16/11/2022
First things first, introductions ✋
Not much of an introduction per-say as at this current point in time I am choosing to remain anonymous. However, a little bit of background on me. I am currently at the peek of my “fitness journey” and as much as I am not a fan of that phase, it’s what most people would classify it as.
Let’s take a ”journey” back to 2011 where I first found my love for physical fitness when I got asked to play for my middle school rugby team after one PE lesson and one training session. Baring in mind my whole family have also played rugby this was my first bit of exposure from that game lead me into a world of unknowing love and dedication or so you would have thought but how things got interesting down the line.
While playing rugby I figured because of my size and stature even at 11 years old! As one of the tallest in my year and what my mum would call “puppy fat” I was the right build for a prop/ second row. This didn’t change for many years. As with each year I got older I would gain a 1 stone (6.3kg) every year till 2016.
Now we fast forward to 2013-2016 I was playing rugby twice a week once for school, once for club with three training sessions a week. You would like to think I was in pretty neat shape. As said once before the “puppy fat” I was told I would grown into did not decrease however I did get taller by this time I was nearing 6ft 2in (188cm) so prop forward was still my more suited position tighthead prop specifically.
This is where the story gets interesting. 2016 what year filled with absolute bangers and the first long summer from finishing GCSE’s to starting college. unlike all my mates who were loving school and messing around outside cycling, playing football or going out as soon as it was light and going in as soon as it got dark. Before the end of high school was making a close. I had already closed off, turning to food and my bed for comfort from a kid you couldn’t get away from school to a kid that didn’t want to go back. With my attendance dropping to nearly below 50% due what I could only assume was anxiety attacks.
Although still playing rugby for my club it wasn’t quite the energy expenditure I needed for the amount of food I was consuming. Sky rocketing my weight from 15ish stone (96kg) all the way to 24 stone (153kg). As much as I was never a small guy to begin with this was way bigger than you could ever imagine. 4xl T-shirts, 48 inch waist trousers. All before college had even started.
2016 the year my life changed for the better! Due to my size you could probably imagine I wasn’t very mobile, barely being able to breath after 10 minutes on the pitch. what didn’t help (definitely did!) is a shocking performance by my college rugby team which lead out coach blasting us in our next training sessions. Remember how unfit I was! That was my switch. seconds after nearly throwing my lunch up all over the pitch. I went straight over to my coach who was a strength and conditioning coach by trade and I do believe my exact words were “sort me out coach” and that he did.
I stop playing for my club for the season used that extra time to get in the gym start weight training and doing cardio all while following my coaches diet plan. The weight started falling off; 24st, 22st, 20st, 18st all the way down to 17st stone which is where I thought I would feel comfortable this was all in the space of about 9months. Kept grafting and turning up getting fitter and fitter, stronger and stronger. We roll on to my second year at college people didn’t even recognise me as while everyone was out partying in the summer I was working on me! I managed to drop another 2st. I couldn’t stop it was like a drug and it had me in its grasps.
I went back to playing club rugby and carried on playing college rugby same ordeal two games but now I was not only rugby training 4 times a week I was also going to the gym 4-6 times week. I was the fittest I had ever been done would say the fittest on the pitch I would complete half a match 40minutes of play time and not have an ounce of sweat on me, not a heavy breath in sight. Again all good to be true!
2018- I had just turned 18 were as all my mate had already been out clubbing and partying I hadn’t because of my own neglect. I hit the clubs and I hit them hard out every weekend for month on end although still playing rugby I needed a couple more days to rest. Thankfully I got over that pretty quickly and got back in the gym but now I had rugby, college and a part time job to keep going. I had passed my driving test and become lazy not waking to college everyday or to the gym. I put a bit of timber back on nothing too crazy couple of stone I would say but I passed it off as bulking season. I was wrong that couple of stone turned out to be 5st and I was back to 20st once again. I had fallen into bad habits and laziness once again.
2019- I got back into the swing of things balance work, the end of college, rugby and of course the gym. I had cut but down but still wasn’t were I had been but bit more comfortable. Enjoying the gym and my size brings key factor in this I decided I would give powerlifting again comprising the squat, bench and deadlift. Don’t get me wrong I was doing will squat: 180kg bench: 120kg and deadlift: 220kg I hit those numbers before the end of the year before COVID!
I think we all remember that fateful announcement the world going into lock down; gym closing, schools closing, masks going on and being afraid of leaving the front door incase of passing on this deadly illness to loved ones that aren’t strong enough to fight it off. Guess what happened to me. That it I slipped back into bad habits but this time a little bit different because I found the love for the education of lifting and fitness. Even though my weight went up so did my knowledge. Post lock down I found a full time job that allowed me to stay active and get to the gym as well as being able to get a meal structure in place. I learnt all about macros and calorie counting I felt like there was so much information and I want to swallow it all up like a freshly baked cookie 🤤.
Which brings us to pressure day! I am happy I am health sitting at about 90kg. Slowly getting back into rugby after 4 years away due to work but I know have a new mind set and a whole bunch of knowledge I want to share with whoever wants to listen/ read a along. All I ask is for a share when you find something useful and a like if you like what you see. I plan on posting weekly advice knowledge and discussions. I enjoy looking forward to what this will bring. Any questions comment away and anything you want me to cover I will give a good old go at this is is a platform for learning both for you an I so let’s enjoy it together!
Peace out gym geeks see you next time!
