Mark

Male

26

Pennsylvania, United States

Got tired of my body at 16 just being a fat storage. I got into a lot of hobbies to keep me off the computer when I was 17. I started training in jujitsu, kick boxing and grappling at the age of 17 at a local karate club in my area. It was the best I could find it was about real fighting not an art. I also picked up the guitar and started to play age 17. I enjoy jamming out, some eruption, Paul Gilbert licks, Mark Tremonti licks etc. At the age of 19 I had decided I was sick of the people at the local karate place. I only liked training with people who were real serious about it. My Instructor was awesome though. I just didn't like some of his clients and got tired of seeing their faces lol. Plus I had to move on and get a job after graduating highschool. So I worked at a grocery store till age 23. I decided to go back to school and ended up getting lazy, started eating crap again got fat being a computer technician. And never could find a job that would hold in that career. I ended up trying a job in Houton TX as a salesman in cell phones with a friend and noticed how much I didn't like the area, the people, my living space etc. My biggest reason is I missed my family too much. I enjoy where I live here in PA. It showed me all I ever wanted was right here where I live. I just wish jobs were better. Very little options and never good pay most of the time. So I decided to go work for the schools in my area. It's not a glamorous job being a custodian. But it pays a lot better then any retail industry around here. A year ago though, doing what I love working out. I had an accident. I was jumping into sets, switching weight on my dumb bells and didn't get my clip on the side of bar completely on. I did a fly type of exercise and the clip popped off and one of my ten pound plates hit a speaker on my computer desk since I workout at home, but the 10lb plate of iron came back at me and crushed the front of my foot. I went through hell to walk again. I only fractured the tips of two of my toes luckly. But lost some natural plantar fat padding to the bottom of my foot. And it causes me to put too much pressure on my tendons in my ankle and the most important one that allows you to walk the Achilles Tendon. I have developed the dreaded Achilles Tendonitis and still have it a year after my accident on March 28th of 2008. Currently I am working harder then ever to scale down my body fat. Build muscle, and make it easier on me at my job. I don't have much, can't afford the gym. Just a set of dumb bells and pair of ankle weights. But I am determined to let nothing stop me. So maybe in the near future, hopefully a couple months I'll see some good progress. So in the end the Iron has taken a lot from me. But hopefully it gives a lot back. Will see...

Ever since my injury I have found my love for bodybuilding again. It has taken so much from me at one point. My ability to walk, and I had so much pain in that year I wanted to jump out of my skin. But I am back at it now. Even though some days I feel like is this working? I keep trying to solve the complex issue of losing fat constantly reading, observing and keeping the best on bodyspace close to me as I try to figure out what they are doing.

Hm.. I have a hard time staying positive about life. Some days I say to myself I am better off dead, after I analyze the way this world works, but then I say to myself well while I am here I know I will be unhappy with my body I might as well just kill myself trying to get what I want since I am still alive. The things I do in my life. Make me who I am. It's the only way I find purpose. With out them I feel I wouldn't want to be here. So those two things keep me going. While I struggle being so pessimistic.

I once had abs. Never in my life did I have that. I naturally gain weight easy. The good side to that is I get larger muscles quick, the negative can't get the stubborn fat off! I don't look for accomplishments anymore though. I just look at reality. I gotta do everything I can to stay strong and healthy, for my job, family and whatever new struggles come my way.