The ascent to beauty

[Mackan58]

Greetings, brothers in iron!

This is the tale of my 2,5 year transformation from a regular guy to the chosen man of Thor on Earth. First of all, I am no prodigy or a guy who's always been big. I was rather small when I was younger, and I didn't just go to the gym and wake up the next day looking the way I am today. Everything I got, everything I am, I have busted my ass in the gym for. I am 100 % steroid free, as you can see in my pictures below I am not one of those guys that was skinny two years back and is now huge, without pictures in between. To everyone reading this; You don't need to be a genetic freak or use steroids to achieve this, just time, work and lots of dedication. I am 23 years old, I am 187 cm and is as of now weighing around 92 kg, I started at ca 78 kg.

This is me during my time during my time in the military, 11 months of marching, fighting, shooting, I started going to the gym after I got out of it (in Sweden we used to have a mandatory period of service).



This is me after ca 6 months of serious training, although I didn't know as much about nutrition and training as I do now I did my best and still ate good and got plenty of sleep. June 2010



This is me after 6 months after that, the scale hovered around 100 kg, but, as you see a lot of it was fat. (I spent the entire fall bulking). January 2011

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This is me after some months of training that was less good, I made a brief return to thaiboxing (which I trained as a teen), still I tried to manage my nutrition. May 2011



After that I commenced a cut, which in retrospect was poorly executed. July 2011



After this my girlfriend went to study abroad for the coming semester, at this point I vowed that I wouldn't waste a day training wise. The following fall I saw great progress, I began to spend more time reading and educating me in the matters of iron and nutrition. Although I put on some fat I gained a good quantity of muscle as well. During this period I also found a brother in Iron with whom I still train with.

[Mackan58]

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Great results but also great fat storage . First picture is early October the other two is late November.

I was scheduled to visit my girlfriend and thus I began a small cut as I found my self bearing to much fat. Here is a picure from Gold Gym, California.



After my return to Sweden I was fairly unhappy with my form, 3 weeks of donuts, hamburgers and lack of training made me yet again vow to never eat anything but clean food. I didn't start my cut that would start my ascent quite yet but opted instead to try to gain some more muscle. March 2012

[Mackan58]

The ascent

The pictures above is right before the ascent. I started my cut in the middle of Mars, full of determination and knowledge. I was sure to make everything picture perfect this time, richer for the experience from previous failures. Easier thought than done I got sick two times during April which was a real test for my determination. I pushed through however which led me to become what I am now, Thor's chosen man. I finally reached one lifelong goal of mine; visible abs, I never thought I ever have it, just the thought of it makes my eyes tearful with joy, when I understood that I was on the right path and the fat began to recede; The joy I felt was something extraordinary. For the record I have made some sacrifices through this time, I haven't drunk in well over a year (which has taken it's toll on the social aspect of life, as here in Sweden a large part of socializing has to do with alcohol), I almost never eat unclean food (can't remember the last time i had a pizza).

The following pictures is not the end of my journey but a mile stone which marks the results of my long struggle. This summer.

[Mackan58]

I hoped you enjoyed the story!

Best regards, you friend Marcus

[Mackan58]

Changed from imageshack to imgur.

[Beconscious]

Imageshack fail

[TheSecondName]

Amazing job. Liked to read it.

What's your weight difference since you started your cut in march till now?

[howmodbro]

jesus christ amazing lats man

[Stevebaby]

Thor indeed. Man, what an amazing muscular look you achieved. Stunning

[Mackan58]

Thank you very much brethren!

Before my cut, around 95-97 kg. At the other pictures 90.

[xhaihappen]

Thank you very much brethren!

Before my cut, around 95-97 kg. At the other pictures 90.

you look awesome, but wtf have you been taking?

[thomasmbailey]

Damnnnnn good work!! Definitely inspiration for me to keep my bulk up, just started about a month ago and gained about 3 lbs of good weight.

