An interview with Tom Harris

It’s a typical Thursday night for Tom Harris as he tucks into a mammoth 8 ounce-steak accompanied by home-made chips and a large portion of salad.

‘Basically, if you don’t eat right you won't get the results you want’ he said.

Tom weighs 12st 6 lbs. he spends hours at the gym and prides himself of his physique. I wanted to find out how he bulked up, and what advice can he give for anyone trying to build in muscle mass!

“I used to be really skinny in high school I was about 9 stone, I was that scrawny weak child that could never stand up for myself. I think I was 17 when I started going to the gym, it was just when I started 6th form because all my friends went to college so I didn’t really have anyone to hang out with.. I literally spent every free period in that gym. For me I used the gym as an escape from issues with school.”

Tom previously had issues with bullying in high school that prompted his parents to move him to a different high school.

“People go to the gym for different reasons, for me I just wanted to get away from everything. As soon as I bought a car I knew I could drive to the gym every day and for me that was bliss, you have to be dedicated and for me it was quite addictive at first I really didn’t know what I was doing when I joined. I didn’t bother having an induction or a personal trainer I just wanted to get on with it and do my own thing.

It literally became my second home, I know that sounds silly but I spent so many hours at that gym, it just became part of my daily routine.”

He further tells me how intimidating it was when he first joined him.

 “At first it was quite intimidating to head over to the weights section just because you had these massive guys who just looked so confident, like they knew what they were doing.. and I really did not have a clue. But I did little by little, at first I stuck to cardio such as the running machines, cycling and when I started feeling more confident I gradually started using other exercise machines. The more I went to the gym the less I started to care, and just got on with it.”

Tom began noticing a difference in his physique and decided to get serious about exercising.

“I was 18 and I started noticing definition on my stomach, which I was really pleased about. I started taking protein shakes not any brand in particular, but yeah I literally continued going to the gym non-stop until I left school. I began doing research about what exercises I should do if I wanted to bulk up, and even my dad came to the gym with me to help me out which was really helpful. Now I’m 20 and I’m the fittest i've ever been.”

I asked him how do you motivate someone to go to the gym.

“For me it was dedication to go to the gym, you have to motivate yourself, you need to be in the correct mindset. Going to the gym can even be fun, if you go with a friend you can encourage each-other.”

He continued.

“For me I feel better when I go to the gym, after you’ve finished you feel more relaxed, I myself have anxiety issues and just exercising alone makes me feel so much more relaxed and happier within myself. If I can get do it ANYONE can do it.”