Today's workout: 2/9/11

Yet another awesome workout today with my training partner Rich. Even if my Deadlifts did not feel as good as previous weeks I didn't let it get to me although was hoping to beat my PB but there is always next week.

Here is how it went down:

1) warm up and mobility work

2) Deadlifts 3 warm up sets followed by 4 working sets of singles (1 rep max) with 3 mins rest between sets

The rest were performed as supersets.

3) front squats 4 working sets of 6 reps
Pull ups 5 reps with a 10 second negative on each (these were brutal and my lats felt huge, infact if jumped off a building I think I could of glided :- ) with 90secs rest

4) cable tricep extension 3 working sets of 12 reps with a 4 sec negative
Hammer curls with fat Gripz 3 working sets of 12 reps with a 4 sec negative with 60secs rest

5) cool down and stretch

Big well done to Rich for smashing his PB on his Deadlifts, awesome stuff.

Feeling good now and looking forward to 2 days of rest and recovery in preparation for another big session on Monday morning.

Bring it on.

BOSH.

Have a great day,

Matt

My Wild Physique Unleashed :Part 4

Hey there people, hope you are all well and keepin it gangsta ;-)

Last time I left you with what some will see as a rough patch in my life - an eating disorder which developed from an unhealthy obsession with exercise and nutrition. However I like to see it as a huge learning curve that I have gained so much experience from. I also told you how I dropped out of my A'Levels to kick start my career as a Personal Trainer. The first stop here was to become a Level 2 fitness instructor.

So I completed my 2 week intensive fitness instructor course with flying colours, a lot of it came quite naturally to me as it was something I was already well read in and of course I had a fair few years of training experience already behind me.

It was time to get a job.....

I had an interview with GLL (Greenwich Liesure limited) which was a local authority gym chain. I was really nervous as this was a huge deal to me, although I already had a part time job at WHSmiths in Lewisham so had been for interviews before. I was cr*pping myself.

With the interview done and dusted off I went to my evening job at WHSmiths, I decided to walk all the way from Woolwich (GLL's head office) to Lewisham as I had time and just wanted to think things through and assessing how well I thought I had done in the interview.
About 40 minutes after leaving their head office, I had a phone call from a blocked number. To my surprise it was the lady who had just interviewed me, "I'm pleased to tell you we are keen to offer you a part time position at our Greenwich location". I was over the moon and could not wait to get started. Firstly because I got a job as a fitness instructor and secondly because this club was a 10min walk from where I lived. They must have been desperate as they wanted me to start in 2 days time. I of course said yes.

I didn't want to leave my evening job at WHSmiths and asked if I could just work morning shifts, to which they were delighted as no one wanted this shift. 2 days later, it's 6am and I'm being shown the ropes by the supervisor. 6am, it's a crazy hour, I had to get up at 5am to ensure I was fed, packed my lunch and washed ready for my first day. But I was that excited that I was awake before my alarm keen to get started.

I was soon shocked to find out that my role as a fitness instructor involved more cleaning and machine maintenance than anything else, I also discovered that we only had a 30 minute break as opposed to an hour. This was a huge dilemma for me as my gym shift was 6am-3pm and my WHSmith shift was 4-9pm. When was I going to train?

I could have easily used this as an opportunity to use the whole "I don't have time" excuse, but I'm better than that. I knew I had to make some changes to my routine and fit it in in my lunch break.

So at this point I was still devoted to my body split routine and focused on 2 body parts per session. I had 25mins to nail a workout which left me 5 mins to shower. I remember the workouts very well, here is how it looked:

MON: chest and back. 3x10, superset everything and rest 45secs between supersets.

1) Incline Dumbell press
Pull ups
2) Press ups
Barbell rows
3) Cable flys
Cable rows

TUE: legs and shoulders 3x10, superset everything and rest 45secs between supersets.

1) Dumbell squats (no rack)
Dumbell shoulder press
2) Dumbell lunges
Side raises
3) Dumbell step ups
Barbell upright rows

WED: rower and abs

1) 2000m on the rower

2) Weighted sit ups
Plank

THU: arms

1) Barbell curls
Close press ups
2) Hammer curls
Cable tricep extensions
3) Reverse close grip lat pull downs
Cable rope extensions

FRI: Rest, as I had rugby the next day.

