When I was about 18 years old I walked into a local gym, and found it quite intimidating. I became a member and began to work out a little like hundreds of thousands of other young people.
The years passed, and my enthusiasm for training was limited. I had no experience about sports nutrition at this time. In retrospect, I can hardly believe that I spent nearly 20 years working out regularly in gyms without the desire to be more ambitious.
My body was quite toned, I had well-developed 6-pac abs and muscular legs and that was it, no more. Up to the age of 40 years I weighed in from 68 to 75 kg at a height of 172 cm.
This changed during the summer of 2007 when during the summer holidays I was asked by 2 other hotel guests if I took part in bodybuilding contests. The idea developed in my mind when I got home after the holiday. I looked, first of all, for a competent coach who prepared me in the spring of 2008 for my first competition.
I started a structured training and bodybuilding nutrition programme. In May 2008, for the first time, I stood on a competition stage weighing nearly 76 kg. Since then, I'm sort of competition obsessed. Once a year I prepare for a series of competitions, either in the spring or autumn season.
From year to year, I managed to gain 3 to 5 kg of muscle. I focused mainly on building a beautiful line and eliminating weaknesses. For years, my upper body build was limping behind my leg development. Now the ratio of my upper to lower body is fine.
In the OFF season my weight now fluctuates between 100 and 102 kg, my competition weight is around 91 kg.
I reached my previous contest highlights in 2011 with 3rd place in the NAC World in Differdange / Luxembourg and in the autumn of 2012 with 6th place in the NAC Universe in Hamburg / Germany.
I have begun preparation for my next planned competitions in 2014. For the future, adding weight on my legs, chest and back is high on the "to do list".