I looked at myself in the mirror and disapeared when I turned to the side (except for my disproportionately large head, but that’s another story).
I started out my fitness journey at about 120lbs. I was a rail.
I took it as a point of pride that I was “defined,” but I was really just ultra-skinny. I had low body fat, but that’s because I had low everything. Low muscle, low size, low confidence, low health. I was a pretty sad sight! I wasn’t anorexic or unhealthily skinny, but I was on the brink. It’s not like I had to change, but I knew I needed to. I knew there was something more.
I am a big fan of Captain America. He is definitely my favorite superhero. I’ve always looked up to him in the way he leads, the respect he has, and his hardcore fighting moves. That shield is pretty sweet too. So I had to go see the movie when it came out, how could I not! Little did I know my life would be changed forever by it! I loved the movie, but it was due to something more than the acting or cinematography. It was really from one part. The laboratory scene, where Steve Rogers, skinny as ever, looked down upon, made fun of, about to blow away in the wind, transformed into a super-buff, respected by all, eye-catching, and awe inspiring hero. That was the something more I was looking for. After that movie, I immediately googled “Captain America workout routine” and followed every one of them I could find. I found my passion!
When I first started, I ate EVERYTHING. I mean, I still do. But back then, it was something new. I wasn’t used to eating much. If I did, it was cheetos or jawbreakers (I know, I had great taste), not anything substantial. But I read about The Cap himself, and how he ate a monstrous bowl of oatmeal every morning, drained protein shakes, and devoured 10 oz steaks every day. Now that was something I could get into.
Gaining Weight and Gaining Confidence
I ate like crazy from that day on. I gained like crazy too. I had put on 40 lbs of weight (yeah, some was fat but that wasn’t a bad thing for me!) and all my friends were asking if I had been hitting the gym. I loved, and still love that feeling. I knew this was something that would be a lot of work, but it wasn’t work to me. I enjoyed every second of it. I didn’t mind when people called me weird or gross or a freak, because I knew I enjoyed what I was doing and what it would turn into would be worth it. And I was not wrong!
Fast forward and I now weigh 170lbs at 10-12% body fat. Now, I’m no means “huge,” but I sure am a lot more confident, healthy, and muscular. Oh, and I found my passion in life. So that’s a thing. I have gained self-confidence, respect, passion, and a new purpose in life. So that’s why I blog, train, eat, study, and research. I want to excel at what I do, and I want to spread this excitement and this flame I’ve found.
Now I look to the future…
I am now a certified personal trainer, helping spread the passion and the change I have experienced in myself. I now aim to become a physique competitor sometime in the future. (Or not, but everybody has to have goals right?)
So thanks for listening to my (partial) story. I hope you enjoyed hearing about a random guy on the internet watching Captain America and consequently trying to gain weight.
