When I was in high school, my mom took karate classes on the top floor of a six-story YMCA. She wouldn't let me take them, but she did get me a membership to the Y. So three days a week, I spent time in that gym using every machine. I didn't know what I was doing. I was using machines for isolation exercises, having never touched a free weight, for a full-body workout three days a week.

Fast forward seven years, and now I'm overseas in the military. I'm bored. My wife isn't over here and there isn't much else to do, so I started actually looking into bodybuilding - what supplements do what, how to control my diet better, what foods are 'good' and 'bad,' and of course, exercises... which is a whole book in itself.

The first time I set foot in the base gym, I was a little intimidated. But I was armed with a small Mead notepad with my exercises for the day and the information I gained from watching BodyBuilding.com video exercise demonstrations. So, the fun began.

The first time I wrapped my hand around a cold steel barbell, it just felt empowering. I could feel the energy in the bar waiting for me to unlock it. I'm not a "big" guy per se, standing 6'1" and 190lbs at time of writing, but I'm well self-controlled. I knew tha this bar had the capability to transform my life if I let it. When I'm in the gym, nothing matters. It's me, the water bottle, music and the weight. No one can bother me and no one can tell me "no."