I'd always wanted to start lifting weights I was just never serious enough about results to stick to it. Before October 2008 I'd been in the gym off and on for about 4 years (more off than on), but I never had enough dedication to keep at it. In 2008 I finally teamed up with a Marine that I know and he taught me the basics of the basics of weight lifting and then he told me, "I can't make you want to workout, you have to do that yourself". About a month later I found many reasons to lift weight and keep my body healthy, and that's for the health of my body.

There are the standard reasons. Sex is a great motivator, but it definitely wasn't a primary reason for me. My primary concern was to correct some basic musculoskeletal imbalances that had degenerated into nerve damage on my right knee and was slowly beginning to take over my entire lower body, including my lower back. This was all the motivation I needed to become intrenched in as much research as I could handle to make myself as informed as possible on how to reach my goals as healthily as possible. It's been a long journey and I'm excited to continue to drive my body to a greater and more healthy status.

Conceit. Well, people who lift weights tend to perform better in many ways of life than people who don't. We are capable of greater dedication, motivation, endurance, and focus than many individuals who don't or won't. In addition, for those of us who favor being informed, the increase of internal oxygen efficiency allows for greater brain function gifting faster and more lucid thought than individuals who don't or won't.

Working to improve my body has opened my mind to many things. It reminds me that I can always be better, that there is always the next goal, that balance and courage can coexist, and that there is nothing wrong with failure. It's been a real gift for me, being able to test myself against myself every time I go in on a training day. Working out has taught me that seeking strength is as much about exertion as it is about rest and that thought has permeated the rest of my life. I've learned to slow down and really understand what I'm doing before doing it. I've learned that respect of something or someone more powerful or heavier than you, or heavier than you consider comfortable, is better than fearing it. I've learned a lot, and I hope to continue to learn.