What made you start?

[trasmi21]

I know someone just made a thread about what motivates you, but I'm curious if there are any interesting stories about how you started, or what motivated you to start bodybuilding.

I've kinda got one.

I didn't quite live up to my baseball expectations in high school. I'm a pretty honest guy, don't stretch the truth too much, and I'm going to tell this how it really was. I was pretty good. Up till my junior year, I was recruited pretty heavily for Division 1 Baseball. I won't mention any names, but a couple top 25 teams, along with a lot of very solid Division 1 programs, continued to show interest. Throughout my junior year, my phone literally rang everyday with one coach or another throwing their traditional recruiting pitch line at me. It was awesome, all the work I had put in through my entire life, and all the dreams I had about professional baseball, seemed to continue getting more realistic.

Scouts and Coaches liked me for my potential. I was a 6'4 First Basemen, good 210 pound frame, above average bat speed. I could drop some bombs. My bat speed was there. Although, I was very raw, and struck out more often than I should have. That sticks out, but at that point everyone seemed willing to take a chance on me based soley on what I could eventually be doing.

Let me give a little info about college baseball before I go on. Division 1 baseball programs are much different than Football or Basketball. They are only allowed 11.7 scholarships to give out to the 30-35 man roster they are supposed to field. So if you do the math, scholarships are obviously going to be split up if you plan on fielding a good team. A Very, very good ballplayer will get around 50-60% scholarship money at a D1 school. Pitchers are sought after a little more than position players, so money tends to go to them first. It takes a pretty good position player to bring on 50-60% of a scholarship, and at that time my parents, coaches, and myself were expecting some offers to be more than that.

Then came the prospect of possibly going in the draft. As it got closer and closer to my senior year, there was talk that I could maybe go in the draft. I wasn't expecting to go anytime early, or get picked soon enough that it would be good enough money to take me away from college, but the pro interest was there. I received medical evaluations from just about every team. It was going very, very well for me.

But for some reason, things started to not work out as expected. Teams were still very interested, but I think I might have been looking for that perfect deal just a little too much. As it got deeper and deeper into the recruiting, I found myself a little deeper and deeper in a hole. Maybe some teams were running out of money? Maybe some teams weren't willing to take a chance on a big, raw first basement? I'll never really know.

My senior season began with high expectations. For an 18 year old kid, I had a lot of pressure on me, and I knew it. A lot of people expected me to do things I had never done, and it was tough. First couple games went by, and I started to struggle. Deeper into the season, I still couldn't find a groove. I honestly could not hit the ball. The deeper it got into the season, the worse. That's when teams who were excited about my potential as a player, started to believe that the potential I was so sought after for might never come through. Trying so hard to get out of a slump, and seeing everything you worked so hard for slip away, it was the toughest thing i've ever went through.

The D1 schools stopped calling, the draft went by, and I felt lost. I had some small offers from smaller D1 Schools, basically a come and play with no scholarship type deal, along with some smaller Junior Colleges willing to take me, but it just wasn't what I wanted. It was tough being recruited by some of the better schools in the nation, almost able to make your own pick, when it turns out in the end no one wants to take you. It just came to the point that the offers that I was getting wasn't what I wanted to do. I think it really shocked a lot of people. I ended up breaking up with a girlfriend that had been through the entire deal, dropping nearly everything. After all this hype, all this talk, I ended up deciding not to play college baseball at all.

I think that's when Bodybuilding came in.

I wanted to challenge myself with something so hard, so respected, and literally pour every bit of my heart and soul into it. I didn't want to be looked at as the kid that didn't make it. When people walked by me on the street, I wanted to look like I'm still busting my ass more than they ever ****ing thought of doing, and that I didn't settle for 'not making it'. **** that, that will not be me. I will not be the guy who 'used to be good', and is now a fat ass who sits on his couch and drinks beer, talking about his glory days. I refuse. If someone wants to find out what I've been doing since baseball ended, come to the gym. That's how I want to be. So from there on, I made the gym my new baseball field. I constantly pour my heart into it more and more.