Thursday was the one day I had off from working at WHSmiths as I had rugby training. Looking back this was an amazing achievement that I managed to work 2 jobs, train, play rugby and still loved every bit of it. I loved the challenge of being pushed for time and reducing the rest periods added a great cardiovascular element to my training.

I continued with this style of training, mixing up the order of exercises and throwing in some new things here and there but overall it was pretty basic and I got good results from it. I was going at such a speed that even after I showered I was still pouring with sweat for anther 30mins after my workout.

As you can imagine, my lunch hour was spent training so when did a brother eat? This is where I was a little crafty, I used to book in a fake induction and sneak into the cleaning cubourd and quickly scoffed down a couple of sandwiches and a cup of tea.

I had to do what I had to do ;-)

I would finish my shift at 3 and then walk from Greenwich to Lewisham, eating my other sandwiches on the move to ensure I was not starving at my second job. I was now well over my eating disorder so I used to snack on a snickers bar or two throughout my evening shift :-). 9pm would come and it was off home for a feast before doing it all over again.

I kept this up for about 2 years, I was 19 and had a girlfriend and loved socialising with my mates. My job was now getting in the way of my social calender and I was out at weekends getting hardly any sleep which meant come Monday, I was shattered. Working 2 jobs, training and socialising was taking its toll. I didn’t want to quit any of the jobs as the money was good and I had some good friends at each.

Until.........

Things were getting that tough that, pro plus tablets, lucozade and red bulls became a staple in my diet to get me through the day. I finished my morning shift at the gym and felt like s**t, I decided to call in sick at WHSmiths and go and get some rest.

My best mate called and wanted to go for a chinese and a drink and I hadn't been out for a which and thought why not. I was at his house waiting for him to change and BOOM, I collapsed on the floor. I was conscious, but it was as if I physically could not stand up, I dragged myself from the floor and told my pal that I had to go home. I felt dreadful. Over the next few days I ended up errupting in ulcers, vomiting whenever I ate and my energy was so low I may as well have just not bothered going to work as I was useless. I, of course, stopped training although I was not happy about it. This lasted for 6 weeks. Enough was enough. I'm sure some of you are wondering why I had not seen a doctor yet? Well, the truth is I was a stubborn sod and thought I could overcome it, I was very wrong.

I went to the doctor's, they ran blood tests and they concluded I was suffering from exhaustion. I was fatigued and they advised me to socialise less and to quit one of my jobs. It was here I realised the extent of what I was doing. I handed in my notice at WHSmiths and went for an interview for a full time position as a fitness instructor. Although I was already working full time hours I was on part time pay. The good news is I got the job so would get paid more which made it a lot easier cutting down to one job.

I will never forget the first time I walked out of the gym at 3pm knowing I didn't have to go and work a 5 hours shift else where. I could go home, to the pub, round my mate's house, I could do whatever I wanted and it was a fantastic feeling. I could now enjoy my 30 minute break and train in the afternoon at another gym (one with far better equipment and a squat rack).

So I was finally over my exhaustion, I felt normal again and could not have been more excited at the though of getting into my training regime again.

I could now work the late shift at the gym which was great as I could get my workout done early, get a good bit of lunch before starting my shift. I didnt leave the gym until 10.30pm on a late shift and I was in no mood to cook that late so I would always pick up 2 beef burgers and a chicken burger from the Morleys fast food take away down the road. My, how things have changed ;-)

I had my life back, training hard, sleeping plenty, socialising and able to spend more timewithm girlfriend. Things were good.

I had learnt a very valuable lesson but what is important is that I took it on board, learnt from my mistakes and made a change for the better. I know it is a place i will never be again.

Things to take away from this rather long blog :-)

• You always have time to train. I managed to fit an awesome workout into a 20 minute time frame and still got great results. No more excuses.
  
• You can’t go 100mph all the time. Down time is essential, regardless of how young or hard working you are. Your body must recover otherwise you will pay the price. Your health is more important than any job so look after yourself and be smart about what you do with your day.
• You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. I was incredibly proud of how disciplined I was back then, although my routine was not sustainable, it taught me just how strong we are both physically and mentally. I worked 2 jobs, went out with friends, trained 5 times a week and had a girlfriend. I was like clockwork. This was great for a while but it can't last. My point is we as humans are capable of many things but do NOT ever take it for granted.
  

