“Dad, I Want to Get JACKED”

How My Son Turned an 8th Grade Goal into a 6’6″ Powerhouse Frame — Through Nutrition First**

This is hands-down one of the most common questions I get:

“What do you guys eat?”
“How do you get your kids to eat healthy?”
“What’s the secret to your family’s fitness?”

I’d love to say people ask because I walk around shirtless with a six-pack and a movie star jawline… but come on. That’s not the case.

I have a normal body. I live a normal life.
But what we do have is a lifestyle built around movement, play, and nutrition.

It’s not a diet. It’s just how we live.

And when people see how my kids — especially my oldest son — carry themselves, they start asking: What are you guys doing differently?

So here’s the real story, and it all started with one line:

“Dad, I Want to Get JACKED.”

Let me rewind.

My son Braylon is now a 6’6″ senior in high school. He has an incredible frame — strong, lean, powerful. The kind of athlete who turns heads when he walks onto a court or a field.

But none of this happened overnight.

His journey started years ago — during that awkward, mirror-obsessed summer between 7th and 8th grade.

Like most eighth graders, he spent some time scrolling Instagram. One day, he stumbled on a shirtless influencer making a protein shake with a Magic Bullet. The guy had shredded abs, big biceps, long shaggy hair, and looked straight into the camera and asked:

“Do you want to know what to eat to get JACKED?”

That’s all it took.

Braylon came to me that night and said, “Dad, I want to get jacked.”

That’s the spark.

How He Took Control — at Age 13

From that moment, Braylon became obsessed — in the best way.

He started researching macros.
He tracked his food.
He committed to 3,000 calories a day.
And he stuck with it — every day, all summer.

I didn’t have to enforce anything. I barely had to guide him.
He made the decision. That made all the difference.

Late-night fast food runs?

“Nah, Dad. I don’t eat that.”

Birthday cake?

“Just a bite — I’ll call it my snack.”

He learned self-discipline. He learned fuel. And more than anything, he learned how nutrition powers performance.

At First, the Mirror Didn’t Change — But His Game Did

He didn’t suddenly balloon into a bodybuilder. He stayed lean.
In 8th grade, he was 130 pounds, closing in on six feet tall — but his athleticism skyrocketed.

• He ran 2 miles in 11:05 at his first Cross Country meet.

• His vertical jump exploded — which he noticed every day at basketball practice.

• His balance, coordination, and movement across multiple sports improved.

• He skated better, bounced higher, and just moved differently.

He wasn’t “jacked” — but he was better.
Stronger. Faster. More confident.

That’s what real nutrition unlocks.

Fast Forward to Today — Senior Year

Now Braylon is a 6’6” senior. He’s got the build most kids only dream about. He looks the part — not because he dieted, but because he understood fuel early.

He learned what most adults still haven’t:

Nutrition isn’t just about size.
It’s about performance.

And when performance improves?
The body changes on its own.

His transformation didn’t come from supplements or shortcuts. It came from consistency.

He built a foundation.
He kept showing up.
He chose nutrition as a tool — not a punishment.

How It Affected Our Entire Family

When one person locks in like that, it changes the house.

We all started eating better. Not because we were trying to match him, but because it was easier to make one solid family meal than cook a dozen different things.

Even the younger siblings started to notice. They still sneak their Halloween candy, sure — but they know what’s good and bad. They understand energy. They know what food does.

That matters.

Because when they hit their own “I want to get jacked” moment, they’ll already have the base.

Parents — This Is the Playbook

Let your kids explore.
Introduce good food, explain why it matters, and model the behavior.

Don’t force nutrition.
Inspire it.

Show them what performance fuel looks like. Then let them feel the difference.

It doesn’t matter if your kid is 10 or 17. Once they connect effort with outcome, they’re hooked.

And here’s the truth:

It’s Not About Abs or Muscle. It’s About ENERGY.

When your kid:

• Recovers faster after games,

• Jumps higher on the court,

• Gets through the school day without crashing,

• Sleeps better and wakes up ready to go…

…they start to understand how food plays a role in everything.

Body composition comes later.
What matters first is: Can they move? Can they perform? Can they recover?

Braylon didn’t just change his body.
He built a mindset — one that will serve him for decades.

The Takeaway: Fuel for Performance First. Size Will Follow.

Parents, if you’re still focused on your kid “getting bigger,” I’m asking you to shift the focus.

Forget the old-school goals.
Forget the obsession with abs and weight.  Most “size” has a tremendous hormonal component that just happens differently for every kids.  

You can basically eyeball a 12-year-old and understand that he’s simply not going to put on 15 lbs of muscle this summer, so QUIT pushing for THAT!

Teach them how to fuel their bodies.

Then sit back and watch what happens.

The performance will spike.
The confidence will grow.
And the physique? That’ll take care of itself.