Building Muscle: How Fit Father Chris Went From ‘Skinny Fat’ to Buff

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

building muscle

As men age, they often think about losing weight, but many of them feel that building muscle after 40 is just a pipe dream.

Well, it’s not!

You can transform your body at any age! 

Take Fit Father Chris, a 45-year-old father of two, who was a self-described “classic hard gainer.” 

He was always slim and tall, the kind of guy who could eat whatever he wanted and never gain weight. 

But, after years of working long, hard hours, Chris found himself going from “skinny” to “skinny fat” — more than that, he lost his strength and his confidence. 

And then, he found the Fit Father Project.

Listen to Chris's Story on the Fit Father Project Podcast:

Skinny and Feeling Inferior

Chris was always thin, and as a teenager, he looked up to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So, he started dabbling with weights and tried to pack on muscle.

His efforts were mostly futile, however.

Then, at 19, Chris' roommate took him under his wing to teach him how to enhance his build. 

“I enjoyed the workouts and concept of weight training in general. I spent plenty of time doing different personal training in yoga and boxing.”

Still, Chris says he had an inferiority complex because of his physique.

Not only that, his weight would often go up and down.

This continued well into adulthood.

“When we had our first child, I gained a few pounds. I was about 165 pounds, and my suits were starting to get a little tight. So I started working out to lose weight and lost about 10 pounds only to put it back on. But it wasn't muscle gain; it was all fat.”

Chris's clothes were growing tighter, and he realized he had to do something about it.

That's when a Google search for ‘building muscle after 40' led him to the Fit Father Project.

“It blew me away because you provided sound information that made sense since I knew a bit about weight training.”

So, Chris joined Old School Muscle (OSM), and his wife, Steph, joined the Fit Mother Project

“We spent the next month not doing the program, but simply reading through the material and collecting stuff.”

Learn why building muscle after 40 has so many benefits!

Building Muscle

Once they were ready, Chris and Steph dove into their programs with the utmost dedication and the right mindset. 

“We thought we would forget what we know and trust Dr. Anthony because he lays out the information and has the science to prove and explain what's going on.”

Steph lost over 90 pounds on the Fit Mother Project, and she's begun strength training with Chris.

“I've got nothing but respect for that woman. It is a huge change. It has been incredible. I was trying to gain weight, and she was trying to lose weight simultaneously. Both programs complement each other well. We were both working together. We knew and respected each other's goals and supported each other 100%. It's just been fantastic.”

Chris joined the Brotherhood Facebook Group and was blown away by the motivation he received from the community.

“I just felt at home. The guys welcomed me. I'm small and feel inferior; one of the guys said that big or small, it doesn't matter. We're all trying to be fitter. That just resonated with me. I realized that many of these guys were in a much worse position than I'd ever been. They were overweight and were fighting against huge hurdles. So these are big things to overcome. And my respect for all of these people and what they had been doing blew me away. The community is very positive.”

With the help of Old School Muscle, Chris changed his health and fitness for the better.

“The first month, I lost about eight pounds. Surprisingly, my weight has stayed the same, which is crazy. My bloating and gut slowly went down. I'm much leaner and way stronger than I've ever been in my entire life. My metabolism, which had been slowing down, is back to how it was before. My stamina is through the roof, and I have way more energy.”

Chris and Steph's home life has improved, as well.

“Steph and I are just better parents. We're better people. We're more patient and able to do things that we couldn't do before, as in, I can pick up the boys better now than I could do years ago when they were smaller. Ultimately, it starts with just a physical journey, but it impacts many more areas than that.”

So what would Chris say to someone looking to join the Fit Father Project?

“Find an activity or something you enjoy because you can stick to it, and it can become a part of your life more easily. The other thing is to engage in the Facebook group. It makes a difference. Even if you don't engage because maybe you just lurk in the shadows and are too shy to say something, just check out what the guys are talking about. There's lots of helpful information and people. They are always up and ready to give you a hand and help you out. It's something that I wasn't expecting at all when I first started this journey, and it had a profound effect on my life.” 

building muscle

3 Key Takeaways From Chris's Journey

To summarize, here are three key lessons you can learn from Chris’s successful health and fitness journey:

Lesson 1: Focus on the Progress You've Made

It's all about progress and being better than you used to be.