Next time I will share with you how my training regime took a huge twist which took my gains to a whole new level and how I then took the leap from Fitness Instructor (glorified cleaner) to a Personal Trainer. I will discuss how a horrible rugby injury made me see things from a different perspective and how I finally listened to those who would lecture me on my not so clean diet.

Sorry for waffling.

Until next time,

Matt Whitmore

My Wild Physique Unleashed: Part 3

Last time I left you with my journey through school, getting well into my training regime and maintaining my hench status :-) Doing everything a teenager did just with a huge passion to train.

I went through the rest of my school years like this until I hit my college years. This is where things took a drastic turn...........

I had a well established routine going on that I stuck to religiously. I hated missing a training session but didn't lose any sleep if I did. I was 15 years old and started investing in fitness mags such as Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Flex, Muscle and Development, the list is endless. I was amazed by the guys I saw in these mags, so big and ripped, just how I wanted to be.

The thing that caught my eye that I had never before even thought about was nutrition and in this instance, meal plans to get big and lean. I looked at them only to be shocked as they were nothing like what I was eating. For me it was Frosties for breakast, fish & chips for lunch, chocolate and Dr Pepper, not to mention my post workout meal of deep fried chicken and chips from the Chicken Cottage across the road from the gym. I still have memories of my bus journey home and being that pumped and tired from my workouts that even holding up my chicken leg to eat it was hard work :-)

I knew instantly that I needed to change my diet and also the mags were screaming and shouting about protein shakes amongst other supplements. Of course I had to get me some of that.

Things changed, I started having eggs or porridge for breakfast, drinking water instead of Dr Pepper, wholegrain sandwiches instead of chocolate. I introduced protein shakes post workout, in fact my immediate post workout meal was a protein shake and a banana and honey sandwich. I used to look forward to this about half way through my workout. It was amazing.

I may have been young but it was not long until I really noticed a difference in my physical appearance and I was getting heavier and most drastically stronger.

On my next visit to the gym I was informed on arrival that system indicated I was due for a review of my workout and a body stat analysis. A body stat measures your body fat, lean mass and water etc I thought why not. So the instructor linked the leads up to me entered the relevant data........"Wow you're 5.2% body fat", he said, "Is that good", I replied. Apparently it put me in the same category as an elite athlete, so you could say I left the gym that evening feeling pretty good about myself.

Dun dun dun............the juicy bit

I thought - I had gotten bigger, stronger and leaner and now been told I was like an elite athlete. It had to be the new eating regime I was on I thought. But I couldn't help but feel that I wanted to get to 4% body fat. And if only I reduced even more fat in my diet I would get even more gains.

All of a sudden, I stopped adding sugar to my porridge, I didn't put butter in my sandwiches and I refused to add tomato ketchup to anything (looking back this was crazy as ketchup was my favourite thing in the world and was added to everything I ate) but it was full of sugar and I decided it had to go. I became obsessed with reading the calorie and fat content on everything I ate and if the fat was high or it had a lot of calories, I didnt touch it with a barge pole.

Slowly my portions got smaller, my food became bland and boring as in my head nothing that tasted any good could possibly be healthy. My post workout chicken and chips was a distant memory and to be honest I was obsessed.

I would refuse to eat a sandwich that had butter or mayo, I would turn away desserts put in front of me, nor would I eat chocolate. And I'm talking never, not even a little bit. I became gaunt and ridiculously lean to the point where my family were worried about me.

I felt abnormal, whilst all my friends were eating burgers and chips, chocolate and ice cream, all things I was so desperate to eat but felt overwhelmed with guilt just by thinking about it. It was clear I had developed an eating problem, one that actually took over my life for almost a year......seriously. I was miserable, didn't eat out with friends, I felt depressed and felt like a weirdo but I honestly felt as though there was nothing I could do about it. The months went by and the more miserable I became, my training became a chore that was purely just another part of my obsession with being lean, strong and big.

Men's Health saved my life:

Now, as much as I don't rate the magazine nowadays, back then I believed everything I read. I remember this issue very well, it was the summer holidays and they had a six week, bigger and stronger training regime by some top sports coach. This seemed perfect as I had 6 weeks off until college. It covered training over a 6 week period and also had a diet plan to follow. The regime was split into 2 halves, the first part was targetted towards getting big and the second was all about getting strong. Now the thing that struck me about this pull out was the guy featured in it. He was huge and was completey ripped and was lifting what appeared to be huge weights. I wanted to look just like that. I was so excited at the thought of going back to college and being the man mountain that was on every page of this pull out.

