Hey, my name is Bradley Owen. I’ve always been a natural athlete, playing every sport I could. However, I was in a three year relationship that wasn't good for me. It was toxic for my lifestyle and it lead to me quitting all sports. It changed me, and turned me into a sloth which obviously lead to weight gain. A lot of weight gain. I also love food more than the average person so that definitely didn't help. During the relationship, I was cutting myself off from everyone and everything, including fitness. Then she saw that I wasn't the same, due to the things I cut off that made me, me. I was lazy, and I was sad. I was going nowhere in life, and she broke up with me.

I looked at myself in the reflection of a mirror and decided I needed to change something. Right then and there, I retrieved something back from what I used to be: my impulsiveness.

I applied this personality trait to something productive: the gym. Remember, I had lost all confidence in myself. I wanted to be happy with myself again. People aren't attracted to negativity, only positivity. So the goal was to change myself physically so that it would change me internally. I needed the gym to regain my confidence.

First came motivation, then consistency, then obsession, and that’s what helped me transform my body.

Yes, I take BCAA's which help with muscle growth, as well as protein powder. I also take pre-workout and fat burners as I want to take my body to the next level. I take creatine which helps with performance in my exercises. However, during my transformation journey, it was just pure motivation and willpower. You have to want it. Back when I first started, all I took was protein powder.

I’m obsessed — I'm usually in the gym for 2 hours a day. I cycle my workouts as such:

1. Chest - A range of exercises, but focusing on incline bench, cable squeezes, and dips.
2. Back - Mainly focusing on pull-ups, rows and lat pull-downs.
3. Shoulders - Lateral raises, front plate raises, and shoulder press.
4. Legs - Deadlifts, squats, leg press, leg extension, and hamstring curls. I LOVE DEADLIFTS!
5. Repeat

On rest days I'll usually call it an active rest day and do abs, arms and cardio. Or I'll focus on it as an extra day to add to the cycle.

My shoulders are more developed than others, and I also have a large amount of strength. So I apply that to my workouts by lifting as heavy as I can with as many reps as possible. The heavier you go, the stronger and bigger you get. Eating is also a major strength of mine. I am what I eat, so if I eat healthy foods, I look healthy.

A lot of my friends enjoy drinking, and I've made a lot of friends along the way. Sometimes you can't help a night out. But be prepared to work it off in the gym the next day. You have to have fun, but if you want to have a great physique you also have to consider giving up drinking every weekend for a while. Every once and again is okay, as long as you keep up with your diet consistently. Consistency is everything!

Another slip up of mine is keeping bad foods around the house, whispering in my ear "eat me.” Every now and again this happens and I can't resist the urge. But I track it and it just means that I can't eat as much the rest of the day — unhealthy foods tend to exhaust your macros.

Find any kind of motivation, whatever it is. I can even be your motivation. Apply that to your training, be consistent with it, and eventually it’ll become habit. If you want to take it to the next step like I do, make it your obsession. This will transform your body gradually over time. Every little step counts and this method of mine will help you get there without a doubt.

Follow me on Instagram @bradley.owen.