One year after starting to lift very seriously (I’d been lifting decently hard for ~3 years previous), here’s the official “before-and-after” shots. Click to zoom in.

(Notice that growing biceps also appears to sap all joy from your life…)

(Yay! I’m starting to grow some shoulders and have more back definition.)

(Not so much of a visual difference in the legs but they are a lot more muscle now than they used to be. My calves have gotten much bigger and I’m starting to get some definition on the heads of my quads.)

The difference between July 2007 and July 2008? 135 workouts. (No joke, I counted.) It’s amazing what some direction and dedication in the gym does but I also credit this to actually eating a good diet. Previously I did not consume enough calories or enough protein, now I make an effort to do this.

This is definitely not the end of my journey, more just progress pictures. I’m excited to see what I can do in another year!