But then I got to the diet part..........

It was here I was left somewhat confused. As I was back where I was the previous year in that everything it said I should be doing was the complete opposite to what I was actually doing. Now I was on the right track in terms of what I was eating but more so just how little I was consuming. I will never forget the words "To get big you need to lift big and eat big".

I was told to eat healthy fats, get plenty of carbs and lean protein in my diet. Pasta, bread, cheeses, chicken and tonnes of vegetables. I felt low, like I had been wasting my time for a year although I was only doing what i thought best. I believed it all being the naive kid I was. I went out with my grand parents that very day with a shopping list.

Oily fish, nuts and seeds and oils all very calorific and high in fat (good fat) foods which before would have been avoided like the plague were piled up in my shopping basket. Peanut butter, pasta and brown bread were also present. I also stopped off at holland and barrat on the way back to get a big tub of protien.

I figured if i wanted to look like this guy in the mag, I had to do exactly what the strength coach said. I followed the routine and eating plan to a T. It was just what I needed, I was enjoying my food again guilt free, I was getting stronger, bigger and I just felt so excited about every training session. I got my mojo back and it felt great.

Like I said, Men's Health is not something I follow now but back then it really did save my life, I don't know what I would have done had I not found that pull out.

I went back to my first college year with my new found focus and still managed to maintain my hench status :-) Even my PE teacher Mr Lloyd who was 6ft 7 and built like a brick sh*t house was impressed.

I maintained this similar body split routine and eating guideline throughout my first college year. My passion for training was through the roof, I loved it and no one ever got in the way of my training. This frustrated my girlfriends but I was set in my ways and it was just something they had to deal with.

My first year of college was over and to be honest I hated it. Instead of studying I spent most of my time planning my workouts, reading training articles and watching training videos. I was so bored at college and dreaded most days. I was so excited when the bell went and it was time for my pre workout meal.

It was the middle of the following summer holidays and I was doing my summer job as an ice cream man (such a great job). I was averaging about 5 ice creams a day, a great mass gainer ;-) And it hit me - I wanted to become a personal trainer.

The summer holidays were over I went back to college with a letter stating that I was leaving for my own reasons which was that I was ready to start a career as a personal trainer. The headmaster thought I was mad and told me I would never make a decent leaving without any A levels but I didn't care, I knew what I wanted to do.

I left that day and booked straight on to a 2 week intensive level 2 fitness instructor qualification. I have never looked back since.

So to recap, I developed an obsession which led to an eating disorder and a lack of motivation and illness, I rediscovered my focus and my passion was back, I meant business again and I was on the path to fulfilling my dream to become a personal trainer.

In the next part, I will share with you how I evolved from my body split training routine and how I all of a sudden was on a level with all the guys at the gym who once upon a time were so far ahead of me, infact guys who I thought I could never possibly compete with.

Train smart, eat well and sleep peacefully,

Matt Whitmore

My Wild Physique Unleashed: Part 2.

So, last time I shared where all my inspirations started from and how my granddad fully supported my passion to train even as a little’un. In this post I want to share how I evolved from the blue plastic 3kg second hand dumbells to an outright gym rat who developed a crazy training obsession.

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

My Journey Towards My Wild Physique Unleashed: Part 1

How I Got Started, My Inspiration and Where I Wanted To Be.

In this first part in my Wild Physique Unleashed blog series I want to share with you where it all started for me, how I developed a passion for training and who my inspirations were.

I was always an active kid, playing every sport known to man. I was one of those annoying kids that never was able to sit still for too long and even now sitting through a film still proves difficult (even a good one).

So you get the picture, I was always active and loved running around blah blah blah.

BUT,

Where did the idea of training come about at such a young age? Rather than just doing it for fun and playing football, tennis or rugby with my pals? Well this is where the legend that is my Grandad comes in to it.

Unfortunately my Dad past away when I was just a toddler so my Grandad had always been the father figure in my life.

