Best transformation ever your a champion

I hate to be redundant but I had to chime in- WOW. That is Absolutely amazing. You are a true testament to what bodybuilding is all about. Very inspirational-I hope you can get some type of exposure- you can be an inspiration to so many people.

I can't comprehend how you could look like that with only a year of gym time, it's unbelievable

seriously bro, you are my hero!

great work!

Damn man thats one of the best transformations i've seen, DAYUM!!!

wow you looked like you stepped back in time i swear your before pics u look like your 45-50yr now i would easily put you at high 20's to early 30's!

Originally Posted by Ripped1

Damn how the f--k you grow calves lol

Man each time I see this I say screw Jared you kick his ass in the transformation department

Originally Posted by poopypants

well Im sure he always had those calves bro.... he used to be 375... thats a HELL of a calve workout... now he just cut them up with his body fat drop.

Brad Spencer....

Hell of a great job sir. This is a great thing to see and use to show others out there that it CAN be done. Ill let my wife look at these too as shes worried bout losing weight after being pregnant and this kind of thing will give ehr hope.

U R the man, keep with it and keep us in the loop, Id love to see how you continue to progress

Thanks again, everybody.

You're absolutely right about my calves and leg strength generally. I carried around a **** ton of weight for so long, I just got naturally strong legs, the same way you guys have worked out for years and gotten stronger all over.

There are quite a few in my gym look at me like I'm kind of a freak when I work my legs. I just don't look like I'm big enough to do sledded hack squats with 675 on the sled for 10 reps, or leg press 1000 lb+ every week for reps. I always tell them, think of doing the treadmill and stairmaster with a 185 lb bar on their shoulders, 24/7 for a couple of decades. You'll get strong legs.

Then again, the looks may be due to the fact that most of them are show muscle lifters. Just two days ago, I was doing one arm T-bars with a chiropractor who's been lifting for 20+ years. I looked up from the first set, and there were 10 or more guys just staring at us as if they'd never seen it before. Sure, I do some "odd" exercise variations, like one leg calf raises standing on a free-rolling db or cable skullcrushers as a triple drop set. But, I get the same looks from them when I do goodmornings and even SLDL's. To me, and the long time serious lifters, those are near-foundational exercises. But, to them, they're totally foreign.

Originally Posted by jarhead

I hate to be redundant but I had to chime in- WOW. That is Absolutely amazing. You are a true testament to what bodybuilding is all about. Very inspirational-I hope you can get some type of exposure- you can be an inspiration to so many people.

This may sound like false modesty, but believe me, it isn't.

I really do not see how what I've been able to do is anything remarkable. If anything, the remarkable thing was allowing myself to even get into that position. I should have never allowed it to happen, and all I've really done is try to fix it.

To tell the truth, I've kicked myself in the ass more than once for now starting when I was 16 or 17 like most of you. Wonder what I would have looked like now, with 10 or 15 years of lifting under my belt. I'll always be a little envious of you guys for having that time, and I'll always regret having wasted so many years sitting on my ass when I could have had so much more.

Originally Posted by bradspencer74

This may sound like false modesty, but believe me, it isn't.

I really do not see how what I've been able to do is anything remarkable. If anything, the remarkable thing was allowing myself to even get into that position. I should have never allowed it to happen, and all I've really done is try to fix it.

To tell the truth, I've kicked myself in the ass more than once for now starting when I was 16 or 17 like most of you. Wonder what I would have looked like now, with 10 or 15 years of lifting under my belt. I'll always be a little envious of you guys for having that time, and I'll always regret having wasted so many years sitting on my ass when I could have had so much more.

I got ya. But I think you still need to give yourself some credit-so many people never even have the discipline or willpower to even attempt what you have accomplished, much less to achieve the amazing results that you have. Don't worry about lost years, the important thing is that you did it at all. I can't say enough how impressive what you have done is.

really IMPRESSIVE... CONGRATS

DUdddee.. i adore you... haha no really you are the bes!!

Originally Posted by bradspencer74

This may sound like false modesty, but believe me, it isn't.

I really do not see how what I've been able to do is anything remarkable. If anything, the remarkable thing was allowing myself to even get into that position. I should have never allowed it to happen, and all I've really done is try to fix it.

To tell the truth, I've kicked myself in the ass more than once for now starting when I was 16 or 17 like most of you. Wonder what I would have looked like now, with 10 or 15 years of lifting under my belt. I'll always be a little envious of you guys for having that time, and I'll always regret having wasted so many years sitting on my ass when I could have had so much more.

