David Laid is an Estonian-American bodybuilder, fitness model and social media star best known for his eponymous YouTube channel on which he shares videos of his natural transformation from a skinny and emaciated kid to a muscular man within years. He further shares information about his diet and workout plan for his fans to follow. He also runs the Instagram profile, @davidlaid, and the TikTok profile @davidlaidofficial. He serves as the Creative Director of Lifting at Gymshark .
Early Life
David Laid attended Mainland Regional High School in New Jersey. Growing up, he suffered from a lack of self-confidence due to losing his father at the age of two and because of the bullying he had to endure due to his frail figure. After he was diagnosed with scoliosis, a disorder that causes an abnormal curvature of the spine and can even lead to disability, at the age of 14, he was advised by doctors to start weight training to build more muscle mass. David, who was a "frail, lanky, near emaciated teen" at the time, was determined to change his life by focusing on fitness training.
Career
David Laid started his fitness journey by researching YouTube videos about weight training and diet. Although his initial goal was to build self-confidence and develop muscle mass, he quickly fell in love with strength training, and utilized it to achieve his dream physique. He had joined YouTube on July 13, 2009, but uploaded his first video on December 22, 2013, titled David Laid 18 Month Transformation 14-15 Year Old. It became viral and made him into an internet sensation, which prompted him to post an updated video titled David Laid 3 Year Natural Transformation 14-17 on August 15, 2015 and it has remained his most watched video till date. His YouTube channel and his Instagram profile @davidlaid have grown exponentially over the past few years to amass millions of fans. He was named Creative Director of Lifting by Gymshark in early 2023.
Controversy
Despite drawing a huge fan base with his unique transformation story, which David Laid is always mindful about mentioning as “natural”, he has been tormented by questions about whether or not he has ever used steroid. While he has continuously denied it, websites like aretheyonsteroids.com has pointed out him licking his lips twice while talking about steroids in one of his most popular videos, which they claim is psychological evidence that he is lying. He also goes out of his way to regularly mention that using steroids does not make one a bad person.
Family Life
David Laid was born in Estonia but moved to the United States with his mother as a child after losing his father in an accident when he fell from a cruise ship that was docked at harbor. He grew up with two younger brothers in New Jersey. Following a sudden growth sprout during his teenage years, he was diagnosed with scoliosis but avoided serious consequences of the disorder with focused physical training.
