No Honor Amongst Thieves, But Community in Great Men

The Mission:

What’s Good! My name is Alexander Brown.  I am a Bodybuilder,

Accountability Coach, Father and Future Community Leader. I would like to take the time to briefly  share with you my story as to how I have become  the Man that I am today. My story to date is not about me becoming financially wealthy as that is not my #1 ambition, but I am rich in character and life experiences for anyone that might have come up in a similar situation or just dealt with different trails and tribulations in there young life. I have been actively bodybuilding and competing for the past decade since 2014. Initially it was to challenge  myself to see just how good of shape I could get into, and all I hoped for was to actually place Top 3 in the show I was training for at the time  “Muscle Contest Gold Coast Classic” .  I achieved that goal and after that I got the competitive bodybuilding bug,  fast forward to present day I have competed in 34 shows in multiple states from regionals to nationals, I have won 4 regional overalls wins in Classic and Men’s Physique, and have placed Top 4 in USA’s this year most recently. The grind for my Procard is a relentless one, which I have learned to enjoy the journey of while steadily improving. Most people think Bodybuilding is all about how hard you can physically drive/push one self, and yes it takes a very strong physical “WiLL”  to be a Bodybuilder, but the greatest strength you will develop is the Mental Discipline and Clarity to see things through… Perseverance and Resilience and lots and lots of GRIT is what it takes to succeed. 

His-Story:

I started working out with my pops at 13 years old a few days a week after school at the gym my uncle owned in San Diego Ca, Stern’s Gym. Eventually after learning most of what I know to be my foundation from my pops, I wanted to grow a Deep Connection with my training and decided to start training mostly solo so I could really start to discover myself on a higher level. Over the years I would go through lots of different training protocols and techniques to grow my body. The gym became my place of refuge and kept me locked in and allowed me to do something to keep myself out of trouble. Not to say I didn’t get in trouble, because I definitely got in alot of trouble from the ages 14-21 years old. Like many young minority men growing up in the inner cities of California I was caught up in the middle of gang life politics. When you grow up on survival mode you look for a way to be apart of something bigger than “You” as negative as the outcome of being affiliated with a gang can be there are positives, Brotherhood, Community, Feeling of Value, Pride in Standing for a cause whether others agreed with it or not. I owe Alot of who I am today from the tough/hard  lessons I learned from my gang affiliation back in my youth and early 20’s from getting my G.E.D in juvenile hall to being extradited out of state to face charges I am grateful for all the lessons and wouldn’t change a thing about my Past. 

Giving Back in My Way:

 After all my years of going down the wrong path, and rediscovering myself and redirecting myself through the help of better influences and changing my circle of friends and environment. I have discovered my Purpose is to bridge the gap for people to believe in themselves who come

from environments where you don’t have many positive examples, and how to create an internal structure  within themselves that cultivates self love and care.

Final Conclusion:

Living a Healthy lifestyle is a commitment and takes Alot of Discipline, anyone who is on there journey I have much Respect for you. Being in great shape is a status statement as to how you view yourself. Lets create an image of ourselves that we are Proud to see, so that we can also inspire others through our own actions and deep work. 

Respectfully,

Alexander Brown

•Life Coach 

•Trainer in AZ

My name is Julie Howard fitness has always intrigued me, though I was never a gym fanatic. As a young adult, I dabbled in fitness, trying various weight loss and bodybuilding programs to see what worked for me. As life moved forward, with marriage and kids, my dreams of becoming a bodybuilder were put on hold. After having my son, I reached a point where I realized I needed help to take my health and fitness to the next level. I hired a personal trainer and shared my dream of competing in a bodybuilding competition. She assured me that it was realistic, and together, Coach Natty and I embarked on this journey. Little did I know, this path would teach me far more about myself than I could have imagined.

The journey has been filled with challenges. I’ve had to learn to believe in myself and remember that I am enough. Trusting that I am worthy of success and capable of achieving my dreams has been crucial. Pushing both my physical and mental limits has been an ongoing challenge. I’ve learned that I can endure more than I thought and that getting comfortable with discomfort is part of growth. The gym became a place where I broke down self-doubt, learning the power of pushing beyond my limits, one rep at a time.

Another significant challenge was balancing my training with my life as a wife, a mother of three young children, and a working professional. There were days when I didn’t feel like hitting the gym, but I reminded myself that my goals were worth the sacrifice. Training wasn’t just about building muscle—it was about setting an example for my children on dedication, resilience, and the importance of self-care.

As a child, I always dreamed of stepping on stage as a bodybuilder. Although I didn’t know the exact category or federation, I knew I wanted to compete. As life progressed and I started a family, my dreams took a backseat. But after the birth of my youngest child, I felt the pull to return to fitness—not just to look good, but to feel better and enjoy activities with my kids, like running on the playground, kicking a soccer ball, and learning dance routines.

