Читать книгу The Fighter Within. Everyone Has A Fight-Insights into the Minds and Souls of True Champions онлайн

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As the months went by, I was working out every day and putting on some serious weight. I started training when I was sixteen, adding forty pounds onto my frame. I worked out for an hour and a half a day, even after work, I took vitamins, ate like a mule, and drank protein shakes religiously after every workout. As a senior, I was a chubby 245 pounds; I had gone from the scrawny guy to the big guy. I was strong and benched over 280 pounds, shoulder pressed ninety-pound dumbbells, but I had a round face and a bit of a gut. I told everyone that I’d be a monster once I lost fifteen to twenty pounds. However, cardio was not my strong suit back then, and I did not lose the excess weight.

I think the weight was a subconscious symbol of pain in life, seeing my parents’ marriage fail and my mom battle with her personal demons. My grades slipped to the point where I was barely attending classes, showing up only to ace the tests so that I wouldn’t fail the class. I chose fun over responsibilities, and even when my entire world was crumbling, I was still somehow slowly pushing through. Some days, I immersed myself in movies and books to escape.