And you know what? As bad as it felt going from so high to so low, I'm as happier as I've ever been. I'll soon be going to school for firefighting, doing something that is WAY more important than any baseball game could ever be. I'm will not settle to be normal, live the normal life. Too many people do that. If I can give some advice, do something special. We're all going to die, we can't live through that, so don't live the life that has taken the lives of so many already.

I hope you all appreciated this, thanks for listening a ton. I kinda think this may be my first time talking about this to anyone since it's happened lol.

I also attached some articles, and a scouting report from my junior year just if anyone is interested in seeing. I find it pretty interesting to look back on.

Perfect Game Scouting Report (http://www.perfectgame.org/newplayer.cfm?id=6573&showcaseid=04tro)

Another Perfect Game Scouting Report (http://www.perfectgame.org/newplayer.cfm?id=9009&showcaseid=05wld)

Article Written at the Beginning Of Senior Season (http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005504100404)

Keep in mind, newspapers are normally full of ****, just thought it'd be an interesting read to follow up the story.

So let's hear some stories about what motivated you guys to start.

[imageD]

that's a great story man, and I can respect that a lot!

But my situation is exactly opposite of yours! In high school I was tiny and too small for any sports! Didn't even pick up a weight until I went to college. Not I love lifting. :thumbup:

[gator]

Yea good story dude. I first started lifting around my freshman year of HS for football. We would have lifting during the offseason but for some reason I always tried to get out of it, never felt like going after school. The summer going into my junior year I hit the weights hard gained a lot of muscle. From then on my workouts were again very spotty. Now I'm a freshman in college and have been working out seriously for almost 12 wweks, and I continue to make this a lifestyle for myself. I really look forward to going to the gym now, challenging myself everyday, with slight hopes of walking onto the football team in a year. I think I initially started this love of weight lifting because of women, trying to look good for them, to help me pick up chicks in college. While that is still a factor it's not close to the reason why I'm still lifting, I just feel more energetic and much more outgoing now that I'm lifting again.

[biggimp]

why would you quit playing?

[getfit]

nice story

[brickt.]

During HS I was skinnyfat, weak, self conscious and insecure. I went to a school full of genetic freaks, I **** you not.

It's songs like the following, over a 4~ year period, that drove/drives me to want to become a monstrosity.

(Sung to the tune of Tom Jones' Burning Down The House)

"My house, is made of bricks and mortar.
Brickts house, is 1000 feet under water.
Three-Hundred-and-Sixty-Thousand-Pounds
Brickt is a Whale."

And, I wasn't even very fat.

[getfit]

well, a friend of mine dragged me to the gym one day and that was it, i never looked back after that

[Clifford Gillmore]

My story was similar to brickts'. I wasn't the super skinny guy like everyone else in school, I had a slight case of the ol' man boobs. I got called ugly, fat, stupid. I saw de-evolution of a species in 12 short years. I never cared in high school, I never ever had a chance of getting a girlfriend - yet alone keeping friends.

So when I was attending a community college, for Network Administration of all things (I'm not even nerdy! I swear!), I decided to started destroying myself. I got drunk every god damn day. I smoked more weed in one session that most people I know have done in a year. It was a fantastic downward spiral. Then I saw something.

I was naked, standing in front of the mirror. 6'2" 210lbs at about 25% Bf. Ever seen anything like this, you'll understand. I felt morbid within myself, my face covered with acne from the forced feeding of McDonalds every damn day. I wanted to change myself, I wanted look like the other guys that have girlfriends. I wanted to be someone else.

And so I am. Now I'm feeling better about myself, I'm proud to wear a wife beater that has a set of capped shoulders hanging out of them. Thank christ I finally have confidence and an ego, unfortuneately now that means I have to buy herbal exfoilating scrubs and moisturisers - but hey! I like myself now.

