Has anyone made a true transformation?

[Plasticroad1]

Really appreciate it!! Thank u!

 

[bkmuscledad]

I guess this thread hit a chord with a lot of guys. I know well the frustration of losing motivation, and seeing how successful others have been is more encouraging than you may realize. Thanks for all the input so far. I hope we see and hear even more.

 

[MisterB]

Yes. Like @DSF140 above, I was skinny as fuck. 6 foot, and at 42, I weighed 150 pounds. Totally out of shape. But ashamed to join a gym cuz I just knew everyone would make fun of me. I made myself go. I'm so glad I was so wrong.

That's when I met my trainer. Who taught me how to lift. That's it's not how much you lift but how you lift. That form is everything. That's why I've had minimal injuries along the way.

He taught me how to eat. Yup. Clueless on nutrition. Taught me how important diet was to accomplishing my fitness goals. Train hard. Eat big. Make great gains. Put the work in the gym CONSISTENTLY, and boom, I became a muscle monster.

Reached 250 pounds. Not all muscle. But, when I started to diet down, wowza, did I have some muscle on me.

Today, 22+ years later, I'm still 6 foot tall. I weigh 195#. I'm leaner today because of all the cardio work I do now. That's more important to me as I age. But I still lift, heavy, 4x a week. Each body part once a week. I go in, do my job. Do my cardio. I eat and sleep to support it.

So yeah, @bkmuscledad, I've made a true transformation. I went from "skinny as fuck aging twink" to "muscle daddy". It didn't happen overnight. It did happen because I showed up. Consistently. And did the work. Both in and out of the gym.

 

[bkmuscledad]

Yes. Like @DSF140 above, I was skinny as fuck. 6 foot, and at 42, I weighed 150 pounds. Totally out of shape. But ashamed to join a gym cuz I just knew everyone would make fun of me. I made myself go. I'm so glad I was so wrong.

That's when I met my trainer. Who taught me how to lift. That's it's not how much you lift but how you lift. That form is everything. That's why I've had minimal injuries along the way.

He taught me how to eat. Yup. Clueless on nutrition. Taught me how important diet was to accomplishing my fitness goals. Train hard. Eat big. Make great gains. Put the work in the gym CONSISTENTLY, and boom, I became a muscle monster.

Reached 250 pounds. Not all muscle. But, when I started to diet down, wowza, did I have some muscle on me.

Today, 22+ years later, I'm still 6 foot tall. I weigh 195#. I'm leaner today because of all the cardio work I do now. That's more important to me as I age. But I still lift, heavy, 4x a week. Each body part once a week. I go in, do my job. Do my cardio. I eat and sleep to support it.

So yeah, @bkmuscledad, I've made a true transformation. I went from "skinny as fuck aging twink" to "muscle daddy". It didn't happen overnight. It did happen because I showed up. Consistently. And did the work. Both in and out of the gym.

Thanks, @MisterB . Great transformation, and thanks for sharing that. Would you say that you owe a good deal of it to your trainer, and that without him you'd not be where you are? If so, how did you find the right trainer? (This question is addressed to everyone) Nowadays when everyone claims to be a trainer, how do you know you're starting off with a good one?

 

[DSF140]

My before and after pics. Always a work in progress though. Still building.

View attachment 1298828

Fucking A, @Plasticroad1 . I can tell that you love the gym. Props to you!

 

[bkmuscledad]

4 years ago I decided I wanted to get in shape. I hired multiple trainers and got extremely dedicated. I finally found a trainer that wasn't just looking to take my money and actually taught me what he knew while I was training with him. I went from a 150lbs skinny guy to a 175lb guy that can't get away from the gym. I've actually become an online coach and trainer now myself; I just fell in love with how I was looking and what I was doing.

I just asked this same question in reply to another comment on this thread: How do you know when you've found a good trainer? How and when did you know the previous ones weren't good?

 

[aldawg]

Yes. Like @DSF140 above, I was skinny as fuck. 6 foot, and at 42, I weighed 150 pounds. Totally out of shape. But ashamed to join a gym cuz I just knew everyone would make fun of me. I made myself go. I'm so glad I was so wrong.

That's when I met my trainer. Who taught me how to lift. That's it's not how much you lift but how you lift. That form is everything. That's why I've had minimal injuries along the way.

He taught me how to eat. Yup. Clueless on nutrition. Taught me how important diet was to accomplishing my fitness goals. Train hard. Eat big. Make great gains. Put the work in the gym CONSISTENTLY, and boom, I became a muscle monster.

