I’ve been writing on this site for about 8 months now, and I realized that I only have two pictures of me on this entire site. I figure you guys might want to know who you’re taking your fitness advice from. Today’s post is about who I am and how I got here.
This is Me
Hi, I’m Steve Kamb. I’m about 6 feet tall, I weigh approximately 175 pounds, and I have about 11% body fat. Here are my weight lifting stats:
- Best deadlift – 310 lbs.
- Best squat – 210 lbs (full squat to down past parallel)
- Best bench press – 205 (6 reps, never tried to max out with 1 rep)
- Most pull ups in one set – 14
I’m a big supporter of the phrase, “appearance is a consequence of fitness.” I’m sure I could do just chest exercises and bicep curls and “look bigger,” but I’m more concerned with building a well-balanced body: lots of squats, deadlifts, pull ups, and presses. I know my weight lifting stats won’t win any awards, but they’re constantly climbing and I’m doing it all on my own terms.
I know there are tons of ways that I could bulk up and put on more muscle quickly (creatine supplements, high calorie shakes, and more time devoted to fitness). However, with my day job, this website, and an actual life, I really don’t have the time or need to do that, which is fine. I only exercise three or four times a week (for just 45 minutes), I eat well, and I’m trying to do everything I can to set myself up for a long healthy life. Besides, I need to fit in some nerd time too: reading lots of books and playing the occasional video game.
Maybe one day when I win the lottery I can devote six months turning myself into Ryan Reynolds. Until then, I’m happy where I am.
My Story
I’ve been skinny my entire life. I’m a really picky eater and I played a dozen sports growing up, keeping me in a constant state of skin and bones. I don’t even like cake, which means I get made fun of at work whenever it’s somebody’s birthday. I started college at Vanderbilt University back in 2002 and couldn’t wait to put on the “freshman fifteen.”
Welp, after four years of college, tubs of protein powder, and daily trips to the gym, I managed to put on maybe five pounds. Suck. Other than my abs, I didn’t have much going for me in the muscle department. When I graduated, I moved cross-country to San Diego on a whim with my older brother. I found a gym close to my apartment, got a few free personal trainer sessions, and suddenly realized it was my diet that was holding me back. 30 days later, I had gone from 162 lbs. to 180 lbs. (4000 calories a day will do that to ya). It was at this point I became obsessed with fitness. Not necessarily getting myself in incredible shape, but the whole science and process behind how our bodies work and the most efficient way to get in shape.
After yet another cross-country move to Atlanta in November of 2007, I landed a marketing job with Sixthman, the greatest company on the planet. In my spare time I continued to exercise and read every fitness book I could find. It was at this point I started to formulate the concept of this site: I love writing, and I know there’s A LOT of bad information and crappy fitness products/blogs out there, so I figured why not use my powers for good and start my own damn blog! I chose the name Nerd Fitness because it’s easily remembered, unique, and quite applicable: I’m a nerd, I like fitness. Done.
In the fall of 2008, I became a certified personal trainer. Now, I don’t think this certification is a big deal, because I believe it’s great content, accurate information, and motivational stories that will make this site successful, not some piece of paper. Even though I’m personally trying to bulk up, I have helped quite a few people slim down, like my friend Saint who dropped 33 pounds in 12 weeks. I love hearing about normal people who transform their lives and want to inspire others. If you have a great story, please tell me about it and you could be featured on Nerd Fitness!
My Diet
Up until two months ago I was drinking 3 thousand-calorie shakes a day, shoveling insane amounts of food down my throat, and doing everything possible to gain weight. I made it all the way up to 185 pounds (woohoo!), and then I read Loren Cordain’s “The Paleo Diet” and “The Paleo Diet For Athletes.” It completely changed how I look at fitness, diet, and my overall health. Since then, I’ve shed 10 pounds (almost all of it was water weight or fat), and I actually look bigger now than I did before.
Since reading these books and doing more research on the subject, I’ve realized that stuffing my face with meal-replacement shakes, gallons of milk, and pounds of pasta probably wasn’t the optimal/safest lifestyle. Sure, I definitely wish I had bigger arms and more muscle, but not at the expense of my long-term health. Now, I eat mostly real foods (lots of chicken, lettuce, asparagus, and apples), focus my time on getting stronger, and stop being so neurotic about calorie counts and timing my meals.
My Goals
I want to put on 10 lbs. of muscle by January 7th. Why January 7th? Because that’s the day I head out to sea on The Rock Boat! As part of my job I have to go on this floating music festival and make sure everybody is having a good time (told you it was an awesome company to work for). Now, because I’ve switched to a Paleo Diet, I’m going to have to really try hard to find a way to eat enough calories a day to bulk up. As far as exercise goes, I’ll be doing a variation on the Level 3 Routine found in my free e-book, A Newbie’s Guide to Fitness. It will still only be 3 days a week in the gym.
That’s my story. I’d love to hear yours: email me at [email protected] and let me know if I can help in any way.
-Steve