He did an amazing job if you ask me, I mean look how well I turned out :-)

My Grandad was a huge presence of a man, 6ft 2, broad shoulders and hands like shovels. Even into his 70's, he was incredibly strong. As a kid I was in awe of him and still am to this day. I wanted to grow up to be just like my Grandad - big, strong and to have a presence.

I was 8 years old and at this point I was a huge Jean Claude Van Damme fan. I mean, not only did this guy have an awesome physique but he could kick some a***. I remember watching one of his films where he was training for an upcoming fight, I saw him lifting weights and doing press ups, star jumps and pull ups. I turned to my grandad and asked him if I could have some weights just like that, he looked at me blankly for a bit and then said, "wait there".

He returned a minute later with 2 tins of baked beans in his hands. "When you can curl these 50 times you can have some weights", he said. I gave him a look like the little gangsta I thought I was and said "Grandad, that's easy, I could do that now". "Go on then", he replied.

So, I took my stance and proceeded to curl the baked bean tins with just the ease I expected to. 28, 29 and 30 I counted out load with a victorious look already on my face.

But wait... I got to rep 35 and all of a sudden my arms were burning like crazy and I started to slow down, my grandad then got all army like on me and told me off for not fully extending my arms at the bottom. He then said that the reps, that I didn't fully extend on, didn't count. I got to 42 and that was me done. My Grandad smirked and told me to get practicing if I wanted the dumbells I had asked for. I threw a wobbly as I hated the fact I had failed, I asked if I could have the dumbbells anyway as I tried so hard but my Grandad was having none of it.

I am, and always have been, very stubborn. I went away and I trained my little arse off, well I kept curling the baked bean tins as often as I could aiming for the 50 every time. I remember even at that age liking that pumped feeling and also the satisfaction of pushing through the muscle burn, it was quite addictive for me even then. Then a couple of weeks later, I was in the kitchen at home and I had done it, I had done the 50 reps, I was over the moon and leaping around the kitchen. BUT WAIT, no one was there to see me do it, how could I prove to my Grandad I had done it? I called him immediately and yelled down the phone, "I have done it I have done it". To my surprise, he told me I could have the dumbbells. "I didnt think you were going to believe me", I said, to which he responded "you couldn't fake that excitement, plus I know you wouldnt lie to me".

The following week my Grandad presented me with a pair of 3kg light blue dumbbells that he had bought from a car boot sale for 50p. I was over the moon with them and could not wait to get started with them. But of course, I was 8 and if I was to do this and train just like Jean Claude Van Damme then I had to look the part. So I got a pair of jogging bottoms and cut them to the knee, I used 2 of my nans tubie grip bandages to cover my ankles and one of my grandads ties to wrap around my head. I then proceeded to replicate the moves he was doing in the film I mentioned earlier. I was sweating like mad and getting really tired but I was loving it.

So here it is. This is where it all started for me, at the age of 8 I found inspiration in my Grandad's appearance, his physical strength and his supportive influence and I had an idol in a film star who was everything I wanted to be.

The next post in the series covers how I never lost the craving to better myself and how I advanced from 3kg dumbells from the car boot sale to a far more serious and disciplined training and diet regime.

Hope you enjoyed my little insight here and look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you.

Matt

My journey towards unleashing my inner beast: Intro

This is an introduction to a new series - "My Journey Towards My Wild Physique Unleashed"

I'm sure some of you have seen CJ Swaby's recent blog posts discussing his training methods, dietary changes and mindset disciplines in his journey towards obtaining his wild physique. CJ is not only a good pal of mine, he was also a huge inspiration to me from the moment I met him at a kettlebell course 18 months ago. After reading his awesome blog entries I decided I wanted to share my training journey with you too.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting blogs explaining:

- How I discovered a passion for training from a very young age.
- How I remained disciplined and worked around barriers.
- The mistakes I made along the way.
- How changing my eating habits added kilos to the bar and my own lean mass.
- The key to restoration and recovery for awesome gains.
- And much much more

In my journey towards achieving my forever evolving goals I have tried, I have tested, I have failed and I have also succeeded, but most importantly of all I have learned from my mistakes.

My reason for sharing this journey with you is simply because I want to help you, inspire you and add some great value to your current training, diet regime and lifestyle. I want to share with you the mistakes I made and the fads I followed to prevent you making them yourself. It won't be rocket science, it won't be technical, it's just a South East Londoner's journey towards unleashing his inner beast :-)

Enjoy

Matt