Reached 250 pounds. Not all muscle. But, when I started to diet down, wowza, did I have some muscle on me.

Today, 22+ years later, I'm still 6 foot tall. I weigh 195#. I'm leaner today because of all the cardio work I do now. That's more important to me as I age. But I still lift, heavy, 4x a week. Each body part once a week. I go in, do my job. Do my cardio. I eat and sleep to support it.

So yeah, @bkmuscledad, I've made a true transformation. I went from "skinny as fuck aging twink" to "muscle daddy". It didn't happen overnight. It did happen because I showed up. Consistently. And did the work. Both in and out of the gym.

Would love to see a body pic, man....

 

[Plasticroad1]

I just asked this same question in reply to another comment on this thread: How do you know when you've found a good trainer? How and when did you know the previous ones weren't good?

So after hiring enough bad ones I can tell you the proof is in the pudding. I had paid trainers that looked in the shape I wanted because I wanted to look like them. Not to brag or anything, but I have a determination like no one else. So I agreed to do everything EXACTLY as my trainers had told me. Eat this, eat that, do this, do that. If the trainer said to do it - I would do it and never ever falter. However, after getting no results after 6 months to a year, I would have to cut them loose. It's not to say that they didn't know what they were talking about or know what they were doing - but what they were telling me was NOT working.

Now that I'm an online coach and trainer, I understand the philosophy of what it takes to be a good online coach and trainer. Work with the client and if something isn't working - make adjustments! Otherwise it's insanity. With all of my clients I check in once to twice a week and I'm available to them any time they need me - they just text or email. I look at it as a JOURNEY and not a "here give me money, I'll give you a plan - good luck and God bless." I really like going through every step with them! When people get the results they want, I feel just as much rewarded as they do!

 

[Plasticroad1]

Fucking A, @Plasticroad1 . I can tell that you love the gym. Props to you!

Thanks DSF! You are in fantastic shape yourself!! Hard work!

 

[276992]

I was a massive fat ass. Worked hard to get in shape. Much happier and healthier now.

 

[bkmuscledad]

I was a massive fat ass. Worked hard to get in shape. Much happier and healthier now.

I never would have guessed seeing your current pictures. Thanks for that

 

[MisterB]

Thanks, @MisterB . Great transformation, and thanks for sharing that. Would you say that you owe a good deal of it to your trainer, and that without him you'd not be where you are? If so, how did you find the right trainer? (This question is addressed to everyone) Nowadays when everyone claims to be a trainer, how do you know you're starting off with a good one?

Joined a chain gym in the DC area. I flailed around the weight room for a few months until one day the gym sponsored an open house to meet personal trainers. I started with a female personal trainer who knew her stuff. She got me started, but I quickly outgrew her weight-wise and what she felt she could safety spot.

So she turned me over to her boss. A competitive college wrestler with a degree from Univ. of MD in exercise kinesiology. Who was training himself for a natural body building competition. We clicked. First meeting was to discuss my goals and my physical ability. I have degenerative disc disease; I had chronic low back pain.

He designed my workouts to strengthen my core and legs first and foremost. Upper body lifting was included, but the focus was to work on strengthening those body parts that could supplement and take pressure from my lower back. About 6 months into it with him, my body had morphed from skinny to muscular. Who knew?

Fast forward 22+ years. I still have degenerative disc disease. I do not have lower back pain. I still am training with the same guy. I find him to be crucial to my overall physical well-being. He's educated, staying current with classes and seminars. He's a licensed massage therapist. He taught me proper nutrition to support the work I was doing in the gym. He knows his stuff. His clients vary in age from 14 to 80. He has clients that have been with him longer than me. Yup, he's that good!

So yeah, I credit him immensely with the fact that I feel better today at almost 65 than I did when I started with him at 42. This exercise stuff works. But I also give myself credit. Cuz I show up. I work hard. I eat and sleep to support what I do in the gym. It's just part of my life now. Part of who I am. And I'm so grateful I met him and that he's still such an integral part of my fitness journey. He also happens to be a great human being!

 

[bkmuscledad]

Joined a chain gym in the DC area. I flailed around the weight room for a few months until one day the gym sponsored an open house to meet personal trainers. I started with a female personal trainer who knew her stuff. She got me started, but I quickly outgrew her weight-wise and what she felt she could safety spot.

So she turned me over to her boss. A competitive college wrestler with a degree from Univ. of MD in exercise kinesiology. Who was training himself for a natural body building competition. We clicked. First meeting was to discuss my goals and my physical ability. I have degenerative disc disease; I had chronic low back pain.