Your goals need time, effort, and patience to be accomplished.

Instead of gauging your achievements according to them, celebrate the little milestones you touch along the way.

Every milestone brings you closer to your goal and helps you become better than when you started.

Lesson 2: Listen to Your Body

There is no one-size-fits-all philosophy applicable to fitness.

A workout regime that works for someone else may not work for you, and vice versa.

Learn to listen to your body and be sensitive to its limits.

Don't push yourself harder than you should because that will only give you injuries or other problems.

Lesson 3: Love Yourself

Chris always used to compare himself with other “bigger guys.”

His feelings about his stature adversely affected his self-esteem for most of his life.

Never let the shape of your body or the number on the scale affect what you feel about yourself.

It's only a part of your life and does not define you.

What is FF30X?

FF30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program that is designed especially for busy men over 40.

With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team that is there for you at every step, FF30X can help you lose 30, 40, or even 50+ lbs — even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life. 

Click here to see what you get when you join the FF30X program today!

Check out the Fit Father Project Podcast on:

And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

Founder Fit Father Project, Founder Fit Mother Project

After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Balduzzi founded The Fit Father Project and Fit Mother Project to help busy dads and moms get and stay healthy for their families.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Psychology & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, and is also a former national champion bodybuilder. He’s is most proud of the fact that he’s helped over 40,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for life.

*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on building muscle.

GET STARTED FOR FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program
for Busy Men 40+

Trusted by over 50,972 Busy Dads 40+

Lose weight. Keep it off.

See & feel results before you buy.

Limited Time Offer

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

GET STARTED FOR FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program
for Busy Men 40+

Trusted by over 50,972 Busy Dads 40+

Lose weight. Keep it off.

See & feel results before you buy.

Limited Time Offer

Fit Father Project Fact-Checking Standards

Our Fit Father Project Team’s deepest commitment is to helping you live healthier for both yourself and your family. And when it comes to online content, integrity and trust is everything. That’s why our Fit Father Project staff-writers are all trained professionals in the field of health and wellness (registered dieticians, licensed personal trainers, and licensed physicians) – see the full team here. We rigorously run all of our articles through a rigorous editorial process to ensure the accuracy, simplicity, and utility of the information. And we aren’t just a team of “academics” sitting in an ivory tower. We are real people – with jobs, responsibilities, and families – working hard in the trenches and testing our tips & methods out to make sure you can stay healthy for family.

Here is what you can expect from us on our Fit Father Blog and YouTube channel:

  1. All of our content is written and reviewed by licensed health professionals (dieticians, personal trainers, doctors).
  2. In nearly all of our articles, we link to published research studies from the most respected peer-reviewed medical & health journals.
  3. We include research-based videos to accompany our articles to make it easier for you to consume our content, put it into action, and see results.
  4. Inside our articles & videos, we do promote our free meal plans, workouts, and/or paid programs, because we know they have the potential to change your life.
  5. We openly take feedback here on our contact page. We welcome your content suggestions… and even feedback on grammar (we’d like to thing that we’re pretty OK at spelling and “stuff”).
  6. Above all, we are a community of likeminded men and women committed to living healthier. We do not advocate any health advice that we wouldn’t personally implement with our families. Because as far as we’re concerned, you’re our family too.

Thanks for checking out the blog. We can’t wait to support you toward greater health, energy, and vitality. – The Fit Father Project Team

 

Terms of Service & Privacy Policy

 

Get Started for FREE

Get Started for FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program for Busy Men 40+
Trusted by over 50,891 Busy Dads 40+

See & feel results before you buy

Limited Time Offer

Get Started for FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program for Busy Men 40+

Get Started
for FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program 
for Busy Men 40+

See & feel results before you buy

Limited Time Offer

Search