David Laid
David Laid grew from a bullied, 98-pound teenager into an international fitness icon. Born in Estonia, he lost his father at age two and moved with his mother to New Jersey. At 14, a scoliosis diagnosis prompted him to begin weight training on medical advice. He turned to YouTube for guidance, studying popular bodybuilders and filming his own progress in the gym. His viral physique progression videos earned tens of millions of views, inspiring a generation of young lifters while igniting widespread discussion across the fitness community. Laid built his physique around heavy deadlifts, squats, and a push-pull-legs split, paired with flexible macronutrient tracking. After years as a sponsored athlete, athletic apparel brand Gymshark appointed him creative director of lifting in 2023 to oversee its lifting media and campaigns.
David Laid built a large online following by filming his physical progress, starting as a 98-pound teenager with scoliosis. His progress videos went viral. The Estonian-born bodybuilder and fitness model later became the creative director of lifting for Gymshark.
Early life and health challenges
Laid was born in Estonia to his mother, Nino, who had moved there from Russia. Tragedy struck early. When Laid was two years old, his father died after falling from a docked cruise ship. His mother moved them to the United States and opened a café, raising Laid and his two younger siblings in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He attended Mainland Regional High School.
During his teenage years, Laid struggled with his physical health. He was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 14 while playing hockey. At 98 pounds, he endured bullying from classmates over his thin frame. School was difficult. The insecurity deeply affected his self-esteem, and he later spoke publicly about dealing with body dysmorphia.
Online progress videos and bodybuilding
Doctors advised Laid to begin resistance training to strengthen his back against scoliosis. He looked to the internet for guidance. He had registered a YouTube account under the handle computerman91 in July 2009. Soon, he was studying workout uploads from creators such as Jeff Seid, Marc Fitt, Greg Plitt, and the Hodgetwins.
Laid started lifting weights and documenting the changes on camera. In December 2013, he posted a video showing his first 18 months of progress. His follow-up upload in August 2015, which covered his physical changes between ages 14 and 17, went viral. It accumulated tens of millions of views. The rapid muscular development drew widespread attention from teenage lifters and sparked ongoing debates across fitness forums.
Training, nutrition, and Gymshark
In the gym, Laid built his physique around a push-pull-legs training split. He prioritized heavy compound lifts, favoring the deadlift, squat, and bench press. Workouts were demanding. On certain days, he spent multiple hours in the gym refining his lifts.
Eating enough food proved challenging at first due to a poor appetite. To gain mass, Laid adopted a flexible dieting strategy based on tracking macronutrients. He kept his supplement use straightforward, sticking to whey protein, creatine, and pre-workout.
His physique led to commercial sponsorships. After working as a model and athlete for Gymshark, the company appointed him creative director of lifting in February 2023. In that role, Laid took charge of programming and curating the brand's lifting-focused social media accounts.
Quick facts
- His father died in an accident after falling off a docked cruise ship when Laid was two years old.
- His mother immigrated from Russia to Estonia before relocating with him to New Jersey, where she opened a café.
- He was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 14 while playing ice hockey and weighed only 98 pounds at the time.
- He originally registered his YouTube channel in July 2009 under the username computerman91.
- His August 2015 video documenting his physique changes from ages 14 to 17 reached over 43 million views by 2021.
- Gymshark appointed him creative director of lifting in February 2023.
- He attended Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, New Jersey.
- He structures his gym routine around a push, pull, legs split and emphasizes deadlifts, squats, and the bench press.
- He adopted a flexible dieting approach after struggling with a low appetite when trying to gain weight.
- He has two younger siblings.
FAQs about David Laid
Where was David Laid born?
David Laid was born in Estonia before moving to the United States with his mother during his early childhood.
Why did David Laid start lifting weights?
He began weight training at age 14 after being diagnosed with scoliosis. Doctors advised resistance training to help build back strength and support his spine.
What is David Laid's role at Gymshark?
Gymshark named him creative director of lifting in February 2023, putting him in charge of curating and running the brand's lifting-focused social media content.
What training split does David Laid follow?
He follows a push-pull-legs workout split and focuses his training on compound movements such as deadlifts, squats, and the bench press.
What was David Laid's original YouTube username?
He originally created his YouTube channel in July 2009 under the username computerman91.
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