A Great Bodybuilding Story For Those Who Have Not Seen It

Craig remained prone for a moment his breathing more like panting, he slowly recovered and stood nodding his head. The he looked over to me and said “Your turn” pointing to my bar with 495 still loaded. I looked at him in disbelief and said “Again??”, he looked at me blankly and said “No, with more”.

I really didn’t think I could do any better than 495, that was a personal best for gods sake! So I grabbed a 25 lb plate and looked at Craig with my eyebrows raised as if to make sure it was enough weight to satisfy him, he nodded, and I put on two 25 lb plates, one per side.

At this point I was sh**ting my pants, no way I could do this, I would try it, but when I failed I would just have to fail.

Craig said something to me that I will never forget, he said to me with a calm like a parent to a child “Kid, that weight isn’t sh**, there’s a lot worse things than that” I stood there for a moment contemplating his words, then it hit me.

He was right, a weight is a simple small thing, life is an unfair, motherf*cker and it will beat you down again and again, its unpredictable and unyielding, this bar full of iron is just a thing, its nothing compared to the difficulties of life.

I grabbed the bar, I could feel a lump in my throat, and my adrenaline was pumping hard. I took hold of the weight and tightened my grip and straps around the bar, becoming one with it.

The onlookers watched but it was like that moment I was by myself, just me and that bar. Like a jolt of electricity I yanked the bar up, it started to move but stalled on my shins, Craig yelled “UUPPP!!!”

I pulled I could feel my heels digging in and my traps stinging, it slowly started to move, centimeter by centimeter I pulled the bar up, it was as if it took 20 minutes and then I had it all the way there.

I could see my face was blood red, and my veins in my neck were also pushing out. I dropped the weight and collapsed to my knee with it.

I could hear people talking but my ears were ringing, I recovered and stood up, as I looked around Craig was smiling again and looked at me saying “See?”.

Chris came up and patted me on the back. I was amazed I couldn’t believe I actually did that.

Now Craig got up, he walked over to the tree and grabbed two more 45’s. He slid one on each end of his bar, I looked at him like I was watching a man be led to the gas chamber. Chris looked at Craig calmly saying “900 pounds, just like the old days brother.” Craig grinned and nodded in acknowledgement.

Now there must have been thirty people back there watching, there were odd whispers, people asking others how much it is, and others simply astonished that this silent giant possessed such strength.

Craig kneeled down in front of that bar, it was like someone bowing down to an executioner.

Then he stood up. Was something wrong? He reached down and pulled up the bottom of his sweatshirt and pulled it up and off. What I saw was unbelievable.

The man was a mass of slabs of muscle and covered in tattoos. Down the backs of his arms were words. On the right arm it read “I am nothing” and down the left “I feel nothing.”

His traps were like two huge camel humps side by side on the back of his neck and he wasn’t ‘fat’ or ‘overweight’ no, he was just f*cking huge. His body was like his hand, lumps of callous muscles from the years of pain and toil in his life and in the gym, it was simply unbelievable.

Craig adjusted his belt, and strapped back onto his bar. It was very quiet, and then I head Chris say “You got this sh** Craig!” People started cheering him on, I could hear people saying “C’mon Craig”, “You got it bro!” It was amazing, all the while Craig was breathing very deep, very methodically, rolling the bar back and forth in his hands.

He stared into the mirror, I don’t know what he saw but his nostrils started to flare, and he looked like he was getting pissed, his eyes started to well up, almost like he may cry, and he stared blankly at a spot on the floor just in front of the bar. Wherever he was, he wasn’t with us, I imagine he was in that very dark place that his life had taken him drawing upon a well of emotions full of hate, anguish and pain.

It was as if he was channeling all of that into the bar, he was breathing harder, and he hadn’t even lifted the bar yet, he was shaking all over. I looked to his reflection in the mirror and said “this is nothing for you brother” he nodded and then growled “I GOT THIS SH**!!”, then it was as if his entire body uncoiled driven by the hydraulics of his emotion, the bar bent, his traps were spotted with purple spots through the hew of red he cried out “F***CCKKKK YYOOUU!” and the weight stalled, I thought he may drop it, but his eyes closed and his face winced in anguish and the bar moved upwards, I don’t know it was the sweat from his face but I could have sworn tears came out of his eyes, and bar traveled further up until he had it midriff.