I get what you're saying, it's usually our own fault to let get to that point even, I myself was a chubby teenager but snaped out of it when I was 16.

But after that I've worked out almost constantly ever since, 7 years now, with a few setbacks here and there, and yet, I don't look nearly like that, so, really, you did EXTREMELLY well, and my props to you!

Congratulations on a job extremelly well done sir!

As this is my first post on this site, I'm glad that it was on this thread. I'm a fat older guy(early 40's) trying to not to be one any longer. So your "re-birth" is truly inspirational, especially to a guy like me.

I feel what you said about having "strength" from carrying around the excess tonnage for all those years. It's my first month in the gym and I feel my body responding very well to the weights & the training. It feels good pushing those 45's DBs around and knowing that next week you should try for the 50's.

You have the type of physique I'm chasing. Lean, mean with the right kind of "bulk" that's starting to pop out and do further damage.

Yeah, having girls half your age hitting on you should tell you that your on the right track.

Awesome transformation ! Kudos to that ....impressively done !

holy **** ! people and stories like yours are the reason why I'm in my major. Thats amazing man keep up the good work

Good job man , I had to really look at the after pics to make sure it was you .

Hell yeah.

Great job man keep it up

Originally Posted by bradspencer74

My after (current anyway) diet is the easy part. Right now, I'm slow, clean bulking. I've gained about 2 1/2 pounds this month. I eat about 3600-3700 cals per day (low for a bulk, but that's the endo in me ), 40% c / 40% p / 20% fat, 6 meals + a PWO shake. I eat extremely clean, whole foods. With the exception of protein powder, whole wheat bread and pasta, everything I eat is as unprocessed, no-sugar, no-preservatives, etc. as I can get. I wanna get back to about 215 so that I can regain some of the muscle mass I lost over the diet, before I cut again and try to get sub 10%. (I'd like ot cut back to 195@ sub 10% by mind-summer 2008 before I try my long term goal of 220, sub 10%)

Before diet, it was pretty much whatever I wanted, as much as I wanted. Convenience foods, lots of pop, chips, fast food. My best guess is that I typically ate something on the order of 7000-10,000 cals per day, sometimes as high as 12 or 15000, with a totally sedentary lifestyle. Sounds incredible, but thinking back on some of the meals that I had (and I ate 3-4 times a day like this), it's what the figures point to.

Here are a few "sample" before meals:

1) A whole large all-topping pizza, a large order of wings, and a whole 2 liter pop

2) A double Whopper, a single whopper, 2 large fries, and pop.

3) From Taco Bell, 2 burritos, a nachos grande, 3-4 soft tacos, and pop. (Snackish kind of thing) In fact most places fast food just for myself would run 12-14 bucks.

4) Stop at KFC for a 10 piece family meal, and eat 3/4 of it on my own in one sitting.

5) If I cooked for myself, let's say chili, it would be 3-4 large bowls with all the condiments and add ons (sour cream, cheese, crackers, etc) you can think of. Most of a box of pasta with a jar's worth of sauce and half a loaf of French bread.

Mind you, I could eat like that, and then eat again three or four hours later and just as much. You may thing I'm joking, but I'm not exaggerating at all. It's mind boggling to me now that I could have ever lived and ate that way for so long.

How I've changed? Just this weekend, I cheated and ordered a Domino's pizza to eat watching the football game. Three slices of medium later, I was full.

So what was your diet like while you were actively losing weight, before your bulk but after your 7k-10k diet? Still 40-40-20? What are types of foods you include in your diet?

I am kind of at the beginning of a transition much like yours. I'm currently ~ 326lbs 5'9" ~33%bf and my long term goal is 225lbs ~ 13%.

Your transformation is amazing!

Originally Posted by Chrisbb

Hell yeah.

Great job man keep it up

Originally Posted by n8te

holy **** ! people and stories like yours are the reason why I'm in my major. Thats amazing man keep up the good work

What major? It's changed my professional life, too, so I'm curious. I know a PT and nutritionist who is fascinated by what motivates "transform" people. He's great at his job, too.

Originally Posted by Svgeman

Good job man , I had to really look at the after pics to make sure it was you .

You're not the only one to have to do that. Even in person, people who have known me all my life have a hard time recognizing me until they hear my voice.

And, to all of you . . . thanks a lot!!

