Aug 25 (edited) • General discussion
From 60kg and invisible to 86kg of lean muscle and confidence. Here’s how I did it.
The mirror didn't lie.
60kg of nothing stared back at me.
I was that guy, you know which one.
Walking into rooms and somehow still being invisible.
Watching my friends fill out their shirts while I disappeared in mine.
Being picked on in school because of my chicken legs (people literally used to call me "chicken little").
Every handshake felt weak.
Every conversation felt like I was apologizing for taking up space.
The worst part?
It wasn't just my body that felt small.
My whole life did.
I'd wake up frustrated, go to bed disappointed, and spend the day in between feeling like I was wasting the one shot I had at being the man I knew I could become.
The gym intimidated me.
Nutrition confused me.
And deep down, I was terrified I'd always be the "before" picture in someone else's success story.
But there's something powerful about hitting rock bottom – it gives you solid ground to push off from.
One July Tuesday morning (I remember it exactly), I was at a resort in the south of Italy with my girlfriend at the time.
We were chilling at the pool and she had forgotten something inside our room and sent me to grab it.
I got to the room, walked in the bathroom to grab whatever she had left there and I was confronted with my own self.
There was a big ass mirror inside that bathroom.
I stared at myself for a whole 5 minutes without saying anything.
That's when something clicked.
I remember thinking to myself "Riccardo is this really the kind of man you are? Is this what your full potential looks like?"
I remember this as if it happened yesterday not for what I said internally, but for how bad I felt.
I was VERY FUCKING PISSED!!!
At that exact moment I made a decision.
I stopped looking for shortcuts and started building systems.
Real ones.
I studied how my body actually responded to training.
I figured out what foods worked for MY genetics, not some cookie-cutter plan.
Most importantly, I learned to show up when I didn't feel like it.
ESPECIALLY when I didn't feel like it.
Eighteen months later, I stepped on the scale: 86kg.
But the number wasn't the real victory.
The real victory was looking in that same mirror and seeing someone I respected.
Someone who kept promises to himself.
Someone who had built something from nothing.
The confidence that came with those 26kg of muscle?
It leaked into everything.
Business deals I wouldn't have had the presence to close.
Conversations I wouldn't have had the courage to start.
A life I wouldn't have had the strength to build.
That's why I created 86UP.
Because I know there are guys out there right now feeling exactly like I did – invisible, frustrated, and tired of their own excuses.
This isn't just about workouts or meal plans.
This is about becoming the kind of man who does what he says he'll do, especially when no one's watching.
If you're reading this and thinking "that used to be me" or "that's still me" – drop a comment below.
Tell me your biggest goal for the next 90 days.
Not what you think sounds good, but what would actually change your life if you achieved it.
The man you're meant to be is waiting.
Question is: are you ready to meet him?
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From 60kg and invisible to 86kg of lean muscle and confidence. Here’s how I did it.