A 14-year-old boy is taking the bodybuilding world by storm — and his mum says critics calling his passion “unhealthy” have got it all wrong.
George Holland, a schoolboy with over 130,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, has been training for years and recently made history as one of the youngest competitors ever to step on stage at the National Amateur Body-Building Association (NABBA) British Finals.
Just three weeks after turning 14, George became the youngest entrant at the event — and despite his age, he finished an incredible third place in the teen category.
It’s a level of dedication most adults couldn’t match. But while his achievements have been celebrated by fans across the fitness world, not everyone is cheering.
Online, some have branded George’s strict diet and intense training “obsessive” and even “dangerous” for a teenager. His mum Vicki, 39, says she’s heard it all before — and she’s not having it.
“He was just in his element,” she told The Sun proudly of watching her son compete. “I could see just watching him, he was itching, he wanted to be up there.”
George first started working out aged just 11, too young to join a regular gym. His dad Andrew, 40, took him to the local leisure centre, and the pair trained together until George grew strong enough — and serious enough — to move into bodybuilding.
Originally interested in boxing, George soon swapped gloves for dumbbells. “I started taking training more seriously and wanted to get bigger,” he told The Sun. Three years later, bodybuilding has become a way of life.
“Every aspect of our life from morning to night is focused around bodybuilding,” said Vicki.
The family watches bodybuilding shows together, attends competitions on weekends, and plans meals with the same precision as professional athletes.
George doesn’t deny that his passion borders on obsession. “Fitness has become an addiction for me,” he admitted. But he insists it’s one he loves — not a compulsion.
“If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “I just think going to the gym and smashing a muscle group is really really fun.”
“When I reach a personal best, it’s always exciting and I feel a lot of adrenaline and just an amazing feeling because you know you’re getting stronger.”
Over on Instagram, he shared an empowering message to those who say he’s too young to be bodybuilding, writing: “Don’t think you’re too young to follow your dreams, there may be set backs along the way but don’t let anything stop you.
“Each day is for learning and working towards being 1% better everyday. Just believe in yourself. I’m still just getting started and excited what the future brings knowing I have the support makes the journey so much more worthwhile.
“This is the same for posting content. Don’t let the fear of what people might think hold you back. Yes, you open yourself up to criticism but it can also open up so many doors and opportunities. You’ve just got to put yourself out there. Who knows what might happen.”
George’s dedication means no cheat days — not even for his birthday cake. He lives on a diet of chicken and rice, training hard after school and balancing workouts with homework.
“He would go out for a pizza and he would take his chicken and rice,” Vicki said, laughing.
He’s also brushed off suggestions that bodybuilding causes body dysmorphia. “Some people do, that’s not me,” he said.
Vicki says she monitors her son’s accounts closely to make sure social media remains a positive space. “Showing his physique at his age does attract some unwanted attention,” she admitted. “I try and steer him away from either not seeing it in the first place or not even opening those messages.”
She describes George as grounded, calm, and mature far beyond his years.
Not everyone in the health world is convinced teenage bodybuilding is safe.
Professor Hannah Campbell, a lecturer in Applied Physiology at the University of Leeds, told The Sun that extreme bodybuilding at such a young age could be “a slippery slope.”
“Bodybuilding in general isn’t brilliant for your health but particularly when developing such a singular focus,” she said.
While she acknowledged that muscle building and weight training can be beneficial for adolescents, she cautioned against intense, single-muscle training or the early introduction of supplements.
“Bodybuilding is a precursor to dieting and a precursor to steroid use, it is a slippery slope,” Campbell added.
Despite the warnings, Vicki insists her son’s training is carefully managed — and points out that other sports carry just as much risk.
“He’s got friends who are breaking collarbones and arms in rugby,” she said. “He’s had none of those day-to-day injuries that you would get through a sport.”
For now, the young lifter is focused on growing stronger — both in muscle and mindset — and silencing the doubters one rep at a time.
As for the trolls questioning his “addiction”? George’s results speak louder than any comment section ever could.
Featured image credit: Instagram/@george_lifts_
