I began exercising because I was depressed. I was in a terrible funk, and in my mind I could not stop replaying the events which made me so depressed and stressed out. It started out as some light work at my community college's basement gym, which was in stark contrast to the modern facility on the first floor. Upstairs, the facility had AC, full range of modern weight lifting machines, plenty of treadmills, etc. Downstairs, we were next to the boiler room, 1 loud metal fan which circulated the hot air, with a wrought-iron gate as an entrance to "Jim's Dungeon." Jim ran the facility downstairs, and was awesome at getting the best out me & my workouts. I loved it down there; it was grueling exercise, and "Dungeon Master Jim" is an ex-marine who trains some of the best wrestlers in Ohio. If it weren't for Jim's effort to get the most out of me, in all likelihood, I would have quit within a month. I needed to be pushed to the limit because it kept my mind away from the depressive thoughts. Since then, exercise has become a part of my life. I'll never forget the first time I felt like absolute crap because I missed a workout!

I love the feeling of a hard workout. I'm no bodybuilder, just someone who wants to know how high my athletic ability can reach. Some of my best workouts are those days where I REALLY don't want to go into the gym; that feeling afterwards is so rewarding!

I also love the mental aspect of exercise. When you encounter that "wall" during a workout, and you use your willpower to push through, it's such a powerful component to exercising.