The first time I EVER lifted weights was during swim team workout in High School. Since then I was pretty interested in increasing my strength because I was such a weakling! I progressed quickly because I was so untrained. Since then there have been a lot of ups and downs - I moved from swim to running and stopped picking up weights which did my body no good at all. I'm now following a flexible dieting plan in addition to eating more protein, not easy for a former vegetarian! Lifting heavier than I have have been able to by really focusing on form to keep the injuries at bay.

I love having muscle and being strong. I LOVE feeling hard instead of squishy like the skinny cardio queens you see at the gym. I love the sense of accomplishment, and the stress release too!