Body Transformation: Weight Training Saved Cole From Childhood Bullying

Vital Stats

Name: Cole Levine
Email: cole.levine@aol.com
Location: Anthony, New Mexico

Why I decided to transform

All my life I was picked on at school for being out of shape. I was skinny, weak, short, and had horrible nutrition. In middle school, I was shoved around by a 6-foot guy that every girl loved because he had rock hard abs. I was puny compared to him. My dad had a friend who was ex-special forces and was starting a self-defense, conditioning class. I decided to try it out, and I loved it. The instructor was a badass, who was ripped, and he could crank out so many push-ups and pull-ups in a row. He was my idol at the time.

At the end of every class, he would talk to me about nutrition and what I should do to get lean. I listened and I got down to 10 percent body fat. When he noticed how lean I’d gotten, he recommended I get into weight lifting and bulk up. I, on the other hand, being a dumb kid who thought he knew everything, said, “Screw that.” I just wanted to do bodyweight exercises to keep getting leaner. Because I was only 114 pounds, I was pretty good at push-ups and pull-ups so I did them every night. I would blast out Eminem music and crank out dozens of sets until I reached 250 push-ups. I would then do several sets of pull-ups until I reached 35. I thought push-ups were going to make me look like a bodybuilder. How wrong I was.

Now keep in mind, at 15 years old, I had no idea about bulking, cutting, supplements (other than protein powder), and caloric intakes. I was just doing it. I saw some results in my pectorals, shoulders, and triceps. My friend at school one day told me I should get into bodybuilding since I was extremely lean. I did hours of research and then finally decided I would do weightlifting in my backyard. There was a bench press set, squatting rack, and two 15-pound dumbbells.

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The first day out there I got on the bench with my friend there to spot me. I did one rep and said to my pal Taylor, “Put more weight, this is way too easy.” He put on 25s, and I cranked out a rep. I said, “This is still way too easy, put the 45s on here.” So he did, and I decided 135 was perfect repetition weight and did 4 sets of 10. I realized I had developed significant strength from my push-ups and pull ups program.

I started thinking, “Am I bodybuilding the correct way? Is there a better way to do this?” So I did hours of research on how to bulk, and correct rep and set ranges, time of workouts, supplements, and all kinds of other bodybuilding-esque factors. I decided I did not have enough equipment, so I had my father sign me up at the local gym. I got a year’s membership for $150.00. I started a mass building program, working two body parts a week, and it was after that when I started to see hardcore results.

How I accomplished my goals

It was my mindset that transformed my body in 3 months. I always thought about that kid that shoved me around in middle school. I remembered how impressive his physique was and told myself, “My first goal is to have a better body than him.”

I knew I had to take bodybuilding one step at a time, but I realized that kid really wasn’t that big, just lean. I watched motivating YouTube videos, like Elliot Hulse. I learned that you have to put everything you got in the gym; there is no shortcut to muscle.

My enemies are my inspiration. They drive me to be better. I am not inspired by my friends with better physiques, only by those who’ve shown me hatred to me drove me to be the best that I can ever be. I told myself that giving up is more painful than hard work because there will never be any long term benefits to quitting.

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Supplements that helped me through the journey

Diet plan that guided my transformation

I ate in a 500 calorie surplus. I drank a lot of low-fat milk.

Training regimen that kept me on track

If you want to get bigger, you must give your body a hypertrophic response. This response is found in the 3-4 set 8-12 rep range. I did a 6-day push, pull, and legs routine so that I could work each body part twice a week. I did 30 minutes of cardio per week to stay in shape for heavy lifting.

What aspect challenged me the most

The most challenging part for me was the diet. I don’t like to eat a lot. This meant a lot of forcing food into my body so I could meet my calorie surplus. I also felt down on myself because I am an ectomorph, which meant it was really difficult for me to put on weight.

It took lots and lots of food to even gain a pound of muscle. I overcame this by eating higher calorie foods with extra protein and fat, like peanut butter and milk. I even went as far as drinking olive oil some days.

My future fitness plans

I do not know for certain what my future holds for me. I don’t think I want to become a pro bodybuilder or anything like that. I just want to look and feel great. I want to keep increasing my muscle mass and be lean. Perhaps in the future I can start a YouTube fitness channel for muscle-building advice.

“Do not treat working out as a chore or a physically demanding job. Treat it as fun activity and a way to meet new people.”

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

• Start small. Don’t go into the gym the first day wanting to go as heavy as you can like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter. You will injure yourself. Work your way up until you are ready to lift heavy.
• Don’t be intimidated at the gym. There is always going to be guys bigger and stronger than you. Focus on your own workout.
• Don’t follow pro bodybuilder’s workouts.I recommend that you do a lot of research and create your own workout.
• Eat. You will not build muscle if you do not eat enough.
• Enjoy it. Do not treat working out as a chore or a physically demanding job. Treat it as fun activity and a way to meet new people.

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

Bodybuilding.com has helped me a lot. They told me everything I needed to know about diet, nutrition, supplements, workouts, and exercise tips. They gave me the foundation to become an independent bodybuilder who can make his own workout.

Cole’s Top 5 Gym Tracks

1. “Berzerk” by Eminem
2. “Remember The Name” by Fort Minor
3. “Til I Collapse” by Eminem
4. “Stronger” by Kanye West
5. “Forever” by Drake

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