Was getting ready for a wedding that never happened. The marriage may have not worked out, but I sure have. I started at approximately 425 lbs in the summer of 2004 and started getting in shape for an October wedding. The wedding was canceled but it turbocharged my workouts. While I was dieting and lifting I was working with a man named Joe who was a non-competitive powerlifter/bodybuilder who looked great for his age(he looked 10 years younger than he was) and he showed me the basics of bodybuilding and how to lift for hypertrophy. Well, after I realized I could get my genetics to work FOR me instead of against me(like they have for my whole life so far) I made the decision to take this body to its limits, both strength and size. I meet inspirations every day that fuel my fire, like my newest friend, Tom Manno, who holds 99 American powerlifting records and is still going strong at almost 50 years old!

When I workout I am in my own world. I'm at the gym to test myself, to push myself, to motivate myself. I have no one to blame if I fail and no one to give credit to if I succeed except God and myself. If I don't workout, I feel horribly stressed, lazy and restless. Sure, I may be addicted, but I can think of things much worse to be addicted to than fitness.