Zero to Hero I – The Best Decision You Ever Made

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Gaz -

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If you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re a complete beginner in the bodybuilding/weightlifting/fitness world. Congratulations – just by reading this article, or fumbling around with some dumbell curls or pushups in your bedroom, or just looking in the mirror and wanting to improve what you see, you’ve made the first step towards a better you!

Believe it or not pretty much everybody has felt what you’re probably feeling right now – confusion. There are a million magazines, routines, so called ‘experts’ with shiny new inventions to get you ripped in minutes, magic pills and powders that promise you a beach body with no effort, and theres you stuck in the middle wondering just how the hell you’re supposed to make sense out of all this.

I’m here to help.

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..Pictured: Me circa 2004 (above) and 2010 (below).

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Who am I?

Back in 2003/2004 i was a skinny self-conscious teenager in a group of skinny self-conscious teenagers, and being a bit more skinny or self-conscious than the others a few of us started to lift weights, run, swim, anything we could to get ‘in shape’. Some of what we did worked, but a lot of it was pointless.

Thanks to a bunch of people who were (and still are) a lot smarter than me, somewhere down the line i stopped messing around and got down to some serious work – and got some serious gains from it! I started out in 2003 at 110lbs, and over the course of the next four years by 2007 i had bulked up to a respectable 200lbs, nearly doubling my bodyweight! Well, one back injury and another three years later its 2010 and i weigh a healthy (and happy!) 185lbs.

Whatever the media says about weightlifting and bodybuilding, this lifestyle has not only improved my physique and health, but built a work ethic, self-confidence, and a drive to succeed in the other areas of my life. I’ve also made many good friends over the years, and even got a job at my favourite gym! What other hobby can boast all that?

Thats why making this decision is the best one you have ever, and will ever make. If you stick with it you won’t only change your appearance, but your entire life – for the better.

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What are we gonna do?

This series of articles will probably see you through your first year or so of training if you follow them from start to finish, and by the end of it you should be ready to undertake any of the other, more advanced, programs on this website. Despite my story i’m going to be including advice, workouts, and diet plans that will help you lose weight, increase lean muscle and strength, and can be used by men and women alike.

Since this is all gonna happen over the internet, i can’t be with you for every session, i can’t teach you the exercises, and i can’t spot you – so you’ll have to do a fair amount of work inside and outside the gym if you want to get the most of it, but i’ll always welcome questions along the way and will post videos and pictures of the more complicated exercises.

Before we really get going, i have a few things you need to take care of first:

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1. Obtain a medical exam – If you’ve never been part of a proper exercise program before it’s incredibly important to get a check-up with your doctor beforehand. You might have dormant medical conditions that you don’t know about, or some other precautions you need to take while you exercise. Better to be safe than sorry, and you have a few weeks yet. Better to do it now than a few months down the road when you get injured.
2. Find a gym – It’s time to get serious, and to get serious you need to be in the right environment. Gyms are full of motivated staff and gym members, not to mention every piece of equipment you will ever need. You have people to spot you, motivate you, and won’t be distracted by family members or the phone. The gym is a place of work, home is a place of rest. You need to work. Make sure the gym you choose isn’t too far away, won’t break the bank, and has a good set of freeweight barbells, dumbells, and some sort of squat/power rack at the very least. Don’t be ‘wowed’ by flashy machines, they’re not important.
3. Find a training partner – This is optional, but definitely recommended. If you have a friend who is at the same level as you, and wants to start training this article series will be perfect for the both of you. You can stick to the program together, motivate eachother, you’ll always have a spotter, and a little friendly competition is always conducive to training. Not only that, but a lot of gyms do group deals so it may end up cheaper.
4. Get fitter – Once you’ve done all of the above, before we get started with the weight training it’s probably a good idea to do a week or two of cardiovascular exercise to prepare your body for the more intense exercise to come. 1-3 times a week i want you do do any form of cardiovascular exercise you like – this can be running, jogging, swimming, biking, rowing, anything. Don’t push too hard, but get a good 60 minutes of exercise per session.

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And thats it! I’ll give you a few weeks to get that sorted and then we’ll start the real work. This is going to be one crazy year, but if you put the work in you WILL see the results you want. It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely the best decision you’ve ever made.

In the next article we’ll be designing your first weight training program and putting it into practice to build a solid foundation. We’ll also be touching on some simple ways to clean up your diet and using good nutrition to make the most of your first few months training.

If you have any questions feel free to send me an email or post on the GetLifting discussion board!

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