How your journey began.

Share what made you start lifting weights, where you started out and any stand out experiences along the way.

Sorry if a thread like this has already been created.

I played Aussie Rules as a junior and got selected for an U/14 rep team. Realising I couldn't even do one single push-up my mum recommended I try lifting weights.

There were some weights in the back of a judo club that I was allowed to use and thats where I began my journey. My old man showed me what he knew. Started out doing bicep curls, bench press, military press, leg extensions and curls.

Few years later I represented QLD U/18 for olympic lifting. A long way to come from my push-up efforts.

ive always been active. at school played cricket, soccer, hockey, baseball and whatever i could get in to. then about 15yrs old just ate the wrong things and when i was 21 i looked in mirror and went holy shizzle! gotta change.. so been doing weights since then. still got fat to lose but have come along way since i started

The fat 17 y.o me was told to get my arse to the gym by my Dad. So I went to this dirty gym in a half-collapsed old sport center. There were a bunch of "trainers" - just self-taught fellas with no cert. Mine was a fairly athletic looking guy. He was squatting when I arrived.

Me: Can you teach me that?
Trainer: No, kid, you can't do that until you're 25. It makes you shorter. Here, take this DB and do some curls.

I lasted 2 sessions. Curls were boring.

I had about 2-3 similar false starts at the gym after that - all commercial ones with tons of certs. The PTs I had gave me some programs with machines and weird DB / swiss ball exercises so I gave up after a few sessions.

I've always been a fat bastard. The worse I got was 91kg, pant size 40, and I'm only 171cm. Did boot camp for half a year & ran like crazy, got my weight down to 71kg after a year, but didn't like how I looked (kinda skinny fat with no muscles).

Eventually, last year, I went back to the gym after a relationship breakup and this time was teaching myself how to squat, because the PTs were useless. A big bloke lifting at a powerlifting gym next door walked by & complimented me on getting ATG, and told me to come over to learn how to squat properly.

I squatted & did cardio machine stuff for about 6 months, took 3 months off (family issue) then got back to it late October last year and this time I learned all the other lifts, after running into PTC newsletters on another forum. I didn't care about my diet last year and blew up to 86kg. Been steadily loosing weight since I started to plan & prepare my meals.

Similar stories. Seems like motivation and dedication come from really wanting something

I was an obese young teen and always dreamed the dream of having muscles. I started in a gym when I was 15 but had no idea what do to except bicep curls, situps and failed attempts at pull ups. My efforts were in vein.

When i turned 17 i took up martial arts aswell us senior football and shed all my weight that year and was left with the skinny fat figure as mentioned above. Instead of capitalizing on my weight loss drinking etc became a thing of my life and my figure got a little worse. Finally I decided to do something about it when I was 19. I spent two years training incorrectly with fluctuating results using "mens health" as my training bible.

Mid last year I started the max-ot routine which was recommended by a body builder i know. I got brilliant resluts. In tone, mass and strength gains.

Late past year i found this forum and learnt to forget everything I knew about weight loss, training and health and listen to people who "knew". The kindness and knowledge on this forum has lead me to chase strength goals this year as I had never squated/dead lifted before.

Thanks to everyone in this forum who has helped me.
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I was overweight. My brother gave me the last few months of his gym membership. I started to work out to lose weight. Nothin' more, nothin' less. I spent a little time doing curls & bench pressing, but not much.

The gym's only PT was really good with working with me when it came to putting together a plan of attack. I did a 'body split' type of workout, with things like leg presses, squats, leg extentions & lunges (on leg day) and other things for other body part days.

I ended up getting socially friends with the trainer & guy who runs the gym. I was given a menial job at the gym & grew an interest in bodybuilding. So I persued that for a while. Grew a bit. AFter a while I began to be more strength focused.

That's where i am now


I've gone from being mid to late 80's (overweight) to being mid 60's with decent conditioning

My dad always trained with weights and I was always interested in them from a young age, maybe 10 I think. I always wanted to train with him but he wouldn't let me until I was 15/16. In retrospect I wish he had put me into olympic lifting when I was 10, I'd no doubt be squatting a lot more the 220 if he had!

I mucked around with weights in high school 2001-2002 for a while. Diet was garbarge and I didn't train properly so I didn't make great gains. I did enjoy it though.

End of 2002 I quit lifting and spent 5 years drinking, smoking, partying and generally living a very unhealthy lifestyle.

In 2007 a close friend started training and started to really improve his physique. I decided it was time to get back into training and started joining him at the gym. My body responded really well to training and this kept me interested. I found PTC in 2008 and have been getting more and more dedicated since then.

I stared out at 6'1 and 69kgs.
My missus was joking around one day, and said she could beat me up because I'm so skinny. I looked around at some other guys....... And I was actually REALLY skinny.
I originally started lifting because I wanted to get bigger and look really buff.....

But then something happened.....


..... I fell in love with moving plates.


Now I just want go get strong. Gaining size is only going to be a side affect now
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Always wanted to get bigger and stronger

False Start #1 2004 Went to a commercial gym and got shown a machine bench, curl, leg press, leg curl, tri pushdown, some kinda swiss ball excercise, routine. Did that for a few months then lost interest

False start #2 2008 Mate reckoned he knew what to do so signed up again at the same jym, his routine was dumbell bench, pec deck, curls, tricep pushdown then go home.
So got bored and frustrated with that after a few months.

Jan 2009: did some research on the internet and started on Rippetoes SS, and 3lts of milk a day. Got my 3x5 squat up to 100kg within 6 weeks. Been training hardcore ever since.

well this may seem a bit stupid but i got dumped by my first girlfriend at age 16 (she said i was too skinny and pimply. 53kgs). So decided to start training as i saw alot of other bigger guys get chicks.

False start #1 so went to a local PCYC and didnt have a clue what to do. So just started benching and doing biceps. Started getting symptoms of overtraining which at the time i didnt know about and lost intrest becuase of it.

True Start # Ran into a unit of a guy at the university gym when i was 18 who was also in my classes. He showed me the ropes (nutrition/training/rest) and i am forever gratefull towards him. (damn dont know where he is atm). The journey continues 15 years later!!

After 3-4 years of training i lost all my insecurities about females/my outward apperance and just train because its in the blood.


P.S i did run into my first GF again a few years ago and her eyeballs popped out when she saw me . She ended up being fat and married to a guy that looks like he had too much meatpies. Gotta say that revenge sometimes comes sweet!! Even better is my wife who is a stunner was with me showing her up .. /game over