Continues on page 4 …

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45 Comments

  2. Oh my God…I read the whole story and I can tell you for sure,it’s the most amazing story I’ve ever read…I ended up in tears. .

  9. The description of this Craig dude reminded me so much of Ronny Coleman! Or Kai Greene!
    It was so sad in the end it made me cry!

  10. As I read this story it motivated me to make sure that I don’t personally judge anyone. I’m in tears right now.

  12. Thank you for sharing. This motivated me to try my hardest at work, gym and life in general. RIP Craig.

  13. it was a story which stook me from inside
    I respect that man who had lost solo much in his life … the pain felt but still didn’t quiet …. respect

  16. wow…great story. Thank you for sharing. it just showed that we shouldn’t judge people by the way they look or cover of the book. You’re a good guy and you deserved it <3

  17. Craig … i would like to know his full name … I aint easy to impress but this …. Jeez buddy … made me cry …. would like to frame a picture of craig and hang it on my wall … please let me know his full name ill research him to hell and back if needed so to find a pic of him….

  18. Awesome Read!!! Very inspiring and great encouragement for positive hope. We should always lift up others as in this story, never hate always congratulate…. Now I am going to hit them Deadlifts!!!

  20. I read this the tears poured out from my eyes, a journey of sadness lifted by a simple gesture, hope turned from despair. Craig is a part of you now and always, respect for you, for the respect you showed him.
    So many in the gym have the attitudes that you pointed out, pre-judging someone, before you now them is a bad part of human nature.
    All the best for your pro career, take Craig to the top with you!

  22. It’s touching I’m here droken down now at work like I’ve known this guy but I lift daily but I love this story and hope to compete one day and my life

  23. Damm, this GODDAMM air is so polluted that my eyes start to make water run down from them, what a great story, only someone that has put their headphones on, know’s how it (story) feels….Respect!!!

  26. i m not a body building enthusiasts or gym goer but story touched me deeply and inspired me thanks for sharing such meaningful storry

  28. The story is touching but if only he got born again and gave himself to Jesus, he would have found more meaning to life than just developing the perishing body. Craig may your soul rest in piece.

  34. Am i looking in my future?? Cant tell…
    But life is never easy… tommorrw never comes.. untill its too late….
    Touched me…

  35. We meatheads who enjoy this type of stuff can’t help but tear up when you get all they way though. This needs to be made into a short movie somehow. It’s too good of a story . Much respect thanks for the story.

  38. Craigslist was the f***ing man!!! Every time I read this story, it motivates me to keep pushing. Life is hard, but that bar is just a thing.

  39. I’m so sorry for your loss and I am so thankful that you’ve known this man and helped him in a very small but soul touching way. Wishing is for the young and gullible but I really wish (with everything inside me) that things could have worked out differently. Mourning for both of you.

  43. I stopped about a paragraph in on page 3 — got the gist of it. SHAME on the gym members for singling out this guy just because he didn’t fraternize with the other gym members. Here’s my message to you: IT’S A GYM, NOT AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL. If you think yakking with strangers at a gym is so important, then GO TO PLANET FITNESS. “Pigpen” was there to WORK OUT, not butter up to you arrogant snobs. And that desk girl who asked the owner why he “even let him work out there,” … WHY NOT? HE PAYS HIS DUES. WHY NOT, BIMBO ??? I’m one of those gym goers who never speaks to anyone unless someone speaks to me first. I’m a woman. I swear, if I ever heard some floozie insulting me behind my back, I’d march straight over to her, force a 45 pound plate into her arms and challenge her to lift it overhead — 15 times, because that’s exactly what I can do. I’m there to get strong, not buff up my social skills. Don’t like it? TOO BAD. Go to Planet Fitness where everyone yaks and yaks and doesn’t take muscle building seriously.

  44. amazing man… this story motivating me right now i have tears on my eyes.
    thank you for this inspiring real story

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