[ShockBoxer]

I was really fat and lifting was more interesting to me than endless cardio and stupid diets.

[trasmi21]

Biggimp - I decided to stop playing because the situation I would have been playing in was not what I wanted. A lot of the schools that were left didn't even have my major to begin with, and at that point I felt like I needed to focus on more important things. I kinda compare it to Pat Tillman, even though I'll NEVER compare anywhere close to that man, but during his freshman season in college they wanted to redshirt him, and he told the coaches he wanted four years and he'd be gone, that he had more 'important' things to do in life.

Risk10k - Bravo to you, that ends a lot of lives. All people have to do is decide to change themselves, and that's very hard for some people.

[TwiloMike]

I started lifting to stop swinging every time wind blew. In high school I was 6'2 and 145lbs and that had its own set of problems- lower back pain, clothing never fit right, and taking off my shirt at the beach was enough of an embarrassment to avoid the beach altogether. 55lbs later I'm one of the first to get shirtless and I love it :)

[brickt.]

My story was similar to brickts'. I wasn't the super skinny guy like everyone else in school, I had a slight case of the ol' man boobs. I got called ugly, fat, stupid. I saw de-evolution of a species in 12 short years. I never cared in high school, I never ever had a chance of getting a girlfriend - yet alone keeping friends.

So when I was attending a community college, for Network Administration of all things (I'm not even nerdy! I swear!), I decided to started destroying myself. I got drunk every god damn day. I smoked more weed in one session that most people I know have done in a year. It was a fantastic downward spiral. Then I saw something.

Riskeh, you have no idea the extent of those two paragraphs parallel my pre-lifting experiences. I really know where you are coming from. PROPS.

Ya'know, it's funny, we're still destroying ourselves, just in an awesome way. :)

[WBBIRL]

Just got disguested with myself. Being fat and having like 2 friends... not to mention so much as a conversation from ANY girl through out my highschool career.

[Bob]

Awesome stories gang.. mine's a 3-parter - I am one of those bad fluctuating weight gainers and losers..

The 1st time:
Because I wanted to push the bigger guys off the board in football practice... I was only 155 and couldn't gain an ounce to save my life.. but when I found those Squats at 15, man that was an eye opener.. Still only 155 lbs - 3 yr starter. 2 yr captain, smallest all-star lineman my senior year - and could even push the coach off the board.

2nd time - almost the same as brick & Risk - early-20's, worked too much, couldn't get a chick, and became a alcoholic.. got in the gym, lost the weight, changed careers..

3rd time - I was living the good life - travel around the world, fancy food, fast food, wife's cooking, sitting and holding my baby girls - 19 months ago I looked in the mirror and couldn't reconize the 5'9" >260lb >40% Bodyfat guy staring back at me. I said I won't be there for my kids at this rate - I could barely kick the soccer ball around - I was a spectator and not a participant - let alone a BAD example for my girls. 8 months in, my mother died @ an early age from a heart attack... and wasn't obese like me either. Genetics have a way of kicking up the effort too. Strong, active & healthy lifestyle now - and then you really can enjoy the good life. This time it is for life though...

[SW]

I've always wanted to tell this:

It was 2 days before I turned 16. My best friend, my mother and her friend were all at an all-night, drunken fish fry. It was great. Niether my friend nor I was drinking, so we decided to play horse shoes with a few guys.

One was a big bastard, about 5' 10" 250lbs and built like a brick ****house. This man was mostly muscle, and his arms I think were around 17-18 inches, and those were his WEAKNESSES. As a guy who was considered big for his age, I was naturally interested in him and struck up a conversation.

Turned out he was a 30 yr old powerlifter, and had been training for around 10 yrs. I immediately looked up to this guy. He was what I wanted to be when I was older, a stocky mound of thick muscle with the power to crush a man. His name was Rob, and as we started talking, he began to explain about muscles, lifting and especially powerlifting.

