Real Talk, Self Image and How it Effects Me

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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Hey guys,

I know this will attract a crap load load of “trolling”., however it is something I think about everyday. You see , I feel for people to listen to you in this kind of industry, you have to really walk the walk of training. I used to hate to try to give advice because I felt like I honestly should not, even if I KNEW it was great advice.

It all started when I was younger, and became chronically sick, I lost all ability for any physical action until I was much older and much too late.

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I vomited every day , some days every meal. I could not hold my food, and if I did any form of exercise it just aggravated the stomach problem more and more. Eventually I had surgery to fix it , I could not throw up or even burp , therefore I could eat normally finally. At 6 feet 120lbs I was like a toothpick . By a scheduling mistake I was put into weight lifting class and first benched right at 100lbs. I was so jealous when I saw people bench 185, and was even told I would never bench 185. Within 4-5 months they guy who told me that was still benching 195 or so and I hit 200lbs before him. Within 9 months I did a 300lb bench, and when I graduated I was one of the top 5 strongest people at the entire high school.

But I was working on strength training with low reps with the football team ,so I was still just a pole that could bench 300-310 and squat around 375.

From there I got pretty chubby with my waist at 34-35 and kept strength training. Then one day I decided to train for appearance , become a trainer ,and give others the greatest gift I received , a healthy body.

Now I have come a long way , but still regularly feel out of place offering advice and training others. Even though this is what I eat and sleep everyday, I feel I just am not there yet myself. I constantly ask myself questions like

What can I tell people about getting bigger arms, mine are just at 17?
My bench is only 355, why can I offer advice on it?

I think because I was sick so long and knew I looked like a pole for years, my self esteem is low , it sometimes effects my teaching, and even my own training. But then I remember what my coach told me the first day I ever benched.

" In the end, it is not where you start that counts, it is how far you go"

So I go on, and on training, helping whoever I can and eating and breathing this.

Here is my progress so far…90% of the appearance change was done in the last year,

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Seriously though, really inspiring.

Hah, Only? I know some people can bench a lot more, but 355 is impressive none the less. Surely you can still learn from those who are bigger and stronger than you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any valuable insight of your own to offer.

I think self esteem takes some time to recover. I don’t know how long you’ve been awesome as opposed to sickly, but I think eventually you’ll start to believe your current reality as opposed to your past.

Also, I liked your debut(?) article on Serge Nubret’s training style. Really interesting stuff, I really love Nubret’s look. Hope to see more from you, and I hope you do take an active role in these forums - it’s nice to see the people that write these articles among the common people like us.

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See, I am a crappy writer too!!!

Just kidding, my self esteem is not like Jerry Springer bad, but it really bugs me some days. I do still learn everyday, and apply what I can to help others.

( I actually wrote affects the first time, however the thread did not go through, then I double posted it… )

Also thank you for the Serge Nubret article feedback. And I guarantee you as long as I write I will continue to post here haha. I feel it is my duty to completely discuss what I write, and it is my passion so I could discuss it all day every day.

My low self esteem may actually help my writing because for me to write about something I have to know I 100% believe what I type. I have taught the Nubret method of training many times locally ,and always received great feedback.

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What was the football lifting program? -that’s a pretty huge strength jump.

FYI I would say your Nubret article has got an above average response with some very advanced guys discussing it in that other thread.

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Really glad to hear that. Knowing your shit well definitely helps with the teaching process as well.

I really value information from people that practice what they preach and have good, consistent results to show for it. For example, I’m a really big fan of Shelby Starnes because I see pictures of his clients on Facebook all the time, and I see how ripped they get, how well they place, etc. etc. I listen to what he says because he’s fucking proven that he knows his shit.

Showing that you can get results and your word carries a lot more weight.

Do you have a website or anything by the way?

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[quote]RampantBadger wrote:
What was the football lifting program? -that’s a pretty huge strength jump.

FYI I would say your Nubret article has got an above average response with some very advanced guys discussing it in that other thread.[/quote]

Thanks, I was very happy with the response . I am honored to write here, and especially about Serge. I study oldschool training every day from legends like Reg Park, Steve Reeves, Leroy Colbert to Eugen Sandow. And of course Vince Gironda.

The program was really something If I read it I would not say " That is effective " . We did upper body M, W and F and lower body Tuesday and Thursday. We pyramided every worlout up and down. The % we worked off was always decided by our coach and I could never remember it. I think it may have gotten me used to higher volume training though.

