Last Visit: Yesterday, 6:31pm Last Forum Post: Oct 21, 2009 7:56pm Last Photo Upload: Sep 15, 2009 9:18pm Last Profile Update: Yesterday, 6:30pm Last Blog Post: Oct 21, 2009 7:01pm
Overall Goal: ATTENTION: There is someone on here emailing people using my name and the link to my bodyspace to sell a fat loss product called Acai Fire. THIS IS NOT ME! IT'S A SCAM! I have NO connection to this person or this product!!
Fit Status:
Overcome and defeat yet another health problem and then come back bigger and stronger then ever before!
Motivation Level: 10/10
Personal Info And Background:
Real Name:
Chad Shaw
Sex:
Male
Age:
35
Location:
Wisconsin, United States
Occupation:
Vaporizer Repair Tech for anesthesia machines and also a column writer for World Physique magazine.
I have 2 older brothers, one is 7 years older and the other is 10 years older. They introduced me to weightlifting and I fell in love with it. It was also very theraputic for my severe asthma which I suffered from throughout my entire childhood. All the months spent in the hospital with only machines and drugs keeping me alive caused my body to remain very weak and underdeveloped. This went on for 14 years. It was a tough childhood! My parents had to learn how to give shots of epinepherine and suspherine to give me at home to keep me alive long enough to get to the emergency room. At home I had to keep a nebuelizer machine to administer asthma drugs and also had to use 3 different inhalers plus continuously take 3 different oral medications including prednisone which really messed up my body. When I wasn't in the hospital and was able to go to school, I could never participate in gym class because my health was too poor. There were 3 seperate occasions when the doctors told my parents I was too far gone, too weak, and at the max amount of drugs that I could be on and things kept getting worse and that they should start planning my funeral. Along with the grace of God, bodybuilding was my answer to reverse the effects of this life threatening disease. Beyond that, bodybuilding has helped me cope with a number of different injuries. It has helped me recover from ruptured discs in my spine due to a severe back injury, scoliosis, a ruptured bicep tendon, ulnar nerve damage, a torn rotator cuff, and being absent an anterior cruciate ligament and also a medial meniscus in one knee which resulted in many dislocations and cartilage tears that required surgery and then also the opposite leg was 4 inches longer than the other leg which also required intense surgery to correct. I was a train wreck! I had several top orthopedic doctors tell me I would never ever be able to get into bodybuilding or lift heavy weights again because some of those injuries were impossible to recover from. Doctors even wanted to put steel rods in my spine (a spinal fusion) to protect it from further damage but I refused this surgery. Still the prognosis was I would never lift weights again. I couldn't take no for an answer, I just refused to accept that would be the end of my bodybuilding dreams. I made a decision that I would never give up and I was gonna either become a bodybuilder or die trying. At the age of 16, I entered and won my first bodybuilding competition, it was greatest feeling I had ever experienced! I know now from experience that you should never ever give up on your dreams or anything your passionate about and don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't realize your dreams and make them come true no matter what your circumstances are! You create your own reality and your own destiny, don't ever let anyone create it for you! It is possible as long as you believe it is. Don't be disheartened by statistics or odds because the only people they are against are those of weak faith and that doesn't have to be you! Developing my physique for me was like building a suit of armor to protect the frail sick little kid that I remember being. I love bodybuilding and I will do it till I can do it no more. I choose to follow this path without the use of drugs, I've got stronger forces that drive me. Hopelessness is only a state of mind, therefore impossibilities are only illusions.
Why I Love It:
Besides using bodybuilding to rebound from illness and injuries, I just love doing it. It's the ultimate rush for me to feel stronger, watching my weights move up and watching my appearance change. Bodybuilding is my mistress and it keeps me real.
How I Stay Motivated:
I don't have to try to stay motivated. I'm like an addict. I always have the urge to do it. When it's in your blood I guess it's in your blood.
BB Accomplishments:
1991 Mr. Wisconsin teenage division champion. 1995 Midwest Wisconsin Natural heavyweight champion. 1996 Midwest Wisconsin 2nd place light-heavyweight. 2000 Team Universe 3rd place heavyweight. 2004 Midwest Wisconsin 2nd place light heavyweight(should of been 1st!) 2006 Mr. Wisconsin. (only non drug tested show I've done) 6th place out of 16 in the light heavyweight class. Most resently, I was a finalist in the bodybuilding.com spokes model search and appeared in bodybuilding.coms magazine ads. I was also featured in Planet Muscle magazine and have been chosen for the cover of World Physique magazine. Most recently, I was named Mr.March on WorldPhysique.com
This was right after a back workout. I was so tired when I got done, I felt like death! I'm 220 lbs in this picure, my bodyfat is much higher than I would like it.
