How young you were when...

[Rannen]

At what age did everyone start lifting weights?

[1bigwoof]

I lifted for the first time when I was 16 but didn't get serious until I was 22. Once I got serious, the gains were quick in coming and my addiction was complete!

[Notbigenuff]

I started on and off through high school, can't remember the exact time but probably about 15 - got much more serious in college and pretty regular ever since.

[glammaman2000]

......lifted seriously & made good gains until I hit 15; then stopped bodybuilding when I started dancing. Started lifting heavy again at about 25. Been at it ever since.

[DonnieJvilleNC]

Believe it or not, I didn't start lifting weights until the beginning of 2005. In March 2005 I joined my local Gold's Gym. I had only a few months of lifting prior to then (at the college gym where I teach).

[agreatguy6]

I have never lifted weights in my life. Nor do I ever plan to. It's a beautiful thing, but it's not the kind of beauty I'm after for myself, but rather one that I admire from afar.

(Read: I'm a lazy ass bitch and have no desire to make myself WORK for personal aestheticism)

[inflated]

I was always the muscular kid, by the time I was ten years old I played around with the weights. I really got serious in college and I am back at it serious again.

[b.spencer]

Like many of you guys, I did in high school.

But, I didn't start for real (that is to do to gain muscle and keep going for the rest of my life) until October 1 last year.

[Rannen]

What do you guys define as "getting serious"?

[1bigwoof]

For me, it was regular (3-4 times a week), intense training. When I first started, I did the circuit weight machines. My goal was either to add repetitions or weight each time I worked out. Once I felt like I had "done" the circuit as well as I could, I gradually moved over to more free weights. The mirror was very motivating!

[bigitalianboy]

i started when i was 12, my dad started me, he also had me playing football, soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling, and lacrosse, so i had an easy time growin

[just_another]

I did when I was 17. Then I realised I preffered to watch guys lift, than do it myself. But don't worry, I get plenty of exercise

[agreatguy6]

Amen to that!
The only exercise I get, though, really, is walking across campus everyday, but still, that's quite a bit of hard work, there.

[TitanInTraining]

When I was 15 been at it for 3 years so far.

[DaBigGuy1]

Originally Posted by Rannen

What do you guys define as "getting serious"?

That's a good question......

For me, getting serious happened when I was in my 20's. After horsing around with weights using so-so form, not taking my diet seriously and making marginal gains (if ANY), at age 29 I decided to either learn everything that I needed to learn to make the gains in muscle that I wanted, or just forgot the whole thing. In short, to go the the gym and REALLY push the iron instead of "just going" to tell people that I go.

For me, in time that resulted in a bodyweight increase from a skinny 120 pounds to a max of 260 pounds, and as of today 254 pounds . I go to the gym 6 days a week, eat like a horse and I live to feel the muscles PUMPED!

Now to me, THAT is getting serious!

Ron IIII----IIII

[arpeejay]

My dad bought me and my brothers a weight set when I was a kid (10, maybe?) I was waaaay to self-conscious to actually use it (when anyone could see me doing so.) I didn't get over that until the year I turned 20. I went back to school in the fall about 10 lbs. heavier than when I left and everyone thought I'd put on about 20 because it was all in my shoulders and chest.

After that (and that was a LONG time ago, circa 1979), it's always been up and down. I'd go at it good for a while, then something would derail me. The longest sustained effort was probably when I was with Jeremy (1994-2001); going to the gym (first at Emory, then at Flex and Bally's in Houston) was a regular part of our routine, although never as intense as it should have been.

THAT came to an end when Jeremy died (July 2001); after that I could never seem to make myself go, or if I did it was only for 2-3 weeks at a time, and then not again for another 6 months to a year. I lost about 30 lbs. (from 230 down to 200) during that time but I lost muscle and strength as much or more as I did the weight. (Fortunately, when I gain or lose it tends to be all over so it wasn't too bad.)

I didn't get serious AGAIN until March of this year, when I hired a personal trainer. At 13 months away from 50 years old, I figured it was time to get over it, even if it meant paying someone to, well, I dunno--be a substitute Jeremy?

In fact, Josh is a GREAT trainer and I couldn't be happier with how it's gone. I told him I wanted to focus on flexibility, coordination, balance, and stability as much as I did strength and it's all come along quite nicely. I still can't see my abs (and I haven't lost any weight) but my core is much stronger and better defined; I can now do squats on the inverted BOSU pretty much without thinking about it; and I know how to do clever things like retract my scapulas and do a bent over row with perfect form.

And it looks good, too. Since March I've added 1/2 to 1 inch to my chest, arms, quads, and calves (and 2 inches to my shoulders) while losing an inch from my waist. At this rate I think I may actually see my abs by my 50th birthday in April, and I'm pretty sure I'll be benching my own weight easily for reps (which is cool, because I've always had a totally sucky bench.)

So, for me, THAT is serious!

xoxo

Richard

[omelissokomos]

Originally Posted by arpeejay

Since March I've added 1/2 to 1 inch to my chest, arms, quads, and calves (and 2 inches to my shoulders) while losing an inch from my waist.

Pics please.

[veinluvr]

My dad had me lifting weights when I was 8. I was doing situps, pushups and all of those body weight exercises since i was 6. I stopped when I was 12 after and injury from football but started back up at 14 and have been going ever since.

[suma]

for me I been liftnig off and on since late HS age.
i discovered my real passion for all things related to strength within the last 10 years and been pretty serious since then training for strength and brute size moving away from the bbing style of weight training.

[a_lost_prophet]

16, still haven't got anyway LOL

[fudge_graham]

I was off and on in High School as well, but I haven't really found the time to work out since I got to college. I really want to though. I would like to get bigger, much bigger, but with studies and all I just never seem to be free *shrugs*