The Born Fitness Approach for Health and Fitness

I suddenly became panicky, forgot to take a deep breath, and closed my eyes.

My mind was telling me to "Push!" but my arms wouldn’t move. I wondered if this is what trainers meant by warning about extreme programs that could result in "deathby barbell".

Those are the thoughts that run through your mind when you lie trapped beneath your bench press, the cold iron feeling like a imminent guillotine. I gasped in desperate need for help, my face swollen with shame.

My hero ran from one direction to the other. I did not know his name but he grabbed the weight from me and curled it around my head. I jumped up, feeling relieved and exasperated by my Neo-like reincarnation. He smiled, checked that I was alright, and left me with words I'll never forget.

"Probably didn't believe you needed a spotter. huh?"

I looked at the bar. Each side was able to hold 10 pounds.

It was official. My 65-pound bench presse found a new way of completely embarrassing me.

Starting from scratch

It's not an isolated incident. I was a freshman in college at the time and went to the rec center to train in the early morning.

It wasn't because I had a busy schedule. I wanted to go when no one was there. I can tell you that if distractions are a problem at your gym, it is worth looking into a college rec centre at 5 o'clock in the morning. Cemeteries feel more alive.

I wanted to be alone because I was embarrassed. I was weak. I was short. I had no clue what I was doing. I even knew a girl who could shoulder lift twice as much as me so I had to make sure I was there when she was. However, I didn't have to struggle in the gym.

Growing up, I was overweight. And I'm not talking about little-boy-that-can't-shed-his-baby-weight. I was obese. Because I was fat, I was the target of jokes in junior school. The locker room boys were convinced that I had the biggest breasts at school.

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A Lesson in Failure

I'd love for you to believe that after BPI, everything changed. It would be an injustice to the human nature and real world.

Life doesn't happen in montages. (Although that would be great.)

When I look back on my fitness approach, I can see that I have made more mistakes than anyone I have ever met.

I lifted weights with no instruction and never paid attention to coaching. I did not know how to stop myself from injuring myself more. I avoided all dietary oil. I also avoided all carbs. The best part? I ate hundreds, hundreds, and hundreds of grams protein. I also made several friends go through the "ass from fire years." (My sincere apologies.

I thought supplements were harmful and stopped taking any. To get larger and leaner, I tried every legal supplement.

I bulked. I cut. I ran. I swam. I also did yoga. I also lifted weights. I did high, low, timed reps as well as Tabatas and Tae Bo.

I've tried everything from HIIT to low-intensity cardio to kettlebell training. I've tried ab machine, done crazy cleanses, and even had a Shake Weight. To impress a girl I even tried pink dumbbells. It did not work to my surprise.