I stuck to the routine I had thrown together from my Jean Claude van Damme inspirations for months. Banging out my press ups, star jumps, curls and side raises like the little Ninja I was. But a year or so went by and I suddenly stopped doing my routine that I’d been fixated on doing nearly everyday. My Grandad noticed this, sat me down one morning and asked me why. I looked at my Grandad and told him I was bored, "Why? I thought you loved it.", he said. "Because it's too easy", I replied ( by this point I was doing nearly 50 reps on all the exercise and it just got repetitive and boring). I was 10 years old and it was my last day of school before the 6 week holiday (oh how I miss those), I was soon to be 11 and was staying with my grandparents. "Leave it with me", my Grandad said, "now get off to school."
I came home from school that day like a lunatic, it was the last day before the break and I was so excited. I got back to my Nan and Grandad's, went into the living room to discover a full set of weights waiting for me. It was a 30kg set from argos with a barbell and a pair of Dumbells. I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about - made by York, gold plates, red collars and a booklet with diagrams of how to do the exercises. I can't explain the excitement I felt, I gave my Grandad the biggest hug ever and couldn't wait to have a workout. WOW, I finally had some big boy weights ;-)
I got them out of the box, set them up and opened the exercise leaflet that had about 20 different exercises in it. I decided my new routine would be to do every exercise in the leaflet in the order stated. I now know this was not the idea of the leaflet but back then I was not to know and I just went for it. Bench press, squats, rows, shoulder presses, curls, upright rows etc, 3 sets of 10 on each. It took me about an hour and a half to do and I loved every second of it. I was now experiencing crazy sensations in the muscles, I felt pumped and my arms felt like they were going to explode but again I loved the feeling. My Grandad thought it was hilarious that I couldn't get my t-shirt off after my workouts, it became such an issue I ended up going old school and training without the t-shirt.
The leaflet advices to lift weights 3 x per week, so I did. I was also playing football 3 x a week and did nothing on a Saturday. Again my Grandad gave me the incentive I needed. He told me that once I could use the full 30kg for all the exercises I could have a brand new set of weights with a bench. That was all I needed, I have always been competitive and once again I had a goal in mind and I loved it when I could lift a little heavier. I stuck to the routine over the summer holidays and at the age of 11, I had developed guns (arms) and I thought it was amazing. The weights I was lifting were increasing fast and the workouts were taking less and less time to complete as I was recovering so much quicker.
It was time for big boy school:
I had been training hard all summer, already with a developed mind set when it came to training and working out to get bigger and stronger. It was time for secondary school and I was crapping myself. Everyone is nervous on their first day of school and I was no different. After a week or so everyone settled in and the egos started to build. The divides were already happening, the hard kids, the geeks, the popular ones and the ones you wouldn't be seen talking to. I went to a predominantly black school and white kids were the minority, this of course was fine with me although it was somewhat intimidating and I suppose I felt I had something to prove.
After a few weeks at school other kids started to comment on how big my arms were for an 11 year old. The girls loved them and it gave me a real confidence boost.
Nowadays, being big doesn't have the same impact it used to but back at school if you were 'hench' you had respect. I had a physical presence from the first year and straight away was placed amongst the hard kids (always a good thing at my school). I can't lie, this attention I received spurred me on to get even bigger and stronger. I carried on with my gold York weights set as well as training in the school gym and before long I had every gold plate on the bar for all my lifts at home and was stacking every machine in my school gym. Straight away this was cool to other kids and added to my status and reputation ;-)
My Grandad promised a new weights set once I could stack my bar with every plate I had (30kg was a lot to an 11 year old). I reminded him of this to which he replied, "I have not forgotten, just be patient".
I couldn't wait, I wanted to join a gym. The only problem was I was too young to do so (as if that would stop me). I went to my local gym in Woolwich and lied about my age and brought enough cash to pay for 3 months up front (I had a summer job working on an ice cream trailer and saved my wages) that way I didn't need to show proof of identity or anything. I was also tall for my age so looked older than I was, but I'm sure it was the deep voice I put on that fooled them ;-)
They gave me my membership card and off I went, I was like a kid in a toy shop and was so excited by the sight of all these heavy weights around. It was a spit and saw dust gym and full of absolute animals but I didn't care, I just wanted to train. I asked one of the units that worked there if they could do me a program. It was a 3 day body split routine and this was very different to my list of 20 excercises I had to get through before.
The York barbell set was now simply a forgotten thing, I had hard nut status at school, I had access to heavy weights and an actual training program, I was buzzing and just loved going to the gym. I kept to my routine religiously, I could see and feel a huge difference and started getting plenty of encouragement from the big dudes at the gym. The following summer came and off I went to my summer job up in Stratford Upon Avon, slighty saddened at the thought of not going to my gym for 6 weeks. Although, this sadness was short lived, I got to my Nan and Grandad's caravan (they lived on a caravan park in the country for half of the year) and to my amazement on the terrace at the back of the garden was a 50kg metal barbell and Dumbell set, an exercise bike, an adjustable bench for flats and inclines and a skipping rope. I had my own little gym to train in for the summer. Again, this was my Grandad's doing and he loved how happy I was and was always supportive.
Now, bear in mind I was 12 years old turning 13, I was a typical kid that ate crap and sweets, loved running around playing football but I had a genuine passion to lift weights, I loved the way it made me feel, the burn, the pump but most importantly the reward. Diet didn't even come into it, I was too young to think about that. It was as simple as eat what and when I want and train. Sometimes I miss that lack of thought that went into things back then, when my training was just what It was. But saying that, I know I would not be where I am today without the attention to the finer details of diet, mobility, rest and supplements etc. But back then there was a sense of freedom about it, I didn't warm up, I didn't cool down nor did I stretch, I just lifted weights, simple.......BOSH
I now had my routine, I stuck to it and I was starting to see a real difference in my physique, I was getting heavier, stronger and way more confident. All this at 13. None of my mates were like me, I had no one to train with, no one that shared my passion to lifts weights. I didn't mind though, I enjoyed training on my own, coming in getting the job done and off I went to get the feast that awaited me at home.
Let's wrap this up, but as you can see I was pretty disciplined from a young a age, I have my family to thank for this, they were old school. Everything I had, I had to earn: If I wanted some new trainers I had to weed the garden.If I wanted a new computer game I had to wash the car. I had a job at the age of 11 and its this that gave me the work ethic I have, both with my job (I was an ice cream man) and the time I spent in the gym. I had no friends that supported my passion but my family did and I owe a lot to them, especially my Grandad.
So, I was always set to continue my weight training journey but in the next installment I will share how things took a very surprising and somewhat unhealthy turn once diet and nutrition came into the mix. I am sure you will be very shocked by what you read but it's all part and parcel of my journey and taught me a hell of allot.
Train smart, eat well and sleep peacefully,
Matt
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