Originally Posted by WayoftheWolf

So what was your diet like while you were actively losing weight, before your bulk but after your 7k-10k diet? Still 40-40-20? What are types of foods you include in your diet?

I am kind of at the beginning of a transition much like yours. I'm currently ~ 326lbs 5'9" ~33%bf and my long term goal is 225lbs ~ 13%.

Your transformation is amazing!

My cut diet ratio was exactly the same, 40-40-20. When I started, I could barely exercise, so my caloric intake was very restricted (~1500 cals per day). Once I got some cardio stamina built up, I started adding cals. I hit a sweet spot for my body eating 2100-2400 cals per day cycling intake, but, as I said, I'm an endo. Most people need a little more than that at the level of cardio and lifting I was doing. I still cheated one a week when cutting, and that meal was typically a normal restaurant meal from the menu -- 1200-1500 cals in the one meal or more.

The foods I ate were all clean -- no sugar added, no preservatives, etc -- but past that, it was what I felt like having. Most meals through the day would have a protein source, a starchy carb source, a fat source, then the rest of the cals in non-sweet fibrous veg. I would just limit my intake to a serving per meal (sometimes 2 serving of protein at a single meal.) That forced me into a healthy variety of foods. I had bread most everyday, but I'd shop around the market, reading the labels and choosing the best one without sugar. Here's some examples of foods.

Carbs - Potatoes (yes, but a serving of fresh baked), Yams, whole oats, multigrain bread, multigrain pastas, corn occasionally, make my own whole grain baked tortilla chips sometimes. Beans of all kinds, carrots, onions, peppers, broccoli, greens . . .

Protein - Basically any relatively low fat source you can think of. Eggs and whites, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, fish of all kinds, whey, skim milk. The only thing I avoided and still do is pork.

Fats - Flax oil, egg yolks, natty peanut butter, olive or canola oil.


A typical first meal on the go would be 5 egg whites with a yolk, a serving of Kashi cereal with skim milk or a serving of oats with Splenda. Less than 400 cals with slow release carbs and 40+ grams of protein and some good fats. All I do to change to a maint or a bulking diet is up the oats and add an extra white and a couple of yolks.

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you wanna talk. Good luck!! You can do it.

Originally Posted by bradspencer74

My cut diet ratio was exactly the same, 40-40-20. When I started, I could barely exercise, so my caloric intake was very restricted (~1500 cals per day). Once I got some cardio stamina built up, I started adding cals. I hit a sweet spot for my body eating 2100-2400 cals per day cycling intake, but, as I said, I'm an endo. Most people need a little more than that at the level of cardio and lifting I was doing. I still cheated one a week when cutting, and that meal was typically a normal restaurant meal from the menu -- 1200-1500 cals in the one meal or more.

The foods I ate were all clean -- no sugar added, no preservatives, etc -- but past that, it was what I felt like having. Most meals through the day would have a protein source, a starchy carb source, a fat source, then the rest of the cals in non-sweet fibrous veg. I would just limit my intake to a serving per meal (sometimes 2 serving of protein at a single meal.) That forced me into a healthy variety of foods. I had bread most everyday, but I'd shop around the market, reading the labels and choosing the best one without sugar. Here's some examples of foods.

Carbs - Potatoes (yes, but a serving of fresh baked), Yams, whole oats, multigrain bread, multigrain pastas, corn occasionally, make my own whole grain baked tortilla chips sometimes. Beans of all kinds, carrots, onions, peppers, broccoli, greens . . .

Protein - Basically any relatively low fat source you can think of. Eggs and whites, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, fish of all kinds, whey, skim milk. The only thing I avoided and still do is pork.

Fats - Flax oil, egg yolks, natty peanut butter, olive or canola oil.


A typical first meal on the go would be 5 egg whites with a yolk, a serving of Kashi cereal with skim milk or a serving of oats with Splenda. Less than 400 cals with slow release carbs and 40+ grams of protein and some good fats. All I do to change to a maint or a bulking diet is up the oats and add an extra white and a couple of yolks.

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you wanna talk. Good luck!! You can do it.

Awesome, great information. Great transformation. Somewhere down the road I will have a thread just like this. Thanks a bunch man.

That is unreal!!!! But incredible, im inspired!!!!!

I recently decided to train to be a PT, while still going to school to be a history teacher and youth pastor. You are a true showing of what 110% means. You are the definition of inspiration to the people man.

