10 Year Fitness Transformation, Medium T shirt to a 2XL, 100lbs of mass gained..

Figure I’ll get in the ol end of decade pic deal.. Pic on the left was there at the end of the last decade, trying to fill out a Medium T shirt, pic on the right is this year, pushing the limits of a 2XL.

When I was a kid, seeing the cover of magazines, I had wanted to get “big.” One year for Christmas, I got a Weider weight bench that didn’t hold a lot of weight, and I used it a handful of times, hoping I’d get “jacked.” Turns out, there is a lot more to it – I wanted the results without the work. It wasn’t until I went on my first deployment to Iraq that I really got in a solid workout groove and stuck with it. There is no “magic” protein or pills or fad diet, it was strictly hard work and dedication to a specific goal.

The last decade of gains has had it’s ups and downs. I’ve missed events and cut short hunting trips because I felt I had to get a workout in, lost sleep because of high stim preworkout, skipped burgers and fries with friends so I could stay in and blend up canned chicken and spinach to drink for lunch instead. I’ve had gym injuries and motivation has come and gone on occasion, but I stuck with it for the long haul.

Some will say it was steroids or awesome genetics, but in reality it was neither. Looking at the last decade, I didn’t have naturally awesome genetics; I was almost 100 lbs less at my high school graduation than I am now. Sure, I’ve spent more on protein powders to add to my real meal diet (it’s hard to actually eat 400g in a day) than most people spend on groceries alone in a month, and I can eat a whole deer in a week, but it’s taken a ton of planning, anatomy knowledge, missed activities and a shit ton of work – and those in my life regularly the last 10 years can probably attest to my “I gotta get in a workout before we go” excuse and time spent at the gym. It’s not been without motivation levels down though, sometimes I’ve felt I’m there just because I’m addicted or “have to” go, but I eventually get out of those ruts and back at it!

I still feel like I look like the youngster on the left when I look in a mirror, so there is probably no stopping anytime soon – I’ll likely die from preworkout and caffeine consumption first. Although I may be close to being tapped out on t shirt options, here’s to hoping the next decade has even more gainz in it!