Clayton Morris Training History

I considered actually writing out an entire history of my lifting, which wouldn't actually be that long, since I didn't touch a weight until 2005, but I don't think too much would be gained by that. Suffice it to say that it is a sordid tale of

1) bad advice

2) inconsistency

3) injuries, both real (broken thumb from punching Drew Cook) and imagined (I probably actually did fuck my shoulder up moshing to Trial, but it probably didn't require a virtual 6 month layoff)

4) 3+ years of 3 sets of 8, body part splits, and arm days

5) excuses / lack of motivation

6) NOT FUCKING EATING ENOUGH

Sean and I started training together last November. And oddly, it's the first time I ever trained explicitly for strength. I guess it never occurred to me that it is much easier to look strong when you are strong. Muscle and Fitness had me convinced that if I just did Jay Cutler's workout, I would look like him, which in retrospect, is stupid, and I'm an idiot for ever thinking those guys weren't on steroids.

That said, it feels great to be stronger than I used to be, and it is much easier to stay motivated when I have someone to train with. In particular, about 6 weeks out of an exam, when I'm studying 3-6 hours a day, besides work, I tend to push lifting to the side, so it is really good for me to have a training partner to hold me accountable, because inconsistency might be the biggest way I've shot myself in the foot in the past. Oh, you don't like my run on sentences? Fuck you.

I was thinking today that I would really like to compare what I looked like before Sean and I started lifting, and what I look like now. The closest I could come up with was our inexplicable United Blood back double bi pics. So:

This was last March, I was just coming off a fairly ineffective fat loss phase, where I spent 2.5 months losing, I think, 10 lbs and maybe 3-4% bf if that. I was 175 and maybe 15/16% here, I would say.

And today:

First one is cold, second one is after the workout. I'm a vain motherfucker, so I couldn't leave out the one where I look bigger, but I'm also a pretty honest dude, so I had to post the one that probably compares more closely to a year ago. In these pics I'm 190 and about 19-20% bf I would guess. Obviously, I've added some pretty awesome back fat, but I think most of that was in the April 09 - Oct 09 period when I only haphazardly worked out. I've added 10 lbs since we started in November, and, I believe, maintained the same basic bf I was when we started. Overall, I think I look thicker, especially my delts.

And since you were wondering, here're my quads:

Sick diaper.