The man once called “Skinny Tiddler” because of his skinny looks has transformed into a champion bodybuilder.
Whitstable native Tom Soman aspired to be a professional soccer player, but his dreams were dashed when he was told he wasn’t strong enough.
The 28-year-old ditched his boots and hit the gym to embark on a huge fitness journey.
He recently won the overall champion gong at PureElite, the world’s largest fitness federation.
Tom, who weighs over 18 stone and burns about 7,000 calories a day, says he started playing football for Whitstable Town FC at the age of five.
He was scouted by Gillingham FC at the age of 14, but was told he “needed to be a little stronger” to play in center midfield and failed to gain a place at the club.
“I probably didn’t grow up from nine to fifteen.
“My father and mother called me ‘Skinny Tiddler’.
“I was tall, but skinny.
“I didn’t like taking off my top and I didn’t have confidence. That was one of the main reasons I went to the gym with a little more confidence.”
At the age of 15, Tom started training at first touch, where he got the chance to play against Newcastle.
But he said again.
So he decided to join a gym to get stronger on the football pitch, but says he fell in love with the game when he was 17.
“At first, I was training three to four times a week.
“I was still hanging out with my friends and having fun.
“Seeing people around me in the gym really fit and competing, I wanted to take things to the next level. I thought that’s what I wanted to do.
Tom’s says he weighed about 11 stones 10 years ago and now boasts a whopping 18 stones.
His figure relies on a strict diet and training regime that includes a 7,000 calorie diet during the gain phase.
“I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and take the dog for a 30-minute walk,” he said.
“When I get back, I do 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill.
“The first meal of the day is oats, protein powder, almonds, and strawberries at 10am, and the second meal is white potatoes, chicken, and vegetables at 12:30pm.
“My third meal is rice, chicken, and vegetables, just before I go to the gym at 2:30pm and do two hours of weight training.
“My fourth meal of the day after training is coco pops, strawberries and protein powder.
“My last meal at 8:00 pm is the same as my first meal. I also walk 12,000 steps a day.”
A self-professed foodie, Tom admits that sacrificing his favorite foods is the hardest part of training.
His vices are pizza, hamburgers, cookies, ice cream and pancakes.
“Right after the show, we try to treat ourselves and eat whatever we want,” he says.
“My mom makes me lasagna and my partner and I go out to eat a lot.
“In a week, we were back on our nutrition plan and we were back in no time.”
Tom won the Overall Champion award at the PureElite competition held in High Wycombe on November 5th.
He took home a prize of £1,000 and a trophy, which will help competitors secure sponsorships and boost their business.
The fitness fanatic now runs AT Online Coaching with partner Aston, who launched four years ago and moved to Dubai about two years ago.
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