I was entranced, my friend to a lesser degree but still very interested. Niether of us had ANY idea what we were getting ourselves in to. I said "I want to lift alot of weight" he said "work hard, and a good beginers routine would be 3x10 on all compound movements" I had no ****ing idea what a compound movement was, but by God, I was going to do them. I asked him what he benched 10 times, and when he said "275" I was blown away. I thought "this guy's a monster!"

We sat and talked for 3 hrs, late at night with people laughing a little ways away.
I took in ALOT of information that night, and it was then and there I decided, ****ing DECIDED, I was going to be like this guy.

2 days later, on my birthday, my best friend and I went into the weightroom in our highschool for like the 5th time each. We'd never been in there to lift, just to talk to friends who were. But today was different. It was time to get strong baby! We went at it, benching (of course) 3x10, then doing 4 auxillaries. Our first routine was crude, but gave us instant gains. I still remember after a week of training how I managed to bench 185. I was very happy. On top of the world. Then, I remembed how FAR I had yet to go.

As I went more and more into bodybuilding and powerlifting, I found myself ADDICTED. If I missed a workout, I became (still do) irritable and unhappy. But euphoric after a pr. My friend wasn't, so he quit about 6 months into it. I continued alone for about a year, on and off with partners who never could stand my increasingly serious attitude toward lifting, and my ever accending intensity during it.

Wasn't till very recently did I find another, my other best friend, who had the same goals as me. We do westside together and are very happy with it. We're both seeing great gains from it.

I've seen Rob twice since then, and will see him again this fall or sooner if we can get together for a workout. I've told him thanks several times, but how do you thank a guy who opened what you didn't know would be your world for you by taking the time to share his knowledge with a pimplefaced, plump 16 yr old?

[brickt.]

^^
That is so ****ing awesome, it is beyond words.

[trasmi21]

That is very awesome, this post turned out some great stories.

[f=ma]

i lost weight via forced anorexia (broke for a few months).. started doing cardio for one reason or another.. found this site in 2002 and decided i wanted to be jacked

here we are

[Optimum08]

I've always wanted to tell this:

It was 2 days before I turned 16. My best friend, my mother and her friend were all at an all-night, drunken fish fry. It was great. Niether my friend nor I was drinking, so we decided to play horse shoes with a few guys.

One was a big bastard, about 5' 10" 250lbs and built like a brick ****house. This man was mostly muscle, and his arms I think were around 17-18 inches, and those were his WEAKNESSES. As a guy who was considered big for his age, I was naturally interested in him and struck up a conversation.

Turned out he was a 30 yr old powerlifter, and had been training for around 10 yrs. I immediately looked up to this guy. He was what I wanted to be when I was older, a stocky mound of thick muscle with the power to crush a man. His name was Rob, and as we started talking, he began to explain about muscles, lifting and especially powerlifting.

I was entranced, my friend to a lesser degree but still very interested. Niether of us had ANY idea what we were getting ourselves in to. I said "I want to lift alot of weight" he said "work hard, and a good beginers routine would be 3x10 on all compound movements" I had no ****ing idea what a compound movement was, but by God, I was going to do them. I asked him what he benched 10 times, and when he said "275" I was blown away. I thought "this guy's a monster!"

We sat and talked for 3 hrs, late at night with people laughing a little ways away.
I took in ALOT of information that night, and it was then and there I decided, ****ing DECIDED, I was going to be like this guy.

2 days later, on my birthday, my best friend and I went into the weightroom in our highschool for like the 5th time each. We'd never been in there to lift, just to talk to friends who were. But today was different. It was time to get strong baby! We went at it, benching (of course) 3x10, then doing 4 auxillaries. Our first routine was crude, but gave us instant gains. I still remember after a week of training how I managed to bench 185. I was very happy. On top of the world. Then, I remembed how FAR I had yet to go.

