The name of Jeff Seid certainly tells you something. Thanks to his perfect physique, this American bodybuilder and fitness influencer has become a real phenomenon on social networks. He is also known to be the youngest IFBB Pro in the history of the discipline. Followed by several million followers, he had completely disappeared for almost a year, before making his return in the summer of 2022 and explain the reasons for his absence ...
An accomplished sportsman from a young age
Jeff Seid was born in 1994 in the small American town of Renton, near Seattle, Washington.
He has been passionate about sports since his childhood. He has a great admiration for Arnold Schwarzenegger's physique in the movie Conan the Barbarian (1982), Jeff Seid promises himself to do everything possible to sculpt his body.
It begins the strength training as a teenager and quickly gained muscle. In high school, he built a solid reputation in sports such as track and field, wrestling and American soccer. As a wrestler, he even finished second in the national championships.
But it is indeed American soccer that the young athlete intends to pursue at university. Several reputable teams have offered him a scholarship to continue his studies while practicing his favorite sport.
Unfortunately, he seriously injured his knee (ruptured anterior cruciate ligament) during a soccer game. Universities withdrew their offers. Such is the hard law of sports.
A fate not unlike that of the legend Lee HaneyAnother athlete who had to give up a career as an American soccer player due to an injury, before shining on the bodybuilding scene.
Jeff Seid's debut in the bodybuilding world
Despite his declining morale, Jeff Seid is hanging in there and continuing to work out.
In terms of measurements, he measures 182 cm for 88 kg at the age of 18. He continues to work hard at the gym and develops a physique that is both massifaesthetic and harmonious.
It is a bit by chance that Jeff Seid launches himself into the world of bodybuilding. He won his first competitions in the early 2010s, which allowed him to earn his professional card of the IFBB, when he was only 19 years old. To date, he is the youngest athlete to have turned professional. A real achievement!
After winning his first pro contest, the bodybuilder American qualifies for the 2013 edition of Mr. Olympia, in the brand new Men's Physique category. He finished in an honorable 11th place.
To go further, some time ago I wrote a article on the functioning of bodybuilding competitions and the different categories.
With his growing popularity, the young prodigy continues his career and travels all over the world.
In 2014, he took a great 5th place at the Europa Show of Champions (Orlando, Florida). He then placed 11th at the PBW Championships (Tampa, Florida).
In 2016, Jeff Seid tried his luck again at Mr. Olympia, but failed in the depths of the ranking (16th place). An edition won by the American bodybuilder Jeremy Buendia.
Intense training and a drastic diet
To get to this level so quickly, Jeff Seid adopted the lifestyle of a champion.
A true bodybuilding enthusiast, he has trained for many years with an impressive rigor for a young man of his age.
The routine oftraining by Jeff Seid is based on 5 to 6 trainings per week:
- day 1: pectoral and calf muscles (bench press, inclined press, dips and calf raises)
- day 2: back (deadlift, chest press, pull-ups and horizontal press)
- day 3: legs (squat, thigh press, leg extension and leg curl)
- day 4: arms and calves (biceps curls with barbell and dumbbells, triceps extensions, barbell and calf raises)
- day 5: shoulders (shoulder press, lateral raises, dumbbell bird, front raises, reverse pec deck and shrugs)
- day 6 : recall of one or more muscles of your choice
- day 7 : rest
In addition to his training program, Jeff Seid also follows a diet strict.
During his professional years, his diet included 5,000 calories daily. It was this consistent intake that allowed him to gain muscle mass and build an incredible physique.
But since his last appearance at Mr. Olympia 2016, Jeff Seid seems to have put his professional bodybuilding career on hold. Instead, in recent years, he has been focusing on his business as afitness influencer.
One of the most popular fitness influencers in the world
On social networks, Jeff Seid is a phenomenon. He is followed by millions of people:
- Facebook 3.3 million followers (although he is no longer active)
- Instagram 4.3 million followers
- YouTube 1.3 million subscribers
On his various accounts, he shares his lifestyle, workouts and nutrition.
This success owes nothing to chance. Indeed, the American is a formidable entrepreneur. He has launched a sports and lifestyle clothing brand, Seid Wear, which has been very successful.
He also published a book, Guide to Aestheticsin which he tells his story and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Everything was going great for Jeff Seid until the summer of 2021. Overnight, the young athlete didn't give any sign of life on social media for almost a year.
The incredible physical transformation of Jeff Seid
Dirty bulk and health problems
After such a long silence, Jeff Seid finally made his return to social media in June 2022. He explained the reasons for this absence through a video posted on his Instagram account.
For several months, the bodybuilder actually gained a lot of weight by doing a dirty weight gain ("dirty bulk" in English).
While his healthy weight is around 88 kilos, with a body fat percentage between 6 and 7 %, Jeff Seid reached 105 kilos on the scale... in only 6 months! With an average of 3 extra kilos each month, he obviously didn't just gain muscle, but also a lot of fat.
Unlike a dry weight gainDirty Bulk is about gaining a lot of weight quickly by eating everything you can eat. Jeff Seid first started by following a clean weight gain. But after 4 months, caught up in a frantic desire to gain volume, he created a large caloric surplus by ingesting a gigantic quantity of food. Fast foods, pizzas and other sodas were thus used as daily meals.
Was it a way for him to improve after his last disappointing results in bodybuilding? Or simply a will to make the buzz? Only he knows the answer to these questions.
Still, Jeff Seid has seen his protruding abs and its muscles flayed in a few weeks. Worse, this type of weight gain can have dramatic consequences on health. And the American has unfortunately paid the price.
His blood pressure reached 180 mmHg. Professionals refer to this as severe hypertension, the most serious stage. In its classification, theAmerican Heart Association specifies that in case of a result higher than 180, it is necessary to consult a doctor urgently.
To learn more about Jeff Seid's failed mass gain, I invite you to discover this video in which I explain everything.
An extreme dryness
Fortunately, Jeff Seid realized his situation before it was too late.
He then adopted a draconian diet to eliminate all the fat layer acquired during his mass gain. Of course, as in any dry period, he also lost the little muscle he had gained...
Back to square one for Jeff Seid, who takes advantage of his failed experiment to alert his subscribers to the dangers of a dirty weight gain.
Once used, this method is now totally outdated. To gain muscle volume, it is better to be patient. A slight surplus of 200 to 300 calories is more than enough to bulk up without accumulating too much fat.
Want to become massive, but don't know how to go about it? Discover my PRO MASS (intermediate level) and CLASSIC BEAST (expert level) programs to get the physics of your dreams.
Conclusion
Jeff Seid's background is a source of inspiration and motivation. Although hampered by serious injuries, he persevered to become the youngest IFBB professional in history and achieve his goals. Despite his failed muscle gain, he still remains an example for many young athletes around the world.
