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Name: Jason Dammer
Before:
After:
I had always been a skinny guy. I was fit and generally lean, and practiced Taekwondo for ten years. When I went off to college at the University of South Carolina, I needed a way to stay in shape since I was no longer practicing martial arts. I hit the gym a few times a week, went through a couple containers of Muscle Milk, the usual casual approach to weight training.
During that time I didn't see a whole lot of progress but I was generally content with my body. That summer I went home to Charleston and got a job working at Pivotal Fitness. I would mix up protein shakes and sell merchandise for eight hours a day, spending the slow hours getting to know the trainers and cops, firefighters, and average Joes that came to work out. I learned that I was an ectomorph that needed to "eat big to get big." I decided that I wanted to be fit and muscular at a heavier weight. Guys at the gym were more than willing to share advice about diet and training, and equally willing to dish out jabs about my skinny frame.
  Click Image To Enlarge.I Decided That I Wanted To Be Fit And Muscular At A Heavier Weight. My good friend and trainer Drew Fessenden gave me valuable advice about my workout programs and coached me up until the day of my show, providing encouragement every step of the way. That summer I learned to eat every two hours and get lots of protein. I gained ten pounds in those three months, and my friends noticed. I felt good about showing off my body at the beach too. At the start of my sophomore year, I got serious about packing on mass. I had an idea to enter the Mr. USC Bodybuilding & Fitness competition, and admired the guys that had done it in the past and earned a place on the Mr. USC poster that stands proudly at the entrance to our gym.
 Click Image To Enlarge.I Felt Good About Showing Off My Body. I wasn't entirely set on the idea yet though. Right around September, I went through an awful breakup with my girlfriend and a rough patch at work. I looked for, and found support from my friends, parents, and my church, but needed a solid discipline to channel my energies into. I made up my mind to enter Mr. USC, which takes place every year in April. I also got a job at a national supplement store, where I met more like-minded individuals willing to help me with my journey.
 Click Image To Enlarge.I Needed A Solid Discipline To Channel My Energies Into.
For the first semester of my 2nd year, I bulked. High carbs, high protein, frequent meals and lots of cheating. My fast metabolism meant that I needed lots of calories to gain mass. Every week I went through 15+ chicken breasts, 3 cans of sweet potatoes, a box of whole wheat pasta, a jar of peanut butter, 2 gallons of milk and more! I got up to 165 pounds, most of it quality muscle that I felt great about. I still had some fat to lose though. After New Year's I got stricter with my diet and started eating clean. I developed a 5 day split program for lifting and incorporated cardio after my weight training sessions. I cut down to 150 pounds, placing me in the lightweight class at Mr. USC, and I took home 3rd place in what many called the most competitive class. I was overjoyed to share the stage with so many quality competitors and smart, humble guys.
 Click Image To Enlarge.I Was Overjoyed To Share The Stage With So Many Quality Competitors And Smart, Humble Guys. Through my work I made contact with Curtis Bryant, one of the IFBB's newest pro athletes. Curtis most recently took 4th in the 202 class at the Europa Pro. Curtis was gracious enough to come to the gym at USC (he trains clients locally) and work with me. He has shown me some excellent exercises for the quadriceps, and incorporates elements of the FST-7 style into the workout. I am going to continue to work hard over the next year, and I plan on entering Mr. USC again in a higher weight class, the NPC Palmetto Cup, and possibly another NPC show next spring/summer.
I have several improvements in mind, especially in my legs and overall mass. Some of my favorite bodybuilders include Shavis Higa, Curtis Bryant, Flex Lewis, Hidetada Yamagishi, Victor Martinez, and Evan Centopani.
Meal 2: Meal 3: Meal 4: Pre-Workout Meal 5: Post-Workout
Meal 6: Meal 7:
I currently use a high volume method of training with high reps to achieve the best possible muscle pump. I put emphasis on proper form rather than higher weight. I don't care about numbers, just what feels challenging with strict technique. Many thanks to IFBB Pro Curtis Bryant who helped show me this method on quadriceps training and had me unable to walk for 5 days.
Day 2: Quads
Day 3: Arms
Superset:
Day 4: Back
Day 5: Shoulders
Day 6: Hamstrings & Calves
Bodybuilding is, on the surface, a superficial sport. After all, contestants are judged on outward appearance. But contest day is only one day, the other 364 are each important. It has been said to me by many that the end result or reward is not where the greatest significance lies, but rather the journey one takes to achieve the goal, or what one becomes in the process of working towards the end goal. Bodybuilding teaches many things: the science of diet, supplementation, exercise, self-discipline, time management, humility and helpfulness (appreciate your spotters!), goal setting, prioritization.... the list goes on and on. And, of course, the end result it a healthy body that is aesthetically pleasing!
 Click Image To Enlarge.The End Result It A Healthy Body That Is Aesthetically Pleasing. Strength is beautiful. Whether it's the strength to pull through a rough patch, work through the pain at the gym, or disregard the people who say you can't do something. I had plenty of those people who told me I was too skinny to be a bodybuilder. Forget 'em. "Do not let yourself be contaminated by others' ideas of what is best for you. Cast aside the shackles of destructive thinking." These are the words of Kai Greene, and they ring true for me. Teen Transformation Of The Week Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
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