STARTED OUT AT 15 IN A GYM IN ROME GEORGIA CALLED "BOB'S BODY SHOP" IN THE 9TH GRADE(1976-1978)AT MODEL HIGH SCHOOL GETTING IN SHAPE FOR FOOTBALL & WRESTLING SEASON, THEN I HAD TO MOVE MY SENIOR YEAR TO OSWEGO ILLINOIS AND GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THERE. I MOVED OUT OF MY PARENTS HOUSE WHILE I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL (LOT'S OF CONFLICT BETWEEN MY PARENTS) INTO THE LOCAL YMCA MY NEW HOME.DOWN STAIRS WAS A BIG WEIGHT ROOM WITH SOME GUYS THAT WERE COMPETITIVE LIFTERS(GUY'S W/21"ARMS) THAT TRAINED THERE. EARLY ON THEY DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ME WHEN I WOULD ASK QUESTIONS BUT AFTER SEEING ME AROUND EVERY DAY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND LEARNING THAT I ACTUALLY LIVED UPSTAIRS AND STILL GOING TO SCHOOL,PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AND HAD A PART TIME JOB TO PAY ROOM AND BOARD I EVENTUALLY EARNED THEIR RESPECT. I WOULD COPY EVERY THING THEY WERE DOING.(WITH MUCH LIGHTER WEIGHT) IT WAS THEN I THINK THEY SAW MY HART AND TOOK ME IN. BACK IN THOSE DAY'S STEROIDS WERE USED AMONG THE MOST SERIOUS LIFTERS AND LIKE MOST YOUNG GUYS I THOUGHT THIS WAS WHAT ALL THE GUYS DID TO GET BIG QUICK,HOWEVER THESE GUYS TAUGHT ME THAT THESE DRUGS ARE NOT FOR BEGINNERS AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WITHOUT PROPER USE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL YOU'VE HAD AT LEAST 3 YEARS OF STEADY AND CONSISTENT LIFTING OF THE BASICS DEAD LIFTS,SQUATS AND BENCH PRESS AND THEN ONLY IF YOUR GOING TO MAKE A LIVING AT THE SPORT AND DO LOT'S AND LOT'S OF READING BEFORE USING. THIS I NEVER FORGOT AND THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT THING TO TEACH A YOUNG AND ENTHUSIASTIC BODYBUILDER AND AFTER SOME TIME TRAINING WITH THOSE GUYS I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GYM LIFE WAS REALLY ALL ABOUT (DIET & TRAINING & READING) AND SOON THERE AFTER BECAME A GYM RAT FOR LIFE. AS I REFLECT BACK ON THOSE BEGINNING DAYS I THINK THAT MOST GUYS DON'T GET THIS KIND OF HONESTY AND UPFRONT ADVICE & I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THOSE GUYS. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS GUYS JUST HARD WORK AND CLEAN EATING AND LOTS OF READING!!!

ITS THE ONLY SPORT THAT I HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER AND THE FACT I ONLY COMPETE WITH MYSELF AND MY OWN GOALS. LIVING THIS LIFESTYLE YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT I'VE LEARNED TO LOVE THE RESULTS THAT COMES FROM LIVING A FITNESS LIFESTYLE. ITS ALWAYS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF WHAT COMES OUT OF THE EATING AND TRAINING THAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST REWARDS! IT'S A DAILY FIX THAT ALLOWS ME TO GO INTO MY OWN LITTLE WORLD AND SCULPT AND CHISEL AWAY AT WHAT I SEE IN MY MINDS EYE THEN GO BACK INTO THE REAL WORLD AND AM READY TO WORK THROUGH LIFE'S DAY TO DAY CHALLENGES!