As I went more and more into bodybuilding and powerlifting, I found myself ADDICTED. If I missed a workout, I became (still do) irritable and unhappy. But euphoric after a pr. My friend wasn't, so he quit about 6 months into it. I continued alone for about a year, on and off with partners who never could stand my increasingly serious attitude toward lifting, and my ever accending intensity during it.

Wasn't till very recently did I find another, my other best friend, who had the same goals as me. We do westside together and are very happy with it. We're both seeing great gains from it.

I've seen Rob twice since then, and will see him again this fall or sooner if we can get together for a workout. I've told him thanks several times, but how do you thank a guy who opened what you didn't know would be your world for you by taking the time to share his knowledge with a pimplefaced, plump 16 yr old?

one of the best stories i've heard...

[Fenrir]

I played a game of representative AFL against one of Townsville (city, i come from the country) and get pushed around and smashed! (I was like 13 playing in U16) but nonetheless i was quite weak indeed compared to others my age, even though i was slightly bigger than them! I Was angry about that and when i came home i couldn't even do one of the simpler versions of a push-up! I was very embarassed! I started to use a gym in the back of a Judo Club where my dad was the caretaker. After about 6 months of not knowing what I was doing and trying to find site's like this one I gave it up, as I couldn't find the time with everything! For like another year i just sat back and did **** all apart from play my sports. I lost most my strength of course, but i had i filled out way more than anyone else my age! I was 14 years old, 154 pounds and 6 foot tall. I also looked a lot older. Soon enough i was 14 1/2, and in my small town the oldest division before mens is U15, so i was approached (to my surprise!) by every club in the league! Yet i took what most considered at the time as the weakest club, and had trouble at times fielding players! I had always wanted to play with them while I was young. After one training session with these guys, i knew I wouldn't last so i joined a gym at the PCYC (Police & Citizens Youth Centre) because it was closest to home and the cheapest! The equipment in there isn't the best! Too my amazement though, without even purposely bulking or anything, just tightening down on some of the fats i took in, i have gained 44 pounds of muscle! I am happy! I know there is lots more in me though! Also in that time i went from one friend coming with me to gym, to 8! Doing my part for fitness! :clap:

It also surprises me at times that I can go into the gym and I am lifting what the men are lifting! I can only think of two guys in the whole gym that are about twice my size that lift not much more than i do though!

I just tried deadlift the other day, and in the first day im already doing more than what i bench! :hump:

[Fenrir]

Oh yeah! About my football team!

We were down by 5 goals (1 goal = 6 points) at the final break! We made a few switches and out of nowhere, we kicked 5 unanswered goals to level it all at 72! With moments to go our best player snapped his leg and we just seem to lose momentum and they went on to kick 2 more goals and beat us! It was a very emotional day as we had gone from losing every game last year to finishing 2nd this year! We had trained so hard. I know this year though we will dominate!

:thumbup:

[Clifford Gillmore]

A good friend of mine, Max Bailey, just got drafted to hawthorn!


And I'm good buddies with Quint. Lynch of the West Coast eagles :)

[KevinStarke]

I was short and chubby and terrible at every sport, but I found out that I was alright at moving heavy things... so I kept moving heavy things and here I am today. Oh and girls dig muscles, even if your a treestump.

[razorcut]

I was a runner. Tore my ACL at 19. Couldn't run for a few months, so I turned to the gym. Didn't end up being such a temporary distraction.

