The Beginning of My Weight Training Journey
When I was around 24–25 years old, I was struggling with being extremely skinny.
I had the typical “eat a lot but can’t gain weight” body type.
Since childhood, I often caught colds and had fevers, which made me miss school frequently.
I didn’t eat a very small amount, just slightly less than the average person.
I was also very sensitive and tended to overthink things.
That’s why I wanted at least my body to look strong and masculine.
However, in my town, there were no proper gyms, so I never really started seriously.
At most, I bought a pull-up bar and did pull-ups at home.
My First Gym Experience in Australia
The turning point came when I went to Australia for a language study program.
It was there that I joined a proper gym for the first time in my life.
Looking back, the gym environment in Australia was amazing.
There were gyms everywhere, and membership was very cheap—around 3,000 yen per month.
I joined Jetts Gym, which had a pool and sauna. Other gyms with more facilities were probably around 7–8,000 yen.
When I first started going to the gym, I was extremely thin and felt embarrassed about my body.
I was around 180 cm tall and weighed about 60 kg.
Australia has a lot of bigger, muscular people, so I remember thinking, “Do I even belong here?”
Starting Training and Early Progress
I didn’t have a personal trainer, so I followed YouTube videos to learn exercises.
I focused on compound movements:
Dumbbell bench press
Chest press
Pull-ups
Deadlifts
Squats
Machines were used only as supplements.
At first, I couldn’t even bench press 60 kg, which was shocking.
Surprisingly, within less than a month, I could lift 70 kg.
I later learned this was due to my nervous system adapting to the weight.
My body also changed visibly within a few months.
I probably only gained 1–2 kg, but I already looked noticeably more muscular.
Continuing in Japan
I drank protein given by a friend, but when I couldn’t afford it, my growth seemed to plateau.
After returning to Japan, I continued weight training at my company gym while working night shifts.
By then, I had been training for about a year, doing 4–5 sessions per week with a focus on compound movements.
I read somewhere that about 96% of people quit the gym within their first year, so looking back, I’m glad I kept going.
Physical Benefits
One thing I noticed was less fatigue from standing work.
I worked in a factory, standing for many hours, but at the end of the day, I felt much less tired than before.
It made me realize that weight training isn’t just about appearance—it improves functionality, too.
Plateaus and Overdoing It
By this point, people were asking me if I was training because of how I looked.
However, I felt like I wasn’t making much progress and was frustrated.
Initially, I just wanted to get a little bigger, but soon I wanted to become even more muscular.
I tried increasing protein intake drastically, but it led to issues like blood and protein in my urine during a health checkup—my health was temporarily affected.
Fortunately, it wasn’t permanent.
Adjusting Diet and Finding What Works
I stopped protein supplements and focused on getting enough protein from food.
I also increased calories, but:
More oil didn’t help
More wheat-based carbs didn’t help
I didn’t gain much muscle.
I realized I’m a hardgainer, someone who has trouble gaining weight.
A muscular friend told me, “Eat rice!”
Skeptical, I tried it anyway:
Breakfast: large bowl of rice
Lunch: large bowl of rice
Dinner: large bowl of rice
Avoided noodles and bread
This worked wonders. My weight increased significantly, and I was able to bench press 100 kg for the first time.
It was one of the most surprising and happiest moments in my training journey.
Finding Foods That Work for Me
I realized my body doesn’t absorb wheat-based carbs efficiently.
Since then, I only eat wheat when I really want to.
If you’re in a similar situation, I highly recommend experimenting with your staple foods.
By the end of these first three years, I weighed around 85 kg, up from 60 kg.
I had made significant progress, both in weight and appearance.
Note: In the second part, I’ll talk about plateaus, mindset changes, and what I learned after these first three years
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