Introduction: About Me and Evidence Based Bodybuilding

Welcome to my blog. My Name is Dawson, I am 23 years old, and I have been into lifting for nearly 10 years. I was a skinny kid but decently athletic as I came from a background in baseball and swimming. Around the age of 13 I started lifting as part of a program for my travel baseball team. This introductory program taught by a powerlifting coach changed my life. I learned the fundamentals of basic barbell and dumbbell exercises and from that moment on I was hooked. Following the 12-week program I convinced my parents to get me a membership at a local gym. I began consistently lifting and fell in love with the process. I loved the feeling of pushing myself as hard as possible. I loved getting stronger and seeing myself change. Bodybuilding became my favorite thing in life. I kept lifting for several years and I learned more about what I was doing along the way, however looking back on those days now, I realize that my training could have been set up and executed much more intelligently. Sure, I knew how to preform lifts with proper technique and mostly trained using the right exercises, but there was so much nuance that I didn’t understand. Around the age of 17 I began to incorporate more evidence-based practices in my training. I am always learning, but I have greatly improved by knowledge on training over these years. This deepened understanding of training that I have gained through consuming scientific content on bodybuilding has helped me make great progress in the gym and has significantly improved my physique.

Picture of myself near the start of my lifting Journey in 2012

8 years later and 65 pounds heavier in 2020

Another shot from May, 2021

So what does it mean to be evidence based? Evidence based bodybuilding means incorporating scientifically supported methodology into one’s training. Yes, there is actually science behind getting jacked. The fitness industry as a whole is filled misinformation. If you search programs or routines on how to build muscle, you’ll find a lot of variation on how to go about this. A great deal of this variation will be filled with bad advice based on anecdotal experiences. “Trust me bro, it works, just buy my program.” – some influencer taking steroids convincing you that he has all the secrets and that all you need to do to see results is to buy his program. In fitness, the sad truth is that image sells, not information. People see someone with a great physique online and assume “this person must know what they’re doing.” Yes, they probably have a decent grasp on proper training however its not always the case. This person could have terrible training knowledge but an impressive physique because they use performance enhancing drugs. 9 times out of 10 they’re not going to tell you that. They’re going to tell you that it was because of the way they trained and give out advice or try to sell you their programs despite the fact that they may not really know the right advice to give to someone else. Omar Isuf, a fitness content creator on YouTube, does a great job at highlighting this.

The goal of this blog will be to give you the right information that you can use to take your training to the level. There is working out, which is lifting and going through the motions in order to exercise and then there is training. Training is about thoughtfully making a concrete plan and executing that plan with precision and focus. Training is covering all of your bases and maximizing your outcomes. Through science, this blog will help you do exactly that. No more questioning all of the bro science out there and feeling confused on what to do. The time to learn is now. Enhance you training with evidence-based bodybuilding.

For a deeper discussion on what it means to be evidence-based, check out this podcast from 3DMJ, a fantastic website based around natural bodybuilding

https://3dmusclejourney.com/podcast/50/