ATTENTION: There is someone on here emailing people using my name and the link to my bodyspace to sell a fat loss product called Acai Fire. THIS IS NOT ME! IT'S A SCAM! I have NO connection to this person or this product!!
Goal (Long):
I'm trying to keep up my physique the best that I can while struggling with parathyroid disease. My goal is to not lose any size or strength up to the date of surgery and then make a fast recovery and come back better then ever.
Casey is a great long time friend and training partner. He is one of guys I can say really pushes me and encourages me while training, especially on those days I just feel like I don't want to do it. I know I can count on him no matter what and he's one of the most loyal and respectable bodybuilders that you'll ever meet! I'm fortunate to have him as a friend and training partner!
Tiffany is one of the most kind and genuine people that I've met in this industry! She's a self proclaimed computer nerd, but I beg to differ, she's in phenominal condition and has made one of the most dramatic and inspiring transformations that I've ever seen! Rightfully so, she's a great inspiration to many!
What type of injury was it? How long were you injured? How did you recover?
I've had many injuries. I was born with a deformed knee that is absent an anterior cruciate ligament so I've had many knee dislocations and cartilage tears and arthritis because of it. My entire medial meniscus had to be removed. I recently had 3 large tumors removed from my knee that actually pushed my knee cap out. I'm still trying to recover and may be looking at complete knee reconstruction in the near future. It's frusterating cause it limits what I can do for my legs. I injured my right elbow by tearing my ulner nerve in profesional arm wrestling tournament, as I competed in it for 2 years remaining undefeted but paid the price. The orthepedic doctors said the nerve damage was so bad I'd never recover and never be able to bodybuild again. I went to accupuncture for 1 year and have done 4 bodybuilding competitions since. I had a back injury in middle school where I tore 4 discs in my back and ruptured 1. It happened lifting too heavy too soon. Again, all the specialists told to forget about ever lifting again because my injuries were too severe but I sought out chiropractic treatment for one year than a year later won my first bodybuilding show at age 16. I had a groin muscle tear that happened doing heavy squats and that took about 5 months to recover. And last but not least, I was doing inclined dumbbell curls with 85's and on rep#7 my proximal bicep tendon snapped off my shoulder. I didn't have surgery but I manage very good with that tendon no longer in tact. It was feeling good again after about 2 months of therapy. I've had many injuries. I was born with a deformed knee that is absent an anterior cruciate ligament so I've had many knee dislocations and cartilage tears and arthritis because of it. My entire media...more
- Updated Mar 30, 2008 12:43pm
What is the most common reason that somebody gets injured while lifting?
Over-training is the biggest, along with failure to warm up and not listening to your body when it tells you somethings wrong. Also the heavier weights your playing with the better your chances are that something will give out.Over-training is the biggest, along with failure to warm up and not listening to your body when it tells you somethings wrong. Also the heavier weights your playing with the better your chances are th...more
I recently received a message from one of my good bodyspace friends informing me that he received an email from someone who claimed to be me and even had my bodyspace link on his email, trying to sell a fat-loss product called Acai Fire. The name listed on this email was Greg Latterdale. The...
I do my weight training twice per week. I begin on week 1 on Wednesday and train back and chest together, then wait till Saturday and then I train quadriceps and calves. I dont lift again after that till the following Wednesday in which I will train shoulders then wait till Saturday and then I...
Surgery? I'm sorry, but glad your better! That's not fun... Yea, i've been hard at it, put on some weight and hopefully some muscle...Ready to cut! But i'm lifting heavy and feel strong, Love it!!
Hi chad, I'm a huge fan... Wondering if you had any strength workouts on hand or some website with a strength workout... I seem to have hit a little bit of a wall.. I'm interested in making bigger strides in strength and not bulk as much anymore, it seems that I'll never be a massive man... wondering if you had any tips or ideas.. etc... thanks! you look awesome btw
Thanks chad I want to get down to 6 % when i do my next cutt or next competition next year Just keep setting new goals thanks for the support Chad and bro your inspiration bro to me I like to get into your shape bro your simply shredded as hell lol
Hi Chad i hope you recover my friend with that knee Thanks for the tip though with the BCAA and im slowly trying to add mass well slowly to begin with and ive set a target about 198 Lbs at 12 % im currentl y at 193.5 at 10.5 % now if i get too 198 12% i may do a mini cut and then go up again. I was 167 lbs at 8% when i did my competition about 7 weeks ago.
