About Me

Hey! What’s up guys, I’m Cavan aka CAVAN BARBELL

I’m 26 years old from Scotland and have been lifting weights the past 12 years of my life. I’m currently living abroad in Thailand living life to the fullest!

I started working full time at the age of 18 and owned my own apartment by 22.

Like most people I felt chained to the infamous Monday to Friday 9-5 desk job. A boring occupation typing and copy pasting like a robot that any person could do. Didn’t require real skill or thinking. Total brain dead job and filled with insecure people and people with chips on their shoulders unhappy with their lives.

Negativity manifesting itself and managers who are inexperienced and just downright assholes making your life hell for the sake of it. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s bullies and hypocrites. The workplace was filled with them. They don’t like people who question things and actually want to use their brain… This is too intimidating for them. Doomed and withering away, I felt I was better than this, I KNEW I was better than this.

However it’s easy thinking you can do better but now I had to walk the walk not just talk the talk. It was make or break for me in that time of my life. 25 with nothing to show and feeling like ‘this is it?’ this is what I’ve amounted to? No way!

So I had a friend who recommended getting a TEFL certificate so I can travel abroad whilst earning an income teaching English. This was a great opportunity that opened the door to the possibility of traveling whilst not falling short of money. After I completed the course I set my sails, rented out my apartment and then first stop… VIETNAM!

This is me on the mountains in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen.

So I had a friend who recommended getting a TEFL certificate so I can travel abroad whilst earning an income teaching English. This was a great opportunity that opened the door to the possibility of traveling whilst not falling short of money. After I completed the course I set my sails, rented out my apartment and then first stop… VIETNAM!

The friend is Dan. I originally met Dan through watching his YouTube channel and checking out his website. He was also my bodybuilding coach for around 3 years packing on a lot of beef. Huge inspiration showing a real normal dude making it completely possible to live the life you want. Dan had the life I wanted, traveling and bodybuilding. Showing the grass is truly greener on the other side. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

This is Dan and I in the Isaan part of Thailand, one of my favorite places.

This was a great experience teaching for the first time in south east Asia. The culture is so different and really does broaden your horizons. From how they eat, sharing food, to how they communicate with one another showing how important body language and tone are. The biggest one was BLAME and HUMILIATION. They do not do this over here, to blame or humiliate one person and single them out is seen to strip them of their honor which you CANNOT do in Asia. Honor and respect and the concept of FACE are very important. The way someone explained to me FACE and how it’s like social currently helped tremendously.

Additionally, in developing countries the average person doesn’t have half as much as the average person back home does… and they’re still as happy as can be. It really has made me a more grateful person.

After I spent a couple months in Vietnam I then moved onto THAILAND. The land of smiles. Thailand is my favorite country so far in SE Asia. It beats Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. All the countries I have explored so far.

Thailand is like my second home. Treatment in general is a lot better compared to the west and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention from the local woman lol.

Now I’ve created my own life I want for myself, being a digital nomad, able to work remotely and travel wherever I want at any time I feel like.

Complete FREEDOM, no one twisting a key in my back and turning it.

Fast forward to the present and I created the CAVAN BARBELL.COM fitness blog, lifting weights and all things gym regarding supplements, recovery diet and gym equipment. It’s what I love! I find it extremely interesting lifting weights and seeing your body change and grow is something addictive. Putting in the effort with the training diet and recovery and reep the rewards. It’s kind of like an engineering project. All the hard work and the results will show. The thing with the gym also is that it’s very physical. So you can tell when someone puts in a lot of effort just by looking at them and their physique speaks volumes.