Your transformation I would almost call and ascension! Seriously I have some friends who are asking me to help them get into better shape; this is something I am going to HAVE to show them. You want it, you work for it, and you decide what your fate is. Impressed is not the word, not sure they have a good enough one in Webster yet. Congrats man, I hope you surpass all your goals. BTW Were you a teacher in those older pics?

Originally Posted by russianstar

That is unreal!!!! But incredible, im inspired!!!!!

Thanks, man.

Originally Posted by Zero V

I recently decided to train to be a PT, while still going to school to be a history teacher and youth pastor. You are a true showing of what 110% means. You are the definition of inspiration to the people man.

Your transformation I would almost call and ascension! Seriously I have some friends who are asking me to help them get into better shape; this is something I am going to HAVE to show them. You want it, you work for it, and you decide what your fate is. Impressed is not the word, not sure they have a good enough one in Webster yet. Congrats man, I hope you surpass all your goals. BTW Were you a teacher in those older pics?

Congrats to you, and thanks.

I'm working on PT certification over the summer (NSCA), but its more to help me with my PhD work than to take clients. (Although I am very tempted to take a few people with weight problems like I had.)

And, yep. I am/was a teacher. That pic was when I got the Pre-K-4 part of my Special Ed license. But, I'm going on to higher ed, hopefully to prof at college. I want to work with people, especially high school or college-age athletes, military personnel, etc. who have trauma-induced physical disabilities or TBI's.

In their own way, many athletes/solders/bodybuilders who suffer career-ending injuries have the same attitudes as the morbidly obese. So many obese never start on the road to health because they think they can't do it and give up before they begin. Athletes, when they suffer a traumatic loss or similar career ending injury, enter deep depressions or give up because what they have lived most of their lives for is suddenly gone. "Since they can't have what they once had, why even try." I want to work with those people (and train other Physical Therapists and SPED teachers) to make the adjustment mentally and physically to get a rewarding life back. Getting CSCS certified will not only help me in my own training and classwork, but me help them customize routines to get them as much normalcy back as possible. Got some years of school left for the PhD, but I'll get there.

Originally Posted by bradspencer74

Just getting started here, but since I'm finally able to turn my focus toward gaining muscle rather than losing fat, thought it best to get post where I am now, just a couple of weeks into my first clean bulk.

I had been overweight all my life. When it finally clicked with me how close to dying I was, I was 375 lbs@44% BF (maybe a little more). I've poured everything I could into changing my life, and so far so good. Now, I'm at 200 pounds, 12-14% BF, depending on the measurement type that's done, and I feel better than at any time in my life. Hopefully there will be some new muscle on these pics on a few months. I'd like to get to 220 @8%, but that will take at while.

Anyway, Before and After:

HOLY A****!!!!

dude submit these pics for transformation of the week or something over at bb.com!! u will win for sure, maybe even an article on u!!

Originally Posted by warbird01

HOLY A****!!!!

dude submit these pics for transformation of the week or something over at bb.com!! u will win for sure, maybe even an article on u!!

Thanks, man.

I doubt, though. And there is a reason. BB.com actually contacted me about doing transformation of the week last August. I was willing, talked with them to the point of writing up the basic article. But, they never followed up with me after that. From the exchanges, I got the feeling that my change was so extreme, so fast, they were a a little uncomfortable with it thinking I may have used Clen or something else, even though I'm not. My doc did too, even though she tested me and had the proof its negative.

I'd be the first to admit most people cannot and should not do it at the speed I did. For me, though it was my natural pace. My body just wanted to shed the fat that fast.

Infukincredible transformation bro.

While you may think what you did isn't remarkable, it can truly inspire those who ARE in the position you were at 375 lbs.

DAMN!! You are my hero!! i mean seriously!!
Congrats man!

I've got a quick question, how exactly did you manage to lose all that weight and not at least retain stretch marks if not some flabby skin? Keep up the good work.

Originally Posted by Ziricote

I've got a quick question, how exactly did you manage to lose all that weight and not at least retain stretch marks if not some flabby skin? Keep up the good work.

I didn't. They both are there. I've just been very lucky to have a lot less than most people do.

Most all of the loose skin is around the extreme lower abs, so it never shows up on pictures. I'm gonna have surgical removal at the end of the summer. But even my doc is amazed that I have so little, considering how much I lost. The stretch marks have actually faded over time. They don't stand out like they did when I was fat. Maybe its just genetic luck. Maybe its just time.