Ryan Sharp is a 17-year- old bodybuilder from Dallas, Texas.

At age 12, he began noticing significant muscle gains from gymnastics and entered the gym to pursue his gains. At 5’8, Ryan now weighs 160 pounds and is a competitive bodybuilder.

“I immediately fell in love with the art of building muscle when I began seeing results from my workouts. I was doing gymnastics and working out with my dad back when I was 11 or 12, and I started to notice all the lean muscle I was building.”

Ryan told DailyMail that “The Rock” served as an idol initially:

“I’ve been conscious about my appearance, wishing I looked stronger, more ripped like Dwayne Johnson. That mindset of needing to be healthy and look like a big, strong man just came naturally to me.

“I realized I have great genetics, thanks to my grandpa who is very lean and muscular. As soon as I saw those muscles start to grow, I got hooked.”

Ryan can squat 363, bench 233 and deadlift 385 pounds. In 2017, he took first place in the Teen Classic Physique Category and second in the Men’s Novice Classic Physique at the Phil Heath Classic.

Ryan trains five times a week for around 90 minutes per workout:

“I start the workout off by doing a compound exercise for a couple heavy sets, and then I do a variety of other exercises with lighter weight and higher reps.”

Ryan follows a classic bodybuilding diet – high calorie whole foods. For carbs he consumes lots of rice, oatmeal and fruits; for protein he eats chicken breast, ground beef and eggs; and he gets his fat from minimally processed sources like peanut butter and avocado.

“I love the art of bodybuilding itself. I love seeing results as I ‘sculpt”’ my physique. I love feeling my muscles get pumped as I lift the weights. Being surrounded by such hard-working athletes helps motivate me to work harder, not just in bodybuilding, but in other aspects of life too. The sport of bodybuilding has truly changed my whole life. Having tens of thousands of social media followers is a fun bonus too.”

With wisdom beyond his years, Ryan understands his physique is more than just a physique:

“It represents the insane obsession, determination and motivation I have for making my dreams a reality. What I’ve learned from bodybuilding, and what I hope people learn by seeing my physique, is that anyone can accomplish incredible things over time if they have the right mindset. This goes way beyond bodybuilding and fitness.”

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