Cancun, Mexico. This place is filled with hot young singles from all over the world. I had my shirt off most of the time and was absorbing a nice tan. Any time I would walk into an area everyone would turn their heads. I was getting female attention every day and met a ton of different European Women and South American women. Girls there would constantly compliment and called me nick names such as “Adonis”, “Baywatch”, and “Ken Doll”. And the rest is history…

Conclusion

I hope sharing my personal story will motivate and light a fire under you to work out and change your life! I will be regularly posting my diet here and workouts that I do. I want to interact with this community to both motivate you guys about my journey and also to keep myself accountable!! I hope you can relate or learn something from my story. Perseverance, consistency, and hard work paid off for me. I put a lot effort and time into this blog, so I hope you appreciate it and please comment or upvote!