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Is David Laid natural? He has publicly said he builds his physique without steroids or growth hormone, most clearly in a 2016 MEL Magazine interview, and he has never said otherwise. Nobody outside his medical team can prove it either way, so the fair answer is that he presents as natural, he has not been caught or admitted to anything, and his physique sits at the upper edge of what is plausible for a tall, genetically gifted lifter who started at 14.
Below you will find his verified height, weight and background, how he trains and eats, what he has actually said about steroids, and how to judge claims like his without guessing.
This article is informational and not a substitute for individual medical advice. It does not accuse any person of drug use, and it does not give guidance on obtaining or using performance-enhancing drugs.
Quick Facts
David Laid Quick Facts
| Detail | David Laid |
|---|---|
| Full name | David Laid |
| Born | 29 January 1998 (widely reported), Estonia |
| Age | 28 (as of November 2026) |
| Raised | United States (New Jersey) |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), as reported in 2016 |
| Weight | About 190 lb (86 kg) in 2016; varies with training phase |
| Starting point | About 5 ft 7 in and 98 lb at age 14 |
| Known for | Viral teenage transformation, aesthetic physique, powerbuilding |
| Best-known lift | 306 kg (675 lb) deadlift at 19, per Gymshark |
| Brand role | Gymshark’s first Creative Director, Lifting (named February 2023) |
Early Life and the Scoliosis Story
Laid was born in Estonia to a mother who had moved there from Russia, and the family later emigrated to the United States, where he grew up in New Jersey. As a young teenager he played hockey and was, by his own description to ABC News, “an absolute twig.”
At 14 he was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. According to MEL Magazine, that diagnosis led to his first weight training, done with a physical therapist. He was about 5 ft 7 in and 98 lb at the time and has said he was teased for being thin.
What started as rehab turned into an obsession. He studied training videos on YouTube, ate as much as his small appetite allowed, and eventually quit hockey to focus on the gym. His routine at that age was simple: watch fitness content, eat, train, sleep, repeat.
For readers dealing with scoliosis themselves, his story is encouraging but not a treatment plan. Supervised strength training is often part of scoliosis care, yet what is appropriate depends on the curve and should be decided with a physician or physiotherapist.
The Rise on Social Media
Laid’s breakthrough was a YouTube transformation video covering roughly ages 14 to 17. It showed a skinny kid becoming a lean, broad-shouldered young man in about three years, and it became a reference point for the “aesthetics” style of training.
The clip spread fast. ABC News reported more than 14 million views by August 2016, and by the time Gymshark announced his new role in 2023, FashionUnited put it at around 49 million views, with more than five million followers across his social accounts.
His look, tall with wide shoulders, a narrow waist and very low body fat, made him a natural fit for apparel brands. He modelled for Gymshark for years, and in February 2023 the company named him its first Creative Director, Lifting, with responsibility for product, creative direction, athlete recruitment and events. Founder Ben Francis said he could not think of anyone better for the job.
Mainstream coverage has not always been flattering. The same 2016 ABC News piece used him as an example in a story about “bigorexia” (muscle dysmorphia), noting that he trained for long hours and ate close to 5,000 calories a day. Laid told the outlet he was “by no means ridiculously obsessed” with it.
David Laid’s Workout Routine
Laid is best described as a powerbuilder. He trains the big three lifts heavy, then adds bodybuilding accessory work for size and shape. That mix is a large part of why he looks the way he does and still pulls well over 600 lb.
The Split
Gymshark published his powerbuilding split in 2026. It is a six-day push, pull, legs rotation run twice per week using daily undulating periodization (DUP), where the heavy target changes from session to session.
| Day | Main lift focus | Accessory work |
|---|---|---|
| Legs 1 | Squat 5RM, then 4 x 12 back squat | Romanian deadlift, walking lunges, glute ham raise |
| Push 1 | Bench 1RM, then 4 x 4 bench | Push press, weighted dips, flyes, lateral raises, triceps |
| Pull 1 | Deadlift 3RM, then 4 x 6 deadlift | Stiff-leg deadlift, pull-ups, Yates row, shrugs, curls |
| Legs 2 | Squat 3RM, then 4 x 8 back squat | Romanian deadlift, walking lunges, glute ham raise |
| Push 2 | Overhead press 5RM, then 4 x 12 | Incline bench, lateral raises, dips, triceps |
| Pull 2 | Deadlift 1RM, then 4 x 2 deadlift | Stiff-leg deadlift, pull-ups, Yates row, shrugs, curls |
How He Actually Trains
The structure is classic: heavy compound work first while you are fresh, then 3 sets of 10 on accessories. Rotating between 1, 3 and 5 rep max efforts lets him practise heavy singles without grinding the same intensity every session.
The deadlift is his signature. Gymshark reports a 306 kg (675 lb) pull at age 19, which is a serious number at his bodyweight. We could not find a verified federation meet record for Laid, so treat his strength numbers as gym lifts filmed and shared by him rather than competition results.
