I gotta admit I’m inspired by this guy.
Drew Manning had the body we guys all dream of: Abs, quads, pecs, biceps, 32 inch waist? Check.
Gained 70 goddamn pounds.
All in order to better understand the mindset of the prospective overweight clients he was trying to lure as a personal trainer.
Then, in order to show them it’s possible to ditch it, that you don’t have to be born thin to get thin, he lost it all again.
Got right back to the body he had a year before.
Some of us spend a lifetime trying to get the body he had. The last thing we want is to throw it in the garbage.
And he didn’t just throw it away, he dove into the fat end of the pool head first.
Soda. Chips. Burgers. Shakes. Ice Cream.
Not only lost his sexy physique, but his confidence, optimism, sex drive, and general joie de vivre. His wife was none too pleased. She was suddenly married to another man.
But he got himself back.
And that’s the toughest trick of all.
To fall from grace and rebound.
Sure, perhaps it’s easier when you do it intentionally, but maybe it’s harder.
Either way, I salute this guy for daring to do what perhaps no physical trainer has ever tried to do before:
Empathize.
He wanted to know a point of view he didn’t understand.
He wanted to know what the fat version of himself would feel like and act like.
He was willing to lose himself for a higher calling.
And that is the ultimate measure of being a man; being willing to sacrifice yourself in order to help others.
Some do it as a father. Some do it as a cop. Or doctor, or firefigher, or teacher, or coach, or just the guy who lets someone go ahead of him at the checkout line because they look like they need it.
But it’s something we men could do a little more of: be willing to let ourselves look bad for a bit, if it’ll help someone else feel good in the long run.
What would you do in order to be better at your job?
AP Photo/Drew Manning
He did all of this in under a year. He completely quit excercising and he actually ate many of the “low-fat” foods that are popular. He gained 30 lbs in 1 month, 70 lbs after 4 more months, then he committed 6 months to losing it all again. Its an inspiring story, one I wish I could say was mine… I also wish I had the 6 hrs a day to spend excercising that he did… hell, I wish I had 2 free hrs. But he said it himself the absolute hardest part of all of this is the mentality… Read more »
Am I the only that’s bothered by this a bit?
But he got himself back.
And that’s the toughest trick of all.
To fall from grace and rebound.
Call me when you’ve never been in grace in the first place (falling from grace implies that he was once there and then fell).
Hit the button too soon.
I do like the idea of what he is doing as I think it will be a big help to people who were once fit and have fallen off the wagon so to speak.
Impressive endeavor. Very interesting story. Thanks for sharing.
Eat less, move more.
If it doesn’t work, then eat less, move more.
It may take a couple of months or a couple of years, but IT WILL WORK.
Everybody can be in a reasonable shape as long as one can move at least a bit and has some willpower.