My body is built like an ectomorph; so putting on muscle and keeping weight on has been very difficult. In addition, I have had 8 surgical operations in the past 5 years, with four of those being within 1 1/2 to 2 years; so as you could imagine, getting big hasn't (isn't) been easy. Not only has this impeded my lifting, but it has also made it very discouraging. However, despite the surgical setbacks, the time required to rehab actually influenced me to want to spend more time in the gym pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. The feeling of sweat, the euphoria of the "pump," and the overall sense of ecstasy left me wanting more. Bodybuilding is no longer an option, it is a necessity.

The pump. The pain. The pleasure