My passion for health and fitness was sparked through the most dire of circumstances. In 2001, my father passed away from cancer. In an instant, I lost every sense of control in my life. I lost more than a father. I lost a mentor, friend, and protector. Not knowing where to turn, I desperately sought to find any stability in my life. Weeks later, I was given my first copy of Men’s Fitness. Awestruck by the near god-like physique of the man on the cover, I began to read with the pressing question in my mind, “How did he do it?” I looked into the mirror at my emaciated looking 100 pound frame, and asked, “Can I do it?” Behind that question lingered the eternal words of my father. He instructed me, "Anthony, a strong mind is always congruent with a strong body." I started lifting in his memory, with the intentionality to live every day on purpose. I chose to create the change I wanted in my life and my body, and have never looked back since. Motivation often comes in the strangest of forms, and in my case, my darkest moment provided the greatest source of inspiration. Since my father's death, I have learned first hand that delving into fitness is one of the most powerful ways to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. With fitness in place, everything else seems to "magically" fall exactly where it should be. At the end of the day, there is one self-evident truth: the human body is every individual's most ubiquitous possession. It is there with you through thick and thin. To truly love oneself, one must treat their body with the utmost respect. Join me on my journey. I find immense value in sharing experiences with others as we all strive to live fully, love openly, and make a difference in the world. Please feel more than free to pick my brain and pass along your own advice. The most powerful physiques are more often than not owned by the most humble students of this sport.

My answer to this question can be found in the two following pieces of inspiration that I rehearse everyday before exercising: "The Iron never lies to you. It is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds." ~Henry Rollins "You know when you get old in life things get taken from you. That's, that's part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out that life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game life or football the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or to early you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in ever break of the game every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that's going to make the ****ing difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING. I'll tell you this in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch. And I know if I am going to have any life anymore it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is. The six inches in front of your face." ~Al Pacino"