Just like most people I first picked up the weights once I hit my teen years and needed to develop myself for high school sports. Workouts were mostly geared toward whatever program our team was on at that time. After high school I rode the wave of on and off lifting. It wasn't until last year that I realized I'm almost 30 years old and really not happy with myself. So I got back to the gridiron and got serious. Over the last year I have successfully been able to maintain my weight between 190-200, which is down from 215 at my heaviest. My energy levels are up and I feel great. My ultimate goal is to get to a lean 175 by my 30th birthday. A year away yet, I'm taking it one day at a time.

Someone I met not too long ago said it best. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle, and is a lifestyle change. A decision that you yourself can only make. No one is going to make you go and pick up a weight, you have to make the decision to want to improve your life. To me nothing negative can come out of working out. Sure there's down moments when you hit plateaus, but I've never felt better in my life than when I work out. The increased energy level is like nothing else. Being able to run 3 miles without feeling like I'm going to die. Nothing feels better than when the people around you begin to notice and comment on your success. It brings so many positive things into your life. It's like Ronnie Coleman himself once said, " Everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but don't noone wanna lift no heavy ass weights."