Completey strength based .( low reps, high %, speed work ect)

I want to get 405 bench now and would use it again anytime.

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[quote]anonanon wrote:

Really glad to hear that. Knowing your shit well definitely helps with the teaching process as well.

I really value information from people that practice what they preach and have good, consistent results to show for it. For example, I’m a really big fan of Shelby Starnes because I see pictures of his clients on Facebook all the time, and I see how ripped they get, how well they place, etc. etc. I listen to what he says because he’s fucking proven that he knows his shit.

Showing that you can get results and your word carries a lot more weight.

Do you have a website or anything by the way?[/quote]

Thank you. And unfortunately I do not yet. I add a lot of fitness oriented people on facebook however.

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Really inspiring! Great job. I started lifting again a year ago, after having to stop for a year because of injuries. I was wondering if any veteran here could help me on what part I should focus on, and what would be the best way to practice…I really want to compete in fitness, I’m having trouble finding someone to give me starting advice.

Regards,
GHG

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Really inspiring! Great job. I started lifting again a year ago, after having to stop for a year because of injuries. I was wondering if any veteran here could help me on what part I should focus on, and what would be the best way to practice…I really want to compete in fitness, I’m having trouble finding someone to give me starting advice.

Regards,
GHG

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[quote]icelandgh wrote:
Really inspiring! Great job. I started lifting again a year ago, after having to stop for a year because of injuries. I was wondering if any veteran here could help me on what part I should focus on, and what would be the best way to practice…I really want to compete in fitness, I’m having trouble finding someone to give me starting advice.

Regards,
GHG[/quote]

If you want my opinion

Start slow.

Listen more them you talk, watch more then you do and learn more then you teach. Do what routines give YOU results and you ENJOY the time you take to build your body the way you want. When training becomes stale and results slow , decrease the volume a while , you will want to hit it hard again soon enough . We all go through plateaus, consider it a blessing, you wil get more and more effectient dealing with them if you just press on.

And never let anyone tell you your limits or how low to set your goals. I was lucky I didn’t believe the guy who told me id never bench 185. Now yearly I max out on that just to see how wrong he was. I did it 36 times this year. 36 more times then I could when I THOUGHT about giving up.

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this is such an inspiration,you did a great job.I am also 6 feet tall and started at 127.people called me a skinny kid who would never get anywhere in lifting when I was in the 130-160 marker.

within 1.5 years I got to 210 pounds and nobody could believe it. keep up the good work dude,you are a testament and I’m mirin the bench

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Posts in here too long brag

You look good though.

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[quote]Ethan7X wrote:
this is such an inspiration,you did a great job.I am also 6 feet tall and started at 127.people called me a skinny kid who would never get anywhere in lifting when I was in the 130-160 marker.

within 1.5 years I got to 210 pounds and nobody could believe it. keep up the good work dude,you are a testament and I’m mirin the bench[/quote]

Thanks and congratulations on your own journey.

I plan to get 405 bench soon.

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Haha, this reminds me of when I was benching 115 and was told I’d never hit 185…
Highschool days !, Great story though your jumps were definitely way bigger than mine, glad everything’s improved for you.

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Ha high school days indeed bro, funny times but it taught me a lot. My first year I trained with the new lifters , but the second year I got invited to train with the varsity football team every morning even though I was still too sick to actually play football.

I appreciate everyone’s positive remarks , and really think I have grown a lot mentally just since joining T-Nation. I really wanted to get this off my chest as it has been there so long and here seemed a like the most mature place to do it.

I have always been a insanely positive person so I am sure no one locally has even seen that side of my training woes, and it felt releasing to talk about it. Locally I actually get really positive feedback from family , friends and people I never met if I wear something like a tank top . It feels good to have came so far and i just hope I can give others the same experience. I am training a good bit of people locally and enjoy every second of it.

My first priority as a trainer is to awake the underlying passion for training in people . Thus giving them a real reason to stay motivated, because passion breeds enthusiasm ; and enthusiasm is the largest driving force to success.

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I really loved your nubret article! and your humble beginning really is an inspiration. i didnt start out too great myself(was fat but strong) and just like you, i had the desire to improve. the extreme volume type training is something I never tried and am looking forward to try in the future.