The Revelation of Fitman...

Even I was once UNFITman...but not anymore and not ever again.

You ever see those ads in fitness magazines?  Where the people have gone from terribly out-of-shape to pro bodybuilders in just 1 month?  2 months?  I'm sorry to bust your bubble, but it is not going to happen that quickly...Your training, your DIET, and your mental toughness must be excellent for real results.  Let me illustrate what I am saying...


Imagine a former college athlete.  Imagine at his peak he was fast, strong, and muscular.  Imagine this athlete graduating college.  Imagine him letting life take over.  Imagine him no longer training or eating right.  Imagine him eating McDonalds and Burger King often.  Imagine him eating cheesesteaks every week.  Imagine his fitness levels and confidence dropping dramatically as each day passed.  Imagine him not realizing who he was in the mirror.  Imagine him making excuses to not workout and to not get his behind back to the gym.  Imagine him blaming his job and his financial situation.  Imagine me...

For those reading, I have been out-of-shape.  I have felt sluggish.  I had no had confidence in myself and my abilities.  I have walked down that road.  And I know that though you may start in the valley, you can definitely get to the moutaintop.  2007 was the year I let it all slip away.  But through determination, will, and effort I rose again...Here is my story in pictures:

2005...Prime sprinting shape...fast, strong, and muscular...a woman's dream (hey, jokes are allowed)

This is January 2008...a shell of who I was in 2005...smooth, soft, and not confident.  Not a woman's dream...her nightmare.

I turned my back on being healthy and fit...it shows with my unspectacular back.

Not fit...not strong...not who I wanted to be.

This was taken about 4 months into my program...not spectacular physical gains yet...but at this time I was stronger and felt better than I had in a long while.

My back was still smooth...but my confidence and strength were soaring.

This was taken towards the end of 2007...I have gained some muscle...I have also gained back all of my strength.  Slow but steady progress.  The body is beginning to take a shape.

My back is beginning to form also...slow but it is happening.

This is February 2008...after a difficult moment in life, my focus was back on training.  2007 was a great beginning year.  But honestly it was just laying the groundwork for 2008.

It took time and effort...but the mountain can be climbed.  Never give up.

Back in action.

This was the pinnacle of 2008...lean and muscular...better training, better diet, and better confidence led to this result.

I relapsed in July/August 2008 with fast food and poor training...and threw most of my hard work down the drain...this is more embarrassing because I let it happen again.

Bad Back...my training for the rest of the year did not bring about any real physical changes...you cannot make physique changes if you eat fast food after you train...I did not make anymore real gains until September 2009...It was in this month I committed myself to a sound diet and progressive programming.

And now it is 2010 I haven't looked back since...I'm not angry in this pic..maybe a little bit.

Hard work = Hard Back.

So the moral of the story is simple...it doesn't matter if you are a former athlete, or someone who is new to training.  It takes time, effort, determination, will, and faith.  I have had female clients who get frustrated when they have not turned into a amazon goddess after a couple months of training...The body cannot adapt that fast.  I train everyone with progressive programming.  It takes time.  The ads are fake.  The infomercials are fake.  Hollywood stars and pro athletes have personal trainers that live with them. They have chefs that cook every meal for them.  They have registered dietitians planning the food intake.  So in training we have to be realistic.  But as you see from my story, you can progress to the mountaintop.  Without the ads, pills, surgery, gizmos, etc.  Train hard, eat good, and stay humble and focused.  Take pictures.  They will keep you accountable as they did for me.  But do not get caught up in only how you look.  Your health and fitness is very important.  Pro athletes/bodybuilders who take steroids may look good on the outside, but their insides look like me in 2007...REAL BAD.  Aesthetics aside, you do need be in good health.  Physical fitness will improve that.   Through the pain comes the glory.  Your glory will be a healthier and more fit you.