I lifted since middle school, but I never took it to the next level until about August of 2008, at which point I weighed 133 pounds. I had some excess stress in my life, and the gym seemed like a great place to release. I began packing on a few pounds and surprising my friends. One day in the gym, while I was minding my own business, my workout partner grabbed me by the shirt and dragged me over to one of the trainers. He said "Yo, [trainer's name], why don't you put this guy in a competition?" The guy who is now my trainer responded, "I would if he could learn how to eat." and he invited me to a sort-of club meeting for his bodybuilding clients about a month later. Since then, I've been hooked, and I must say I definitely "learned how to eat."

I love bodybuilding for a number of reasons. My success gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Attacking the iron is great opportunity to "bring the pain" and drop some of the stress from the day. Simply put, bodybuilding makes me feel good about myself. I'm a happier, more confident person as a result.