THE world’s strongest kid who started bodybuilding when he was just 12 looks unrecognisable seven years later.
Jake Schellenschlager, now 22, set world records for his weight class in 2014 after devoting himself to training.
He started bodybuilding at the age of 12 when he saw his dad lifting weights in the garage.
At the time, Jake told his dad, Chris Schellenschlager, that he “wanted to be the strongest kid in the world one day”.
When he was just 14, he was training daily and could deadlift 300lbs.
He broke the world record for the squat for his age and weight at the Powerlifting Bench Press Championships in York, Pennsylvania.
It was his dream to continue competing and setting records in his weight class.
Jake, from Maryland, looks unrecognisable seven years on – and his dream appears to have come true as he’s still weightlifting.
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On his Instagram, he said he’s a WG Youth Fitness Ambassador and holds multiple world records.
He frequently posts pictures of his fitness progress to his nearly 3,000 followers.
When he was a teen, Jake’s trainer, Mike Sarni, praised his mental strength.
Mike told the Washington Post: “He doesn’t feel he can be defeated. It is that inner strength that tells him, ‘I can do this’.
“Usually, you only get that in older, more mature people.”
Jake’s dad, Chris, said at the time he was aware of the risks to his son’s health – but he was always supervised.
He said: “‘Some don’t believe it is good to have kids weight lifting too early.
“But Jake never complains about pain or hurting, and he gets regular check-ups.”
He added: “You don’t want your kid to be sitting on a couch and playing video games.”
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