Taken November 2006 (bicep tense approx 9" (from memory))

Taken May 08 (bicep tense 14.5")


Going on what Ollie said the other day I've decided to post up my full progress from absolute beginning to current day.

The first photo was taken just after getting the tattoo completed in November 06, and I was pretty much exactly the same size until about a 16months ago... I weighed in at 9.6stone, and ate once every two to three days... I loved being skinny and was possibly at some point on the verge of being classed as anorexic... I'd been the same for a long time, some of my worst times was when I'd go for four/five days without eating to get my weight down under 9stone (this was a little before this pic was taken... I was a bit messed in the head, but after collapsing a few times from malnourishment and having the shit kicked outta me and not being able to defend myself, I decided I'd try and pack on a bit of muscle, so I could a least give a good go back at any attackers.

16months later and I still class myself as skinny, all my friends and family reckon I've got a lot bigger, but only when I look at this old picture up to todays picture do I realise how much I have actually grown and give myself a break mentally from still thinking I"m the same.

I blame all you guys, all bigger than me and stronger... make me feel small, but equally all enspire me to get bigger. so a good thing.

Hopefully I'll be able to keep packing it on and one day be happy with myself and be able to look back on how I used to be and be proud that I've come so far.

congrats mate, thats awesome progress. hungry for more too, keep up that attitude and will get yourself even further. Nice one

Good work mate. Keep the Hunger for more!

Great progress Rich.

Good work Rich, shoulders and Triceps have come along nicely.

Rich, what you're doing is sensible...the only person you need to be in competition with is yourself. So from 9" to 14.5" on your arms in a year and half - that's pretty impressive.

Nice work mate!

p.s Do your tatts look different when you flex? I'd imagine it's a bit like when you draw on a balloon and then blow it up.....

Great work Rich

Orinoco wrote:Rich, what you're doing is sensible...the only person you need to be in competition with is yourself.

So very true :]

good work mate...that tat must have hurt?

kp1512 wrote:good work mate...that tat must have hurt?

Not nearly enough for my liking.

Thanks boys. hearing that from a bunch of lifting veterans I'm quite chuffed.

Dude, you've added 50% to the size of your arms in under 18 months! You damn well should be!

You've done really well dude. I don't think I increased mass by 50% in that time span to be honest.

Awesome tattoo. I'm looking at maybe getting something done by Darren Stares if you've heard of him. Possibly a half sleeve.

A 60% increase in arm size is pretty damned impressive!

Nice tat's too

My skin is still virgin clean... almost had one a few times but I know what I'm like.. If I have one I'll be covered in them head to toe within months!

Bison mate, the only reason I'm not covered yet is because they're soo bloooy expensive!

Alex, not heard of him, but if you reckon he's good, thats what matters!

Cheers everyone for the compliments! does make me strive to try and keep impressing!

xRichx wrote:Bison mate, the only reason I'm not covered yet is because they're soo bloooy expensive!

Alex, not heard of him, but if you reckon he's good, thats what matters!

Cheers everyone for the compliments! does make me strive to try and keep impressing!

If you dont keep impressing then your off the team

I reckon we've made similar progress in a similar timeframe man, I started lifting about the same time as you (late '06) and have gone from about 135-155lbs, though that's a bit of a guess as I never weighed myself to begin with. 155 is still the kind of weight most fitness article authors like to rip the piss out of, but fuck it, all progress innit?

By the way, I've been in Carrefour this week as I got a 7-day free 'trial': that place is GASH. Poor weights setup and a lot of posers to boot, I'm 'lucky' in that I'm unemployed at the mo so can go during the day when it's quiet, but I still find it sucks the life out of me. Shame as it's in a real convenient spot for the kind of work I hope to end up sorting, but I just can't see myself sticking it out there.

They keep pissing about and changing the setup around all the time, gets on my tits. but it's got enough weight for me, and I've worked out when it's not too busy, so I'm fine there for the time being. when I've packed on a decent amount of size I'll prob join up a ssit n sawdust style place I reckon. mate of mine goes to the old YMCA building in totterdown, maybe try that place out... about 15min walk from centre and you can dive into Ollies for a cuppa afterward!

Shame I'm not in bristol this week, or we coulda had a session together (of the weights variety anyway)

I thought Carrefour was alright for out of hours use but I think it could get 'busy' pretty quickly as the plates aren't exactly plentiful.

David Lloyds is really the only good all-rounder I've come across in Bristol. There's a place in Avonmouth called Bob's Gym which is apparently phenomenal...150kg DBs (really), 20+ benches, lifting platforms, bars on car tyres, 3 smiths, 4 squat racks etc... and £190/year, but it's in Avonmouth and I can't be arsed to drive out there every time I want to train

Yeah, I'm just being a snob really- Carrefour is a city centre gym like any other. Wish it had a power rack though, there's tons of room and I get the impression that most of the usual clientele wouldn't know what do to with it so it'd be free most of the time.

Rich, we've actually got another one of those 7-day trial vouchers; I don't know if I can blag walking straight back in there and using it right away, but if in due course I'm gonna run the gauntlet then I'll give you a shout.

There's a few big guys there, and a few arrogant posers who want all the equipment at once but I've only ever got in one arguement about it, and the guy stormed off in a huff and I saw him walking out the gym two mins later... hell, if he couldn't wait for me to finish a set and rotate with him, then fuck it...

Other than that, I'm happy and I've learnt to not do legs on a weds as this big guys doing his legs day and there isn't enough plates to go around.