Ryker’s Inspiring Story

I can’t and I quit are not in the vocabulary of a friend of mine who just completed his 1st round of P90X. Ryker started his fitness journey at 275lbs. Most people would have never tried and those that try usually quit because they believe it is too hard. Ryker not only tried but has succeeded and is still succeeding. Ryker decided to write his transformation story and I believe it is to powerful not to share. If you are as inspired by his story as I was please leave a comment below and let him know.

This might be a little long, but here is my transformation story, i’ve posted on facebook, and blogs and everything else lol. Hope this inspires everyone to keep pushing play and BRINGING IT!

Hi! I’m Ryker, a farm boy from a small town in Idaho, Blackfoot. I’ve been married for 7 yrs, and have 2 beautiful children and one on the way.

Here’s my story:
All my life, I have had a confidence and self esteem problem. I wasn’t the most popular kid at school, I was a computer nerd and a band geek. Now, maybe it was because I was a tad over weight, or maybe it’s just because, that’s who I was. Either way, it carried on after High School and I started partying to fit in, and that’s when things went downhill. I drank alot, among other things, and was, for lack of better terms, “abusing” my body.

Well, a small family, and 10 yrs sober from my party scene later, I Had come to realize that if I didn’t do something about my health soon, and all the abuse that I had put my body through, I wasn’t going to be around much longer. At this point I was weighing in at 275 lbs, and over 38% body fat.
Now, it didn’t take a doctor to tell me that. When you walk up a flight of stairs and you run out of breath, or you wrestle with your kids, and 5 minutes into it you have to take a break because your side hurts, THAT’S when reality slaps you in the face, and says HEY WAKE UP STUPID! YOU ARE IN TROUBLE!

One night, me and my wife were discussing different options in our lives, and with the economy and the world the way it is now, of course our conversation turned towards schooling, and career choices.
Now, having been in the military before, there was always the option of going back, but past attempts to lose weight have failed due to an unstructured diet/workout program, or a better job came along and we decided to forget that idea. Well, I’m almost done with my associates degree, but with a new addition to our family, I would need to be making more money than I was at my current job. We decided it was time to consider the Military option and really commit and work towards it to make it happen, and make a better life for Us and our little family.

We were watching TV, and a commercial for the P90X system came on. We sat in disbelief and doubt as we saw picture after picture flash across the screen of people’s results and how happy and healthy they looked. Even people as big as me, were seeing amazing results. I started the research. I started looking for other programs online that could compare to p90x and that could give me the results I needed in a short amount of time. Time was running out as our new baby was on the way, and my current job was going to go into seasonal layoffs in October or November.

We decided to invest into the P90X program to make the changes I needed to re-enlist in the military.
The day my P90X package arrived, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried. All over the package were warnings about, needing to be in really good shape to do the program, or if you have any history of knee injuries, (which I did from martial arts years ago), you shouldn’t do this program.
Well, let’s just say, I ignored the warnings and dove right in feet first, emptied the cupboards, went shopping, got all my gear, and committed to completing the program, although I was still afraid of what the program was, and just what I had gotten myself into.

Then came picture time. Now, I’m fine with having my picture taken, that’s not a problem for me, happens a lot with my band and other things, but pictures taken by a camera and looking in a mirror are VERY VERY different.

I looked at my first picture, which was a front shot of me, with shorts and no shirt on. I saw what everyone else saw when they looked at me, and I cried. Afterwards, I finally got up the courage to post them publicly for everyone to see and to criticize. I posted them originally on the boards in a general area and got a few good lucks and what not, but that’s when everything changed for me.
I found my coach, Coach Jelly from the Average Joe’s. I started posting in that forum when It first started and found all the support I would need to get through the program. From the amazing coaches, (THANKS COACH JELLY AND COACH HILLIS!!), to the other people just like me, pushing through the P90X program.

The first week of my workout was Hell. From eating the right way, giving up the foods that I loved to eat, (pizza, chocolate, soda, etc.) to things that I hadn’t done in years, and things I had never done before in my life, bombarded my body and left me sore, sweaty and panting every day. BUT I didn’t let it stop me. Despite the soreness, the nausea, the sweat, the pain, I pushed through phase 1. In phase 1 alone I dropped almost 20 lbs, and was amazed at the results!

I pushed even harder through phase 2 and 3, and at the end of round 1 of P90X, I have to say I’m in better shape than I was in the military over 10 yrs ago!

I’ve gone from 275 lbs to 237 in 90 days. Dropped 8% body fat and 5 pant sizes, but that’s not the rewarding part.

The most rewarding thing that has happened to me in the last 90 days, is the fact that I can go outside and run and wrestle with my kids for hours and just barely be out of breath. I can now pick one of them up in each hand by the ankles and curl them, or put them behind my back and tricep press them .(6 yr old boy and 4 yr old girl), Before, when we would come home late with the kids, and they would be asleep in the van, I would have to wake them up and make them walk upstairs because If I carried them, it was too much for me to do. Now, I can carry my precious kids to bed without waking them up and tuck them in without needing to sit down and rest. I can look in the mirror and be happy with who I am and proud of what I’ve done.

I am so thankful for what P90X has done for me that I choke up even while writing this blurb. And it’s not just what P90X has done. It’s the support of everyone through this first round that has made my transformation possible.

Most importantly my Wife for supporting me in my decision to get through this. My kids, who would beg and beg to workout with me no matter what I was doing. Ethan, my 6yr old who now wants to take kenpo classes, and who always kept track of my reps on ab ripperX and who always wrote them down, and Rebecca my soon to be 4 yr old who now enjoys yoga, and stretchx when I do it. Of course my parents, who are now trying a few of my DVD’S out, and especially to My mom (licensed massage therapist and cranial sacral therapist) for being able to give me the therapy that I needed to get through the days when I was especially sore, and hurting.

AND last but certainly not least, My Coach, John Adams and all my workout buddies at the Average Joe’s Group on the message boards! YOU GUYS ALL ROCK!

Even though I’m not as religious as I should be, I know someone up there answers prayers, because, I don’t know how many times I was able to push out some extra reps, when I knew I had hit muscle failure, and How many times that I sat on the edge of the bed and said a small prayer to help me get through my workouts when my knee started acting up, and was able to complete workouts, and today, my knee doesn’t give me problems.

But this isn’t the end, NO WAY. This is a lifestyle change, not a 90 day change. I’m still overweight and it will take a few more rounds to get to where I want to be!

NO MATTER WHAT, if you are overweight, and obese like I was, if you are abusing your body like I used to, if you are eating unhealthy, please PLEASE PLEASE do something about it. I’m not saying go buy P90X, get a workout program that you like, make a decision to eat healthier, and change your life. Whether it’s for you, your girlfriend, your wife, whatever. DO IT. I did it for my Kids, so I can create a better life for them and so I can be around for them longer.

As Tony Horton says, Do your best and forget the rest. Forget everything that has brought you down in the past and make a change starting today. You are in control of your life, no one else. You can change if YOU want to.

BRING IT!!
Ryker Murdock
P90X Grad and a Changed Man