I first began lifting in the summer of 2005. About the enter 10th grade, I was given a weight set for my 15th birthday. I was ecstatic that my parents decided to buy me this gift, for I had grown up idolizing Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not for his theatrical skills or big screen presence, but rather, for his
physique. As a child, I wished eagerly to grow up and look like Arnold - to be muscular, to be lean, to be athletic.. and to scare the sh*t out of anyone who wanted to mess with me.
Sadly, I was never any of those things. Rather, I was
extremely overweight. So much so that in 9th grade I weighed in at
200 lb's at 5'10". My bodyfat easily exceeded 30%. I was the fat kid to be picked on in gym class, the one who got good grades but wished desperately to have even a single good friend, the one who never spoke up, and the one who snacked frequently on chocolate bars but couldn't figure out
why he was overweight.
By the time my parents got me the weight set, however, I had already begun my slow transformation. I had been eating better for a few months, and it showed. I had dropped down to 184lb's -- still fat, but starting to get better. I cut my shoulder-length hair, and joined the high school basketball team. I started speaking up in class, and even began talking to some of my classmates. However, I still had a ways to go.
When I got my weight set, I was determined to change. I was about to enter a new school, and I wanted to become everything that I never could before. Every day that summer I found myself in my basement, doing endless repetitions of some simple exercises my father has shown to me. By the time winter rolled around, I had hit a growth spurt, and together with a calorie-restricted diet, I managed to drop down to 145lb's. At
6 feet.
Enter bodybuilding.com. I had been cutting calories for what seemed like eons, and at 145lb's I was teetering on the brink of anorexia (I
think.. I was never diagnosed or actually had any health issues, but I have some pictures of me at that weight and they're awful). When I found the wonderful resource of articles that bb.com provided, I was compelled to absorb every bit of knowledge on that site. Remembering my childhood aspirations, I decided to undergo my first bulk. I made myself a diet, got a proper exercise routine, and started tracking my progress. This was my first venture into the bodybuilding world.. and I have been on that journey ever since.
I managed to bulk up to 180lb's by summer 2006. I was focusing on the big lifts -- the squat, deadlift, and benchpress, and it had paid off. I remember one late night I took a thick black sharpie and wrote on the wall of my basement in huge block letters:
Live Hardcore, Lift Hardcore. SQUAT. BENCH. DEADLIFT
I had become an exercise junkie. I loved the feel of the weights, the constant progress towards heavier lifts, and the chance to continuously improve myself. I was sitting on top of the world.. except, some problems began to creep up.
Since I was working out alone in my basement, I never had anybody to spot me or to check my form. I was deadlifting well, but I was unintentionally doing something I now call "good-morning squats." Squats where I'd go down about 1/3rd of the way with good form, and then do the remaining 2/3rds of the squat by bending forward and doing something like a good-morning. I didn't know that my form was bad, but it began to show in a few months. By December 2006 I had constant pain in my neck, mid-back, and lower-back. Almost any simple movement would cause discomfort in my spine, to the extent that I had to sleep with towels wrapped around my back to keep the natural curvature of my spine. Eventually, the pain got so bad that I went to see a chiropractor.. in early 2007.
Chiropractor gave me the bad news: I had aggravated my spine and had multiple subluxations; however, because I came in when I was young he was confident he could fix it.. at a cost. I wouldn't be allowed to squat or deadlift for the next 6 months.
Sure enough, after getting set up on a proper recovery program, my chiropractor was able to substantially mitigate my back problems. 6 months had passed, and I was able to walk and function without any discomfort.. however, I still slept with towels around my back to protect the curvature. After 6 months I began squats and deads again... only to re-aggravate all my problems. Even though I was doing much lighter weight, it appeared that my spine couldn't handle any sorts of the pressure associated with these movements.
So, I dropped deads and squats permanently. By the time school started up in September 2007, I was around 180lb's (14%-16%BF) -- a bout of mono earlier in the year caused me to lose some of the muscle I gained, and I didn't focus much on weights as college applications were coming up. By January 2008, however, I started proper weight training again -- minus squats and deads.
Fast forward to today. I'm sitting in my college dorm, stronger, bigger, and leaner than I have ever been before - and able to
squat and
deadlift big numbers. What caused the change?
Animal Flex.
Over winter break, I began looking into solutions for my back issues. I was still seeing a chiropractor, but I was frustrated about not being able to do the big lifts. Looking into different supplements, I came upon Animal Flex as a recommendation to help with joint issues. Figuring I didn't have much to lose, I used some of my Christmas money to buy a canister. And
hot damn, did I notice the effects.
Within 2 weeks
all complications with my back cleared up. I went to see my chiropractor after a 1-month hiatus, when he gave me theT news that he had nothing to adjust.
(side note: when you get chiropractic treatment you reach a certain point where the adjustments can only be used as a maintenance tool.. meaning that more adjustments won't help more per say, rather just serve to prevent further issues from developing. I didn't have back pain anymore, but still slept with towels and couldn't squat or deadlift, as that would re-aggravate the injuries) Meaning that my back was somehow in
perfect condition. He was amazed.. I was surprised.. he mentioned how this was the first time in his profession he had somebody heal
completely. He asked me what I was doing differently.. I couldn't think of anything at first, then I realized that I had been taking Animal Flex for 2 weeks.
This was 2 months ago. Since then I've been an Animal Flex maniac. I've never missed a dose, and as a result I was able to start deadlifting and squating again. With no problems. I still go to the chiropractor for periodic checkups, and other than the fluke adjustments, I have no problems. I can now, for the
first time in THREE years, sleep without any towels around my back. I can squat without discomfort. My elbows don't crack, my wrists are stronger, and I feel completely renewed. All thanks to Animal Flex.
I just bought 4 new canisters for myself, and am bringing some home for my brother as well. He's 16 and a fantastic basketball player, but has had some inflammation in his ankles. I figure Animal Flex can only help him. I recommend it to all my friends, and this is truly the one supplement I will never go without. Even a staple such a whey is now in 2nd place for me, as I can always increase protein intake through more food.. but nothing can take place of Animal Flex. And I'm not taking any chances with any other joint supplements -- there's a reason Animal Flex is the bb.com joint supplement of the year, and there's a reason why so many people recommend it: the stuff works magic.
