Mental power: Shawn Lindo used his brain to build some serious bodybuilder brawn

Men's Fitness, March, 2008 by Brandon Guarneri

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Guys who spend a lot of time in the gym get stereotyped as dumb--even though they're usually mocked by people who don't know squat about getting in shape to begin with. Many don't realize how much intelligence it takes to build a better body. Take New Yorker Shawn Lindo. He was clueless when he started working out, but once he wised up, he carved out a physique almost anyone would envy.

Lindo, like most gym newbies, wanted to get big but had no idea how to do it. Six years ago, he carried only 160 pounds on his 5'11" frame and his workouts were improvised and infrequent; sometimes he'd lift just once a week. "I'd do some pulldowns, some pushups," recalls Lindo of his routine. "But I didn't have any structure." He didn't even do sets and reps; he just performed one exercise until he tired of it. Lindo also did tons of cardio, burning up calories his body needed to build muscle. And then there was his diet. "Sometimes breakfast would last until I got home," he says.

In early 2004, Lindo finally sought help and began training with a more experienced lifter, who advised Lindo to concentrate on his core so he could handle the total-body lifts necessary to gain muscle. "If you're building a house, and you don't have a good foundation," Lindo says, "it's going to crumble." He finally followed specific workout routines, and changed them every few weeks to make fresh gains. "My body had no choice but to grow," he says.

And it did. Lindo experienced steady growth, two to three pounds of lean muscle a month, and drew raves from his gym's manager. "He asked if I'd ever thought about becoming a personal trainer," he remembers. Though Lindo hadn't, he decided to give it a shot, and began researching the science of exercise.

After immersing himself in training texts, Lindo applied for certification through the International Sports Sciences Association and applied what he learned to his own lifts. "That's when I really started to notice a change in my body," he says. Now on a roll, Lindo packed in the calories, eating frequently and forcing down extra carbs--a good strategy for quick muscle gain. (He even mixed his protein shakes with juice for extra calories.) Lindo also took supplements regularly: creatine and whey protein, as well as fish oil and flaxseed oil to help his joints rebound from heavy lifting sessions. He bulked up to 195 pounds.

Blown away by his progress, Lindo entered a local bodybuilding contest, and after cutting 25 pounds, he took fifth place in the light-heavyweight division at the Naturalmania Nationals in New York in fall 2006. Last July, he placed fourth at the Hercules Championships.

Today, Lindo walks around at about 200 muscular pounds. He's training clients in Manhattan, and now plans to become a professional bodybuilder. "Every day, it's a work in progress. But now I know what I'm doing." Finally.

For Shawn Lindo's complete workout routine and diet plan, check out mensfitness.com/success

GOT SUCCESS?

Have a tale that might qualify you as a Men's Fitness Success Story? We want to hear from you. Send us an e-mail at successstories@mensfitness .com or write us at Men's Fitness Success Stories, One Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016. Include your full name, address, telephone number, and any pictures you may have that document your transformation. All submissions become the property of Men's Fitness

TALE OF THE TAPE

Name               Shawn Lindo
Hometown         New York City
Height                   5'11"
Weight Before          180 lbs
Weight After           202 lbs

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Mental power: Shawn Lindo used his brain to build some serious bodybuilder brawn

Men's Fitness, March, 2008 by Brandon Guarneri

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