I started lifting around the age of 22. I grew up playing and excelling in sports but we had no weight training programs so I never truly recognized the importance of weight training. Once I started lifting I fell in love with training immediately. Only problem I had was I also loved to party. I married at 27 and training fell to the side for work and family. Then in April 17, 2012 I had an auto accident on my way to work in which I suffered a broken back. I was unable to do most everything including work for around 6 months. I found myself depressed and feeling like a failure, I battled this continuously until December 2014. It was December 2014 that I decided I have to change. I had to change to leave a better example for my children (son 2004, daughter 2008), in hopes my wife would once again find me irresistibly attractive, and most importantly, I had to change for me! I started my official physical rebirth on January 5, 2015 @ 262lbs and 29.5% body fat. I was also unbelievably week. I am proud of my improvements but a long way from my true desires.
The constant competition it gives me, for the therapeutic benefits relieving stress and mental challenges, the feeling of power, improvement, and simply knowing I'm doing something only a minority of the population attempts to truly pursue and even fewer achieve. Being average has never been for me.