Youtube Video Edit: Just read that I'm allowed to post a video if it's in relation to the transformation, check it out!
I always wanted to go to the gym. I was weak and quite underweight. I could only do a few pushups and only one proper pullup. I browsed /r/fitness and /r/bodybuilding a lot but never really got around to it. There was a gym in my town but it was quite expensive €38 per month without a free weight area.
I started off doing bodyweight training only. My town did not have any fitness parks to workout at. Instead I used different school playgrounds as my main workout area. As the exercises became easier I either added weight through a backpack full of boring school books or moved on to a harder progression which you can see below.
Exercise
Before
After
[h6]Basic Workout Breakdown:[/h6]
This is a basic example of what my average workout looked like. Some days I'll sub in different exercises, but this will give you a good starting point. For example once I got to 15 reps on pushups for 3 sets I either added weight through a backpack or moved onto diamond pushups.
Workout A
Workout B
Workout C
I usually eat whatever I want and I make sure to get enough calories and protein at the end of the day. But I know people on r/fitness always want the full package so below is an example of what my diet looks like on a school day.
Meal
Example
Calories
Protein
I didnt take protein shakes, BCAAs, ZMA, etc. Simply because I could not afford it. The only supplements I have taken daily and will continue to do so are:
I know and feel sleep is important. School requires me to get up at 06:30. This is why I am in bed 22:30 Sunday to Friday. I religiously sleep 8 hours at least and about 8.5-9 in the weekend.
I now workout three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I can't remember a moment in my life dedicating to something and being consistent with it before I started fitness.
I also wake up and go to bed at the same time almost every day. Before I would wake up one day at 10 am and go to bed at 2 am.
Last but not least I changed my way of eating from around barely 1300 calories a day to 3000 a day which was necessary for the gainz to be made.
Starting to workout has been the best decision in my life so far. I have changed my habits and I have probably laid a good foundation for the rest of my fitness and life journey. I am feeling much happier and more productive in general.
Training wise I came to the conclusion that weighted work is much easier to program progressive overload allowing you to see more consistent gains. Due my dedication my brother bought me a gym membership. The past weeks I started with barbell squats and deadlifts. I missed out on so muchfun leg gainz.
Edit: The reason I did not include straight arm work was because I didn't had not studied it properly and was afraid to injure myself. Now I have read up on the progressions, I will include them in my training. I'd like to achieve a front lever by the end of 2017.
Hi Reddit!
I shared my progress pictures with my family and friends yesterday. I also got nice comments on r/fitness/ that I thought to write about my fitness progress so far in more detail here as I mostly used bodyweight exercises.
Stats
- Height: 5'11" / 180 cm
- Age: 16
- Progress pics
- Starting weight: 125 lbs. / 57 kg
- After weight: 152 lbs. / 69 kg
Initial motivation
I always wanted to go to the gym. I was weak and quite underweight. I could only do a few pushups and only one proper pullup. I browsed /r/fitness and /r/bodybuilding a lot but never really got around to it. There was a gym in my town but it was quite expensive €38 per month without a free weight area.
Training
I started off doing bodyweight training only. My town did not have any fitness parks to workout at. Instead I used different school playgrounds as my main workout area. As the exercises became easier I either added weight through a backpack full of boring school books or moved on to a harder progression which you can see below.
| Pullups | 1x | 3x7 +5kg (+12kg bw) |
| Dips | 2x | 3x10 +8kg (+12kg bw) |
| Rows | 3x4 | 3x10 one arm incline rows |
| Pushups | 3x5 | 3x12 +20kg |
| Squats | 3x12 | 3x8 +10kg single leg squats |
| Lunges | 3x8 | 5x20 +40kg |
| Abs | 30 sec plank | 3x10 hanging leg raises |
| Sprints | 5x40m | 10x90m |
Exercise
Before
After
[h6]Basic Workout Breakdown:[/h6]
This is a basic example of what my average workout looked like. Some days I'll sub in different exercises, but this will give you a good starting point. For example once I got to 15 reps on pushups for 3 sets I either added weight through a backpack or moved onto diamond pushups.
| Pullups 3x5-10 | Dips 4x5-10 | Wide Pullups 3x5-10 |
| Dips 3x5-10 | Chinups 4x5-10 | Dips 3x5-10 |
| Rows 3x8-15 | Weighted Pushups 4x5-10 | Rows 5x8-15 |
| Pushups 3x8-15 | Pause Rows 4x5-10 | Pushups 5x8-15 |
| Squats 3x15-20 | Leg Raises 4x10-15 | Squat Jumps 3x5 |
| Walking Lunges 3x15-20 | Hill Sprints 50m x8 | Lunges 5x15-20 |
Workout A
Workout B
Workout C
Diet
I usually eat whatever I want and I make sure to get enough calories and protein at the end of the day. But I know people on r/fitness always want the full package so below is an example of what my diet looks like on a school day.
| Breakfast | 3 Scrambled eggs, turkey ham, oatmeal and a glass of milk | 850 | 39 |
| Lunch | 6 Sandwiches: 2x cheese, 2x PB, 2x ham and a glass of milk | 1050 | 34 |
| Dinner | Ground beef with potatoes and veggies | 700 | 30 |
| Snack | Bowl of quark, a banana and a handful of walnuts | 400 | 27 |
Meal
Example
Calories
Protein
Supplements
I didnt take protein shakes, BCAAs, ZMA, etc. Simply because I could not afford it. The only supplements I have taken daily and will continue to do so are:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
Sleep
I know and feel sleep is important. School requires me to get up at 06:30. This is why I am in bed 22:30 Sunday to Friday. I religiously sleep 8 hours at least and about 8.5-9 in the weekend.
Habits
I now workout three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I can't remember a moment in my life dedicating to something and being consistent with it before I started fitness.
I also wake up and go to bed at the same time almost every day. Before I would wake up one day at 10 am and go to bed at 2 am.
Last but not least I changed my way of eating from around barely 1300 calories a day to 3000 a day which was necessary for the gainz to be made.
Conclusion
Starting to workout has been the best decision in my life so far. I have changed my habits and I have probably laid a good foundation for the rest of my fitness and life journey. I am feeling much happier and more productive in general.
Training wise I came to the conclusion that weighted work is much easier to program progressive overload allowing you to see more consistent gains. Due my dedication my brother bought me a gym membership. The past weeks I started with barbell squats and deadlifts. I missed out on so much
Edit: The reason I did not include straight arm work was because I didn't had not studied it properly and was afraid to injure myself. Now I have read up on the progressions, I will include them in my training. I'd like to achieve a front lever by the end of 2017.
.