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Michael McCarthy

This 30-year-old overcame drug addiction and incarceration through building strength and muscle in the gym.

Michael McCarthy

Written by Michael McCarthy

My name is Michael McCarthy. I'm a father of a beautiful baby boy, the soon-to-be husband to the woman of my dreams, a supervisor, and a recovering drug addict.

At 12, I started my downward spiral — from being incarcerated as a teen to furthering my self-destructive abuse, from pain pills to heroin.

I was booked in at 22 years old weighing 82 pounds with probably 2 percent body fat and had to be hospitalized for being so unhealthy.

After my body fought for its life through recovery, an officer introduced me to body-weight exercises. I was so weak I couldn’t do 10 honest push-ups; that led me into lifting.

Today, I’m 30 years old at 160 pounds with about 8 percent body fat. Today I hit my PR of 300 pounds on the bench press! Friday, I hit a deadlift of 445 pounds.

Fitness has helped me cope with some of my childhood trauma that led me into my addiction. I’m on a 5,000-calorie diet, lifting five days a week with alternating exercise regimens.

 


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