Michael McCarthy

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

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated May 21, 2019

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.

Related Articles

Foundations