Gordon Ryan shows off insane physical transformation over the years

Gordon Ryan is perhaps the greatest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor ever and has the numbers to prove it. Whilst newer BJJ fans may be used to his huge muscles and massive frame, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, as a lower belt he was considered a lanky, skinny kid. Of course, he bulked up after puberty and naturally filled out. However, even with this in mind, he still obtained a very muscular physique that is unobtainable to most.

This led fans to question whether Gordon Ryan uses PED’s. Sadly, PED’s are quite commonplace within competitive BJJ, especially at the highest levels where Ryan competes. Over the years, he has been cagey about steroid use but is more open to talking about them compared to some of his fellow competitors. Speaking of which, these sort of weight gains aren’t that unusual in high-level BJJ. In other words, it’s not just Ryan who has drastically changed his body in recent times.

In this article, we shall look at his physical transformation. Thankfully, there are still some throwback images of Gordon Ryan when he was younger that show you just how much size he’s packed on. Here, you can see his journey from a lightweight to a super heavyweight. One reason why some have been skeptical of this huge change in body type is that BJJ typically burns thousands of calories per session. As Ryan trains all day, it has people wondering how he was able to spar and still put on mass. In fairness, Ryan’s long-term girlfriend is a nutrition and muscle-gain expert.

Regardless of your thoughts on the image, one thing is for sure – this move paid off for Ryan. As a lighter competitor, he was always very good. However, when he made the move up in weight classes he became dominant and made a fortune in the process. Whoever said size doesn’t matter lied, and Gordon Ryan is living proof of this.