[rk77]

trasmi21, I feel for you. I was always a very talented baseball player my whole life. I was always a good baseball player and when i started lifting and gaining some strength my junior year it all came together. By the time sr yr rolled around i was in the best shape of my life and had a hell of a year, first team all league outfield for a big suburban one league. Its just to bad by the time I recieved all the awards and accolades I was almost ready to graduate and I hadnt gotten my name out or anything (blew off showcases). So I guess its kinda the opposite situation that you were in. I never paid attention to the small d2 teams that contacted me before my senior year. When I went to college the coach didnt even know who I was and already had a team in mind before tryouts. So dispite an impressive tryout I didnt make the team. I love baseball so much and this is the time of year when i yearn for it the most (spring coming up). I just turned 21 so its been almost 2 1/2 yrs since I played organized ball and really wish I were still playing. It seems to me like you could still be playing and get your swing back. I hate to see someone with your talent not even play college ball. I dunno if your real happy with your decision but I just wanted to say that you could still play and build your rep back up. You just dont wanna have regrets and what if years down he road. just my .02.

[trasmi21]

Well I appreciate your two cents. Yeah it's sometimes tough not playing more, but I just feel there are more important things to worry about in life. Baseball is a tough, tough sport. You can't EVER expect to be successful playing it, beacuse the second you do, it'll tear you down. It's a sport you can't take anything for granted in. I think sometimes I took it for granted. But also at the same time, it's a great game.

I'm sure I could still play too. For sure at JUCO school or below division one. I know some small Division 1 schools I could probably walk on for, ones that showed interest while I was being recruited but were put in the back of my options. All the passion is gone now though, and I'm ok with not playing, and focusing on other things in life.

[Fenrir]

wow thats great for him! really quint Lynch! Maybe when you see him next you could ask him what sort of exercises he does in the gym because I am trying to find that out...he plays CHF or Ruckman or something doesn't he? Sorry I'm a Richmond fan :P

[Clifford Gillmore]

I've tried to strike a conversation with him about training, but the most I could get out of him was his ball skills training. Not too quick on the uptake. He plays as FF.

[Fenrir]

oh ok...lol :zipit: U play at all?

[Clifford Gillmore]

Afraid not. I'm only a little guy, most of the district teams in WA are the big lads.

[LoneJeeper]

because if i couldn't throw weights around every day, i was afraid I'd start to throw people around every day.

kd

[Gyno Rhino]

It was marijuana. It's a gateway drug.

I smoked a fatty then got into weightlifting. It also led me to college, masturbation, and art deco.

[hoser813]

I was a small kid and had two older brothers that could always kick my ass. I was smarter than them but they were stronger. I think that was a big motivation, for me to be better than them at something. And then I took some weight lifting classes in highschool and really enjoyed seeing the gains. Then I realized that I had good genetics for bodybuilding, and kept at it. Now I am bigger and stronger than my brothers (although Im still shorter) and now I kick THEIR asses :p

[Spinnaker]

trasmi21 that is a sad story. i felt the need to register and tell you why i started to go to the gym. I was like you (a little) except I played soccer. I was on a great club team and the best high school team in my state. 3 members of my team that were my same age (including me) were all being 'recruited' by D-I schools. I say 'recruited" because it is different in soccer, with no rankings of players, less money for schools to give, etc. Just like you things were great junior year with all sorts of random schools calling because i was a captain of a great high school team, and they heard about me through odp (olympic development program). But then senior year during literally the first game of the season something happened to my lower back and I seriously couldn't run. I did physical therapy and everything and got to play the last quarter of the season, but I sucked. The sad part is the big DI schools I was talking to stopped talking to me, but they talked to my teammates. They both got partial scholarships to great soccer schools and are doing great. I got an 'offer' from a DIII and an NAIA school to play w/ no money, and community college offers, but like you community college wasn't for me. Now I am at my state college and I am lifting which is something I had never really done until now. The best part of lifting vs. prep sports is that there is no pressure. I mean I would work so hard and try to make plays in games and it was suppose to be fun but it wasn't that last year. Now I lift and kick the ball around for fun sometimes with other guys from my teams. Thats how i started.

[Gyno Rhino]

Okay.

[clvmike19]

wh0re ex girlfriends are always a good source of hAet for me, and get my ass into the gym to spite them. Also makes me feel good about myself...and as of right now Im rehabing my busted clavicle.