A more confident, muscular Alexander Carrington

ALTHOUGH he was an active teen — captaining Campion College’s rugby team and occasionally training in the gym — Alexander Carrington’s focus, then, was never on “gains”.

However, all that changed when he started attending The University of the West Indies in 2013.

“I needed to keep fit somehow, so I decided to go to the gym regularly,” he told All Woman. “I set out to gain muscle mass.”

At the time, Carrington was lanky, weighing 147 pounds and standing five-foot-nine inches tall. Then he started training with friends at the university’s gym.

“I started with lifting weights and getting involved in sports,” he recalled. “At first I did hockey, then I did track events (sprints), and then I returned to rugby. I also played football and badminton recreationally,” he recounted.

Insisting that he has never felt like giving up, Carrington admitted that, in the early stages, he wasn’t very consistent and took regular breaks on his fitness journey.

“I got back on track when I decided this is something I wanted to continue in my life, and properly made room for it without long breaks,” he said.

Having been an athlete since he was a child, Carrington found maintaining his new routine to be manageable. He said it felt natural. Even his friends and relatives weren’t surprised when he started to transform within a matter of weeks.

“They didn’t react. They expected it, for some reason,” he said, laughingly.

Now 25 years old and a strapping 181 pounds, Carrington’s current training is a mixture of powerlifting and bodybuilding routines. He also avoids junk food.

“My diet is very simple: Mostly cooked food, lots of fruits and veggies, and very little junk food,” Carrington shared.

Fitness has become such a large part of his life that he is now dedicated to helping others achieve their health goals.

“I started in 2016, accidentally. People just asked me to train them and I said, ‘Why not?’ I grew to like it, so I decided to get certified (as a personal trainer) and shifted my education to focus on it,” Carrington said.

Now completing a master of science degree in sports medicine, Carrington runs a weekend fitness boot camp and assists others with workout programmes, home training and meal plans.

A competitor at heart, he decided to participate in the Jamaica Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Association’s annual bodybuilding competition.

“I entered for the first time last year and placed third in two categories,” he said proudly.

Carrington shared that his lifestyle change formed the path for his career and scholastic choices, which changed his life for the better. He said, too, that being more muscular has also boosted his confidence. He also recommended that others incorporate exercise as a way to feel better about themselves, regardless of their aim.

“You can start with small diet changes that will build up to be the kind of diet you want to be following,” he advised. “Also, take your time getting into an exercise routine that you can adequately fit into your schedule.

— Candiece Knight