These are from when I had previously been on a diet and therefore only show part of my journey.

When I first started to lift in May 2010, I thought I knew the basics to weightlifting. I watched a ton of YouTube videos and I thought I was doing the correct techniques.

I had no idea that intensity was really a part of it and I certainly had no idea that food took part in building muscle. I was 100% sure that I was doing everything right! I was doing loads of bicep curls, press-ups, tricep and ab exercises. Yet again, I was under the impression that I was doing my whole body. I thought I didn’t need to do legs as I was on them all day long. I thought that my nutrition was fine by eating cereal, pasta for lunch and oven chips with chicken for dinner. I though that eating like this was the best way to build muscle fast!

I quickly found out that it was going to take longer than a couple of weeks to look like Arnie, although I had no clue it was going to take months, let alone years to even see changes.

I never wanted to show these videos to anyone outside my close friend group, but I feel that talking about this may help someone out that has started lifting. I have also made this blog post for my reference as something to look back on in the future. It’s quite hard to believe that these videos are over 3 years old, but they are. Looking back at them is extremely embarrassing to say the least. The best thing is that I can now look back at them and criticise myself as I have learnt a lot over the last few years and I have gained a good amount of knowledge as well as putting it all into practice.

I also find that looking back at these videos is an excellent way to give myself praise. I can look back and see that I started 3 years ago, yes I was lacking all the knowledge, but I was on the path to change. I could be going through exactly the same thing but now, 3 years later.

Looking back at the facilities and space I had, It’s quite comical. I still did it though, or tried to do it to what I thought was the best to my ability. I didn’t understand that rest was important either and worked out every evening for as long as possible. I understood that the longer I workout the faster I will grow, of course this is not true, but I had no knowledge back then at all. BUT I STILL DID MY BEST! Just because I didn’t have access to certain facilities didn’t mean that I couldn’t make something to do the job. I used solid blocks of wood that were half a foot of the flor and used that as a bench press too.

2008 I started to change my life. 5 years on and I am still doing it and never once thought about giving up, EVER! The only thing I have found is that I want to learn more, push harder and seriously reach a competition physique. Granted I may not ever get there, but I am doing everything I can to try and get there! I’m talking about it, but also doing it!

I should have spent less time recording and more time lifting!

*WARNING – DO NOT COPY MY FORM IN THESE VIDEOS, IT IS MOSTLY WRONG AND WILL INJURE YOU*

Everyone has to start  somewhere…