My Introduction

Before I start publishing more posts and articles on my blog, it's important that you all know who I am, what I have gone through, and how I managed to bulk up. So here is my introduction.

I am Shashank Srivastava, a DevOps Architect by profession (just to give you an idea how I manage to take out time to workout) who loves music, Science, traveling & photography.

For most of my life, I used to be severely underweight. Till the age of 22, I used to weigh not more than 46 Kgs. Yes, 46 Kgs at a height of 6 feet. I was so thin that I couldn't wear a watch. I had to add more holes to the strap, which of course would spoil the look. My waist used to be around 25-26 inches and you can imagine my situation. People made fun of me. Called me a patient. Laughed at me. Told me that I will die soon. Humiliated me. Very few people would talk to me. Very few befriended me. I never really loved to shop for clothes for me since nothing would fit me. I used to look like a cloth hanger holding a T-shirt. My biceps were hardly 9 inches. And chest? You may ask. Well, I didn't have any chest. I had a ribcage in which you could count the ribs easily. Enough said, right? If you think I am exaggerating, then please see the photos below.

I could never gain a pound irrespective of eating well. I tried everything. Tried milk with bananas. Tried lots of butter and ghee. Tried milk with dates. Everything. But nothing worked.

Then came the year 2012. I hit the gym for the first time in my life. I started lifting weights and focusing on my diet. Gradually I went from 46 to around 60 Kgs. It took time. After a year I went to 68 Kgs. It wasn't muscles entirely. It was some muscles and some fat. While it gave me satisfaction and I was no longer skinny, it didn't satisfy me much. It was on and off and my weight was never consistent. I wasn't training regularly because of my shifts' job and it made me lose quite a lot of pounds/kilos. I was reduced to 56 Kgs. From there it kept on increasing and decreasing with no particular muscle mass. It wasn't something I liked. I had to be content since I didn't have time to work on it.

Fast forward to March 2016. I started lifting weights regularly at my home. I remember going to a clinic with my niece for her fever. I checked my weight there. I was around 63. I was surprised since I hadn't packed fat but still had some gains. This pumped me up. I bought another barbell and a couple weight plates. I started lifting with more intensity, with more focus, and more consistently.

June 2016. I now weigh 72 Kgs with some muscle definition on my frame. I don't look like a bodybuilder or that impressive but I know how much it means for someone who had a visible ribcage in place of chest and limbs as thin as stick. I never wanted to pack massive muscles. I prefer lean, athletic built. And I am happy with my progress :-)

See the photos below to believe what I said. You too can progress. Stay tuned for more.

Me - THEN

Me - NOW (June 2016)