He designed my workouts to strengthen my core and legs first and foremost. Upper body lifting was included, but the focus was to work on strengthening those body parts that could supplement and take pressure from my lower back. About 6 months into it with him, my body had morphed from skinny to muscular. Who knew?

Fast forward 22+ years. I still have degenerative disc disease. I do not have lower back pain. I still am training with the same guy. I find him to be crucial to my overall physical well-being. He's educated, staying current with classes and seminars. He's a licensed massage therapist. He taught me proper nutrition to support the work I was doing in the gym. He knows his stuff. His clients vary in age from 14 to 80. He has clients that have been with him longer than me. Yup, he's that good!

So yeah, I credit him immensely with the fact that I feel better today at almost 65 than I did when I started with him at 42. This exercise stuff works. But I also give myself credit. Cuz I show up. I work hard. I eat and sleep to support what I do in the gym. It's just part of my life now. Part of who I am. And I'm so grateful I met him and that he's still such an integral part of my fitness journey. He also happens to be a great human being!

That's all very good information, @MisterB . Thanks for that. And if you're still at it after all these years, and at your age (I did the math), there's no excuse for anyone, not even me

 

[DSF140]

I was a massive fat ass. Worked hard to get in shape. Much happier and healthier now.

And you're pretty flawless now, too.

 

[Giacomo cavernosa]

haven’t done any crazy transformation. But I’d let my weight fluctuate +/-40lbs for a few years (on purpose). Think I’m gunna stay around my current weight now. I have 1 pic on here at 190, 1 pic at 160 and a few of my current physique at 170lbs

 

[not_brand_x]

Growing up and through college, I was a skinny rail of a kid. Once I graduated and got my first real adult job, my body got hit hard. 10 hours a day desk job, really cheap soda and vending machines (easily downing 4 liters of Coca-cola a day), fast food for dinner. After 10 years of that, my body wasn't in great shape. I'm 5'10" and was 200 pounds with zero muscle on my body. After getting laid off, I decided I needed something to keep me busy and doing something while filling out resumes and interviewing so I started jogging.

After a couple of years of that (and returning to gainful employment), I started going to the gym. For the first couple of years, I worked with a trainer weekly and then on my own. I quickly dropped from 200 pounds to 165 pounds. Since then, I've been slowly building muscle and working to lean myself up over time. Peaked for weight again at about 195 a few months ago, rededicated myself to diet and exercise and am at 183 and continuing to build and trim.

 

[bkmuscledad]

haven’t done any crazy transformation. But I’d let my weight fluctuate +/-40lbs for a few years (on purpose). Think I’m gunna stay around my current weight now. I have 1 pic on here at 190, 1 pic at 160 and a few of my current physique at 170lbs

You're in great shape, GC. Keep up the good work. Do you do any special routine?

 

[bkmuscledad]

Growing up and through college, I was a skinny rail of a kid. Once I graduated and got my first real adult job, my body got hit hard. 10 hours a day desk job, really cheap soda and vending machines (easily downing 4 liters of Coca-cola a day), fast food for dinner. After 10 years of that, my body wasn't in great shape. I'm 5'10" and was 200 pounds with zero muscle on my body. After getting laid off, I decided I needed something to keep me busy and doing something while filling out resumes and interviewing so I started jogging.

After a couple of years of that (and returning to gainful employment), I started going to the gym. For the first couple of years, I worked with a trainer weekly and then on my own. I quickly dropped from 200 pounds to 165 pounds. Since then, I've been slowly building muscle and working to lean myself up over time. Peaked for weight again at about 195 a few months ago, rededicated myself to diet and exercise and am at 183 and continuing to build and trim.

Sounds similar to me in a lot of ways. A lot of fluctuation, realization, and working to improve.
You mentioned quickly ... How quickly did you drop from 200 to 165 and what did you do for that improvement? Thanks.

 

[Giacomo cavernosa]

You're in great shape, GC. Keep up the good work. Do you do any special routine?

Thanks.. I don’t really have a special routine tho. I did powerlifting for years. But last couple years I do mainly bodybuilding. It’s easier and I look better. If you know how to target a muscle, i get my best results from cables

 

[not_brand_x]

How quickly did you drop from 200 to 165 and what did you do for that improvement? Thanks.

It was over the course of 5 months - lots of cardio and weights (starting really light because I really had no strength at all). One day a week with the trainer, 3 days a week without, one hour each.

I also basically only ate chicken and salad. Watched my calorie intact pretty closely and used MyFitnessPal to help me learn what the costs of the things I was eating (and what I enjoyed eating) were.