How many calories were you eating above maintenance level? And did you cut through dieting or exercising? Or both? Supplementation?

[lvsteven]

you look awesome, but wtf have you been taking?

this.

something seems off about the entire thing.
maybe the most perfect genetics ever?
maybe...

[ama828]

Stacked and ripped! Very impressive.

[CarlWayne88]

mirin hard

[Mesomang]

Im def mirin but to get those results after 2.5 years natty seems absurd... sick results though, looking tuff!

[Pr0No0B]

amazing lats, what did u do for those??

[TroJon]

Awesome job...

...Something happened since March 2012. Nomsayin?

[rowza]

Great job, them lats are huge!

[Mackan58]

Damnnnnn good work!! Definitely inspiration for me to keep my bulk up, just started about a month ago and gained about 3 lbs of good weight.

How many calories were you eating above maintenance level? And did you cut through dieting or exercising? Or both? Supplementation?

you look awesome, but wtf have you been taking?

Stacked and ripped! Very impressive.

mirin hard

amazing lats, what did u do for those??

Great job, them lats are huge!

Thank you very much! Compliments like this mean the world to me, I wouldn't be able to keep this pace without them. Love it!

I can't really lay on calorie balance as I tend to store fat then. But as of now I am laying around 2800 per day. I am going to cut again come October for a competition in December.

My cut from March to June/July I power walked everyday, this combined with an eating deficit of about 400-600 calories. As for supps I used creatine, aminos and whey. During the summer I also tried Ripped Freak which works well (I'm after the hunger suppressing aspect).

The back: Deadlifts, chins, lateral pulldowns, barbell row. During January- April I trained back two times a week, with one of them focusing on dead lifts (but still chins and lateral pulldows) and the other day with focus on chins.

Gratitude and love (no homo) / Marcus

[Mackan58]

this.

something seems off about the entire thing.
maybe the most perfect genetics ever?
maybe...

Im def mirin but to get those results after 2.5 years natty seems absurd... sick results though, looking tuff!

Awesome job...

...Something happened since March 2012. Nomsayin?

I guess I should take this as compliments as well, but it is also of vital importance for everyone to know that I am 100 % natural. I also want credit for doing this without the shortcuts. As I've said I've made some sacrifices during a long period of time to get where I am today. First of all, try staying sober in Sweden for a year (before that I drank like 4 times since I started...), believe me it takes it's toll on the social life. Furthermore the constant "I can't eat that" when friends and family gorge themselves in sugar and fats. I've done this for a long time and believe me it is a test for your dedication. Moreover, everyone who knows me knows that I would never use steroids.

Non the less, thank you for the words

[vNeckk]

mirin physique HARD! Awesome job man!

Greetings from a scandinavian brah

[LaurieSchnelle]

great transformation.

[Ramses93]

Huge!!

[Mackan58]

mirin physique HARD! Awesome job man!

Greetings from a scandinavian brah

great transformation.

Huge!!

Thank you very much!


I will write some articles in the either "exercise" forum or the post your own articles" forum shortly. Will be about, back training and cutting mentality.

Best regards.

[Fia89]

Nice done!

[Alieli]

You did an amazing job and I respect you for doing it naturally. However you scandinavians have some godly genetics LOL. Looking forward to read your article on the back training.

[JeffyDOS]

OP - amazing job. Crazy transformation. I admire your dedication.

To those saying that OP isn't natty... you've been spending too much time in the misc. If you think this isn't achievable in 2.5 years, reevaluate your diet and training (even I need to because apparently I'm still a stick/skinny fat kunt).

[EatTheGym]

Super-****ing-lats, those look like wings ffs. Amazing job OP, you are truly an inspiration.

[slammedmind]

Well done! It takes alot of time, patience and effort to get that far!

As for the people saying or thinking that any of that was steroids you are way off the mark! If he was using anything like that he was doing it wrong lol.