A Caveat for Everyday Lifters
Testing a near-max on four of six days is demanding, even for someone who has trained since 14. Most intermediate lifters do better with one heavy top set per lift each week and more moderate work elsewhere. If you like the layout, a standard push pull legs workout with fewer max attempts is a sensible starting point.
Diet and Nutrition
Laid has been open about one problem many skinny teenagers share: low appetite. MEL Magazine reported that his early “clean eating” did not provide enough energy to grow, so he shifted to eating more overall, including big breakfasts and plenty of pasta.
By 2016 ABC News reported intakes close to 5,000 calories a day during his growth phase. That is high, but not unusual for a 6 ft 2 in teenager training for hours. Your own number will be very different, and a calculator for how many calories you should eat is a better guide than copying anyone’s totals.
The practical lesson from his diet is simple. For hard gainers, total calories and consistent protein matter more than perfect food choices. Calorie-dense staples such as rice, pasta, oats, whole milk and nut butters make a surplus easier to hit.
Competitive Career
Laid is primarily a content creator and brand figure rather than a competitive athlete. He has not competed in IFBB bodybuilding, and we could not confirm a sanctioned powerlifting meet result in public databases. His reputation rests on his transformation, physique and filmed gym lifts.
Is David Laid Natural?
Here is what can be verified. In the 2016 MEL Magazine profile, Laid said he was committed to growing his body naturally, with no growth hormone or other illegal aids. He was also candid that he was tempted by steroids, joking that he dreamed about taking them. We found no instance of him admitting to PED use since then.
Here is what cannot be verified. Laid does not compete in a drug-tested federation, so there are no public test results. Online debate about him has run for a decade, but comment sections and “natty or not” videos are opinion, not evidence. We will not treat speculation as fact.
If you want to assess any lifter yourself, a few general points help:
- Timeline: He trained consistently from 14, which gave him roughly a decade of progress by his mid-twenties. Long, steady timelines fit natural development better than sudden jumps.
- Frame: At 6 ft 2 in, he carries muscle over a long skeleton, so he can look lean and athletic at around 190 lb rather than extremely dense.
- Body composition: The fat-free mass index (FFMI) is a rough screen, not a verdict. Using his reported 2016 height and weight with an assumed lean body fat level, he lands around 22, which is within the commonly cited natural range, but his exact body fat is unknown.
- Limits of indicators: None of these signs can confirm or rule out drug use. Our guide on how to tell if someone is natural explains why every indicator comes with exceptions.
For context on what drugs actually change, read our breakdown of the difference between natural and enhanced lifters. The honest conclusion: Laid says he is natural, his progression is consistent with that claim, and anyone claiming certainty either way is guessing.
More Profiles
If you like strength-focused profiles, read our piece on Larry Wheels, one of the strongest raw lifters of his era and someone who has spoken openly about his own PED use. For a very different social media path, our Sam Sulek profile covers the vlogger turned IFBB pro.
FAQ
How old is David Laid?
David Laid was born on 29 January 1998, according to widely reported biographical sources, which makes him 28 as of November 2026.
How tall is David Laid?
He was reported as 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) in a 2016 MEL Magazine profile. At 14 he stood about 5 ft 7 in.
How much does David Laid weigh?
He weighed about 190 lb (86 kg) in 2016, up from roughly 98 lb at 14. He has not published an official current weight, and it varies with his training phase.
Is David Laid natural?
He has said he trains without steroids or growth hormone, and he has never admitted to PED use. He does not compete in drug-tested events, so his status cannot be independently confirmed.
Where is David Laid from?
He was born in Estonia and moved to the United States as a child, growing up in New Jersey.
What is David Laid’s best deadlift?
Gymshark reports a 306 kg (675 lb) deadlift at age 19. This was a filmed gym lift rather than a verified competition result.
The Bottom Line
David Laid turned a scoliosis diagnosis at 14 into one of the most viewed transformations in fitness history, then built a career as a powerbuilder and Gymshark’s Creative Director, Lifting.
On the natural question, the facts are limited: he has publicly said he does not use steroids or growth hormone, and nothing verified contradicts that. Without drug testing, nobody can prove it, so judge his training lessons on their merits and treat online verdicts with caution.
Sources
- Chapin, A. 17 and Swole. MEL Magazine, 2016.
- ABC News. Bigorexia: When the Obsessive Desire for Muscles Is a Dangerous Medical Condition for Some Men. ABC News, 2016.
- Singh, P. Gymshark names David Laid as creative director, lifting. FashionUnited, 2023.
- Dale-Tooze, L. David Laid’s Powerbuilding Split. Gymshark Central, 2026.
Reda El Is a CSCS trainer, Registered Dietitian, ACE-certified nutritionist, With more than 12 years of experience, also he's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, he has done many articles and information sources on many authority sites, such as lifehack.org, Healthline, eat this, wealthygorilla.com, and more. He always keeps improving and updating his knowledge to help everyone to achieve their goals.
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