A bit of history

Scott Andrew Birdby Scott Andrew Bird | December 4, 2005
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A couple of years ago I got a bit of a surprise when an old man ran past me down a flight of stairs (admittedly there was a Bingo hall near the bottom of them). Shocked to discover just how unfit I'd become, I set about getting myself into some sort of shape.

After a couple of weeks enduring mind-numbing stints on a stationary cycle, I invested in a bench, bar and a small pile of plates. I also grabbed a copy of Mens Fitness (for the first and last time) as it had a 10 week routine for those just starting out.

Before starting, I went through the routine and changed a few things to exercises that I could do with the equipment I had (for example, all of the dumbbell things were out). I decided not to follow the suggested diet, instead simply trying to eat reasonably cleanly and in the same calorie ranges as the magazine suggested.

10 weeks later I was bigger, stronger and well and truly hooked. The main benefit - in my eyes at least - was the strength, and I started reading about Powerlifting. The magazine hadn't mentioned exotic things like box squats and rack pulls, in fact there wasn't even a word about a power rack; and I turned to my trusty friend, Google.

Whilst trying to find out exactly what box squats were I came across Kris Lindqvist's blog 'Under the Bar' and was amazed to find that not only had someone answered any number of questions I already had, but generated a wealth of new ones. An incredible feeling.

Gradually my home gym evolved, now consisting of a rack, Olympic bar & plates, dumbbells, and of course the original bench and weight set. The workouts themselves have gone through a constant process of refinement, but have been based on the WSB 4-day-per-week template since shortly after I finished the original 10 week course. Lifting is now much more than a 10-week thing - it's a permanent part of my life.

You might also like to see how my diet has evolved over the past couple of years.



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