Josep Xavier Lorenzo Falgàs

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an overweight child. I never ate junk food, but I did eat enormous quantities of my grandmother’s tasty, savory dishes.

La infancia con sobrepeso fue dura… los niños son crueles y las pruebas de velocidad y resistencia de educación física del cole también. Era curioso ver unas notas con todo sobresalientes y un suficiente raspado en gimnasia otorgado por la pena del profesor…

In adolescence, being overweight turned into obesity, and this, combined with good grades and a rather withdrawn personality, led to bullying… I indirectly attribute a large part of my lack of friends at that time to my obesity, as it made me feel very inferior to everyone else… not to mention my relationship with the opposite sex… which took quite a while to develop since, unfortunately, at those ages, physical appearance is valued above all else.

I had always done a lot of sport, but my level of effort, I won’t lie to you, left much to be desired… whether it was basketball, judo, boxing… I had never seen it as an enjoyment but as a way to achieve better health and therefore I never combined it with a good diet.

There came a point where my concern about my physical appearance increased (I’d like to say it was for my health, but that would be a lie). I wanted to be like most people: have friends, kiss girls… the typical things for my age. Reaching my personal record on the scales (120 kg), I fell into the clutches of meal replacement diets whose names I don’t want to mention… I lost a lot of weight, but I was far from achieving an athletic and/or healthy physique. That said, my self-esteem improved somewhat, and I started making friends and leading a more socially appropriate life for my age. I’m telling you this just so you understand how much physical appearance influences a teenager’s mind…

The day came when I started my engineering degree and had to give up my other sports because of the bad class schedule, so I decided to join a gym “to get abs.” I was obsessed with losing weight and spent hours on the cardio machines without even touching the weights. Again, the laughter; everyone laughed at the fat guy half-drowning on the treadmill. Until one day, someone (whom I’ll never tire of thanking) told me, “Don’t pay any attention to them, they’re going to be amazed by your transformation. Come train with me.” Since then, I consider that person one of my best friends in the world, and it was thanks to him that I touched a barbell for the first time.

Time passed, and I was really into the world of weightlifting, both the workouts and the changes in my body. I asked the gym instructor for a diet and routine to get ripped, and he showed off his great copy-paste skills… being the curious guy I am, I started asking him why he had me eat the right things or do the right exercises. When I saw he couldn’t answer me, I switched to another gym, and this process of not getting answers repeated itself several times until I got tired of finding someone who could satisfy my curiosity.

Time passed, and I was really into the world of weightlifting, both the workouts and the changes in my body. I asked the gym instructor for a diet and routine to get ripped, and he showed off his great copy-paste skills… being the curious guy I am, I started asking him why he had me eat the right things or do the right exercises. When I saw he couldn’t answer me, I switched to another gym, and this process of not getting answers repeated itself several times until I got tired of finding someone who could satisfy my curiosity.

I became consistent, found my true passion, and developed a discipline and fighting spirit I never imagined I possessed. I earned my engineering degree through sheer hard work, along with three more master’s degrees (one in nutrition). I don’t think anything has ever been as challenging as juggling studying and working. I lived like a soldier and sacrificed everything, but I’m incredibly proud of it.

At the same time, people began to notice that I had knowledge and that, despite my physical appearance not being a good showcase, my mind was burning with a desire to learn….

All of this coincided with the rise of natural bodybuilding, and in 2018, with the birth of WNBF Spain, I fielded my first competitor. The laughter and taunts started again, with people saying, “How’s he going to train you if he’s not strong?” But it was funny to see how they affected me less and less.

There have been countless moments when I wanted to throw in the towel… not because of the ridicule anymore, but because people very close to me and whom I love still didn’t believe in me.

My fame grew, and even though I’m not a big fan of social media, people wanted to be part of Team Xipi. We forged bonds, we became more than just a team. We’re a movement, a family… WE ARE NAKAMA!

Hi everyone, I’m Xipi, a guy who’s always been told he couldn’t do it, but who’s never given up. Here’s my project, my dream, my passion, my family… and in this family, we achieve our goals together. Are you in?