Fitness has always been an important part of my life. In my early 20's I was an avid weightlifter. Unfortunately, I let myself go during college and veterinary school and became out of shape. I have never been overweight, but I gained a good 25 pounds during this time period. As time went by and marriage and kids came into my life, workouts were sporadic and I considered myself a weekend warrior. This was not working well. To help lose the excess weight, running and cycling became my workouts of choice. I ran multiple half marathons and more recently completed a century cycling event. My weight loss was great, but I was feeling a bit weak and scrawny up top. Prior to the cycling event, I signed up for a 3 week high intensity training program with a personal trainer. My trainer used quite a bit of weightlifting to prepare me for my cycling event. I started to see some great results. This lead me to focus my goals on bodybuilding. The feeling I have after a tough workout is second to none. Currently I am training with a former professional bodybuilder. He has helped me tremendously with my diet and supplement strategies. This is really the first time that I have focused so carefully on nutrition and I have come to realize that this is the one factor that has held me back in the past. Nutrition is key!

Primarily, the lifestyle and the challenge. Despite the pain, pushing my body is fun. I am very much a goal oriented person so this gives me what I need to stay motivated.