He was a shy, skinny lad who lacked confidence and poise.
But what a difference two years in the gym makes. Now Davis Geidans is a strapping six-footer with an eye on competing in UK bodybuilding contests.
And his message is entirely positive, stressing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the differences it can make.
Davis, 17, came to England from Latvia when he was five with mum Liga and sister Lasma, now 21. By his own admission as a teenager he was awkward and shy. An introduction to bodybuilding changed his life completely.
“When I started working out it was about the look,” says Davis.
“Then it became a passion. But it’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about the mindset and making you a better person. Before I started working out I weighed 55 kilos and 5ft 6ins. Now I’m 82 kilos and 6ft.”
His heroes are bodybuilder turned Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Australian fitness fanatic and Internet star Zyzz, aka Aziz Shavershian, who advocated healthy living, fitness and positive thinking. Tragically he died in 2011, aged just 22, from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.
“When I came across his videos they were never negative. He always embraced life. He made people laugh and he made a big impact on me. Quite often people see two different sides: someone being lazy and having low self-esteem, and then this over the top attitude when they start training.
“Zyzz had the perfect balance of being humble whilst inspiring others. I’d like to be the same.”
Davis’s physical transformation has occurred whilst he was studying for his GCSEs at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury, which was featured in the documentary series Educating Yorkshire.
He says the discipline he applied to his life helped him gain 11 passes at A* and B. He’s now at college studying for his A levels.
He trains at Muscle Target in Dewsbury and has ambitions to enter bodybuilding competitions. But he is keen to stress that his love of the gym will never become an obsession.
“When it comes to training there can be too much. If you do it right you should take a few days off for your body to recover. It will never become obsessive for me. I don’t want to be Mr Olympia. That’s too much.
“I just want to be natural and healthy, to be a better person and to have a good physique.”
