• Home
• About Fit4Life
• Richard Grattan Naturally Grown
• Contact
• location
• Member Resources
• Testimonials
• Training Tips
• Exercise Ideas
• Corrective Exercise
• Pregnancy
• Lower Back Pain
• Physio Myofascial Release Massage
• Nutrition
• price list
• login

Richard Grattan Naturally Grown

 

Story So Far

I have been a keen trainer since 1997 and have seen my body change a lot over the last 12 years as when I started training I was very weak and only had the body weight of 10 stone with not much muscle or even tone.

My Knowledge of training back then was very little as were the gains I made but I was determined to change the way my body looked, with discipline and determination I started to see changes over a period of time. I was training in small gym where their were no such person as a Personal Trainer, the only knowledge available was from the other users with which I now realise had not much knowledge at all but just experience which does mean a lot if you have the knowledge to back it up.

Keen to learn more I decided I would enrol in a gym instructor course with WABBA in November 2004. On completing the course, I now had experience and also a little knowledge too. Within the following 12 months I made the brave decision to change career to pursue something which I had a great passion for.

Starting work in the leisure industry at Fitness First in November 2005 was very new and different to printing which I had done for the previous 13 years since leaving school. Again my determination played off and I soon moved from gym instructor into Personal Trainer on obtaining a senior instructor qualification with WABBA.

Whilst working in the club it was put to me by another trainer Lee Barker and a member Brandon Greenwood natural bodybuilder that I would be a good prospect to compete as a natural bodybuilder. So in July 2006 I competed as a novice in the BNBF Northern qualifier and was placed second.

In 2007 I began my quest to compete at the same show but now in a weight class rather than as a novice. I started to train with Brandon who in 2005 won the novice and overall class at the same competition and had gone on to win more titles including Mr Universe in his first year of competition, he was the one that inspired me to compete in 2006 and again was fully behind me for my new campaign. Being a Personal Trainer in the club it seemed strange to start with, listening & following somebody else’s views and ideas on training, but it soon became noticeable that I was changing shape and starting to look more like a bodybuilder. The training with Brandon, the change in training style, eating and supplements was really paying off and in July of 2007 I won the Northern Lightweight title which I then followed up with a third in the British Finals and a forth place in the INBF worlds in New York latter that year and again in 2008.

 

 

What Comes Now?

I still have the same determination, desire and discipline I had when I first started training all them years ago but now have my sights aimed on returning to New York in November 2009 where I hope to be placed in the top three.

 

Proudest Moment

It was in New York 2008 at the Worlds, being a little disappointed with my forth place it was Brandon Greenwood that provided the moment. Brandon had been placed third and forth in 2007 and 2006. Being there on both occasions I saw how much he was disappointed with the results and how much he really wanted to win the World title. Knowing that 2008 may be his last chance, he did not disappoint wining his weight class and then taking the overall to become World Natural Bodybuilding Champion.

I have the utmost respect for Brandon for what he has archived in Natural Bodybuilding and since meeting Brandon in 2005 when I started work at Fitness First I have gained what I would term a GREAT friend.