Growing up, Joe Shulk was a pretty average kid, born to two loving parents with siblings close to his own age. Yet, as he started to approach the awkward teenage years, Joe found himself squarely at the brunt of his classmates’ rancor. And, for nearly eight years of his life through middle school and high school, he lived with the daily torment of being bullied for his weight.
Now, unlike a lot of teenagers, Joe’s problem wasn’t that he bulked up too quickly or struggled to lose weight. On the contrary, Joe couldn’t seem to keep the pounds on. Much like his dad’s side of the family, Joe Shulk was born with an exceptionally fast metabolism that kept his naturally tall frame lean and—to his classmates— “too skinny”.
For a teenager in high school, this made Joe the target of his classmates’ insecurities. While the other guys were bulking up and developing muscles, Joe stood out and, in no time, his classmates were calling him a twig and a weakling, telling him to eat something, and even going as far as to say that he was disgusting because they could see his bones and veins.
To many people, “skinny” is an ideal they work hard to achieve but, for Joe Shulk, it was a constant reminder that he was different, an outcast, and not physically on par with his classmates. Understandably, he felt his confidence crumble, struggled to make friends throughout high school, and even skipped his senior prom. For Joe, something had to change.
Joe Was Looking for the Start to a New Chapter
By the time Joe Shulk graduated from high school, he knew he couldn’t take another four years of struggling with his personal image. He had always eaten plenty but it never did a thing to change his body. Instead, he would have to carve a new path for himself through hard work and dedication in the gym.
After researching everything he could find about bodybuilding, Joe set out to build a ripped and muscled physique, unlike the naturally skinny frame he had been teased for in high school. It took time but, finally, after many months of lifting, Joe started to see results. By the second year, Joe had completely transformed into the Shulk he is today.
Soon enough, Shulk was making friends on campus, joining a fraternity, and reliving the life of a high school bully that he had always imagined but never got to live. He was spending nights out with the boys, getting drunk, and doing everything he thought that someone with his body was meant to do. Yet, it never made him feel happy with who he was.
Shulk may have spent years in the gym to build the body that could make him happy but he soon found out that it wasn’t the body he needed. It was his confidence.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
For the first time in his life, Shulk had achieved everything he ever wanted. Yet, he still didn’t feel that he was being true to himself. All the partying and drinking wasn’t fulfilling so, as he’d done before, Shulk set out to recreate himself again—this time into his true self.
Over the remainder of his university career, Shulk dedicated himself to reading, studying, meditating, and coming to understand his own true nature—not the frat boy stereotype he’d been pretending to be. Today, he is an advocate for young guys like himself who struggle with their body image and want to transform their physiques to reclaim the confidence they’ve lost. Through his platforms on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Shulk regularly shares photo and video content to inspire his followers, offers free workout programs and training advice, and even teams up with like-minded bodybuilders in his local area. Through it all, he’s remained level-headed and down-to-earth just like the nice guy he always was.
Courtesy of Hugesupplements/com
The Next Chapter for Shulk
For a guy who has managed to carve his way through life, things only look to be getting better for Shulk. Starting in 2021, Shulk joined the leading workout supplement brand, Huge Supplements, to become a brand ambassador and face of the company. Now, he even has a supplement stack named after him, which is available through the Huge Supplements website.
This stack consists of four products—two pre-workout supplements, arachidonic acid, and a vanilla whey protein—that are designed and formulated to help bodybuilders improve their performance in the gym, recover after intense workouts, and quickly build healthy muscle mass.
Shulk will continue to build his brand through social media and spread his message of bodybuilding positivity through relatable and funny TikTok videos. He also accepts messages on Instagram, where followers can gain access to his personal workout program and share their own growth and gains.
Meanwhile, as the face of the company, Shulk will be regularly appearing in ad campaigns and social media content. It’s likely that he will also be hosting workout seminars and meet-and-greets for fans who want to get to know him better and learn more about his workout routines and healthy lifestyle choices.
Joe Shulk Went From Skinny to Legend and You Can Too
For Joe Shulk, life has come full circle. He’s gone from being the skinny kid who was bullied for his weight to becoming the face of one of the biggest supplement companies in the world. He’s become an inspiration to others and, through his work with Huge Supplements, he’s helping others to change their lives for the better.
Although it isn’t easy, Joe Shulk is living proof that anyone can change their life if they’re willing to put in the hard work and dedication. So, if you’re struggling with your confidence or body image, take his story to heart and remember that you too can achieve anything you set your mind to.
