I decided to become a personal trainer because working out and pushing my body to the absolute extremes of its capabilities are a passion that burns within me to this day as strongly as it did when I turned 14.

I'll never forget the very first "workout" book that I ever read.

It was Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible, written by the great Hall of Fame Major League pitcher himself.

At the time I wanted nothing more than to be a starting pitcher for my high school baseball team, and I remember clearly opening the book and seeing the workout routines designed by Nolan, who at the time, was notorious for his intense workouts that kept him at the top of his game.

From Ryan's book to the requisite Muscle and Fitness, Flex magazines and countless other sources of information over the years, I was well on my way to fueling a burning hunger for tons of knowledge on working out, that I never knew existed.

Anyway, ever since that day, working out has been a passion that will never die, and has only grown stronger over the years.

To me, it's more painful to miss a workout or eat something bad, than it ever is to go through the actual physical pain during a workout or skip the donut rack.