Gradually, the dream of competing on stage resurfaced. I realized I was ready to take my fitness journey to the next level. I wasn’t just aiming to look good—I wanted to become a professional bodybuilder capable of competing at the highest level. My goals evolved alongside my growth, and I became determined to challenge myself both mentally and physically.

Achieving my goals requires constant discipline, especially with my nutrition. I make sure my macronutrients align with my objectives, whether I’m building or cutting. My daily gym routine revolves around lifting as heavy as I can while maintaining proper form. Each workout brings me closer to the bodybuilder I aspire to be.

After 14 month with my trainer, in December 2023, I competed in my first bodybuilding competition, placing 3rd and 5th in my Bikini divisions. This success gave me the momentum to push further. In my second season, I competed in the NANBF federation, where I won Best in Show and earned my IPE Pro Card—one of the proudest moments of my life. As I continue this journey, I am learning about resilience, self-love, and the power of persistence, and I’ve realized that the process is as important as the result.

My Fitness Journey into Bodybuilding 

I started to train with the weights back when I was 15 years old. All started when I was given doubt from close family friends that I would not be able to build muscle because of my skinny small frame. That just fueled the fire. I trained everyday starting at 155 pounds at 15 years old to grow to 210 pounds by 18 years old. All on the drive to prove the doubters wrong and to achieve my goals. My goals that pushed me through it all, was to get on the football team, become captain and win a State Championship. Those goals were all accomplished by 2001. I then to college, played college football and got my degree… then moved out here to Arizona in 2007. 

From 2007 to 2022. I was in and out of fitness. Just didn’t have a drive to stay consistent or just want to go. My biggest challenge was to find that motivation I once had.

It took me a hunting to trip to realize I had to do something. We were packing out an Elk out of a canyon and by the time we were done and back to the truck, I got sick from being over exhausted. That was the day I found my drive again.

I changed my whole diet to carnivore and renewed my gym membership. I was at the gym before 5 am when they opened the doors and was there 5-6 days out of the week for 4 months. Within those 4 months I went from 230 pounds to 180 pounds and looked great, felt great and full of energy by the end of 2022.

Over a year later from that transformation, I attempted to do some bodybuilding and saw some success. Which made me think about competing at bodybuilding show and reached out to a coach at the beginning of 2024 who told me let’s grow for another year and assess where we are then prep for a show. That brings us today with another transformation from almost a year ago. On another journey, to now be ready for my first bodybuilding show in 2025 and to not just compete but to win Masters and go to Nationals!

1. Share your journey, including your challenges, achievements, and what inspired you to start.

• Ive been on this specific bodybuilding journey for at least five years. I was always active, however, I would say I had an average, to below average physique. Skinny however, decent arms, not much leg development. I always just knew when I was a kid, I wanted to be muscular as an adult. Not just average, but jacked, super hero-like, anime inspired, comic book inspired physique. It's been a challenge for me gaining weight and size with my active job/ lifestyle, constantly moving on my feet, eating a surplus of 7500 calories a day during bulk just to reach goal weight. 

• This year was the biggest I've weighed, as well and as the most leanest I've ever been in my life. 

2. Before and after photos

3. Goals and Aspirations: Describe your fitness goals, both past and present, and how you plan to achieve them in the future.

• My goal has always been to unlock an incredible physique naturally. Everything I do, I go all the way in, naturally this was going to lead me to competing in bodybuilding 

4. Motivation: Explain what keeps you motivated and how you overcome obstacles in your fitness journey.

• Having met various backgrounds and walks of life in fitness, has  inspired me to follow footsteps and have an open mind to everyone's training techniques and methods so I can apply to my own . Realizing everyone's different, and people have different ways to approach their goal and what works for them. Thanking my coach for helping me overcome my challenge or gaining weight and putting on lean muscle over time through meal and and workout regimens. 

Hi, I’m Natalie. My journey began after I got sick with Covid and nearly lost my life. I was working two jobs, barely sleeping, constantly on the go with my kids and home, and never making time for myself. One day, I realized I needed to make a change—and that no one else was going to do it for me. With no help or personal trainer, I took myself to the gym and started working out, even though I wasn’t sure if I was doing things right. I kept pushing through, watching videos, and learning as I went. There were times when my weight crept back up and I felt like giving up, but I didn’t. I started at nearly 260 lbs, dropped to 178 lbs, and now I maintain around 185 lbs. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been, and it’s all thanks to staying consistent. And lifting those weights!!!

It’s not about whether you enjoy working out or like the exercises—it’s about doing what you need to do to improve your health and well-being. Hope this helps motivate at least one person this coming year.