Growing up, my mom was always teaching me about health and my dad was always teaching me about fitness. I didn't get started seriously until I saw the first Twilight movie with my girlfriend and thought, "I bet I could get more ripped than Jacob Black if I tried." So I went to the gym, and two and a half years later I'm still hooked.
After discovering I'm intolerant to most processed food and my stomach can only hold a few hours' worth of food at a time, I realized how important healthy eating is for a highly functioning mind and body. Since then, I've had no interest in junk food. I'm dedicated to being the healthiest I can be.
I love having control over how my body looks and how efficiently it functions. The gym is one of the only places I feel at peace ... where I can get lost in my music, away from negative thoughts, only focusing on moving as much weight as I can. I love to feel powerful and pumped, feeling the stress burn away with every rep; knowing my body will thank me in the future for every exhausting workout. It's one thing I've always had that makes me feel good about myself and keeps my mind at peace, no matter what the rest of my life is like.
My motivation mainly comes from within. Most people have no idea about my commitment to health and fitness since I'm a busy full-time student. My only supporter is my wonderful girlfriend Samantha who is behind me through all my odd training and dieting habits!
After I started reading about how unhealthy America has become and all of the different lifestyle trends that are slowing killing us, I decided to eliminate everything unhealthy from my life. I want to achieve my goal of continuously trying my hardest to give my body proper care. I only have one life and intend to live it for as long as possible. I relate health and fitness with a car analogy. Say you're given one car to last you your whole life, and if it ever stops running then you die with it. Wouldn't you want to give it the best parts, maintenance, and fuel possible?
I plan to continue training as best I can to maintain my muscle mass. Maybe one day I'll compete in a bodybuilding competition if I have time while in school. My main goal would be to become recognized/sponsored and do fitness modeling to help pay for my education since I don't have the time for a consistent job.
My motto is, "Muscles come from the gym, physiques come from the kitchen." I strongly believe proper diet is the key to an aesthetic physique. Consistent and efficient training is the key to building and maintaining the muscle, but you can't grow without eating right. Lift weights for your health, looks come second.
I am a big fan of Jamie Eason; her personality is as wonderful as her looks. She's down-to-earth and feels more like a friend than a big-shot celebrity when following her life on Facebook. Arnold Schwarzenegger would probably have to be my favorite bodybuilder. He excelled at everything he ever did because he worked hard.
I love meeting new people and discussing health/fitness topics on the site. The forums are the first place I go if I ever need help with something, there are thousands of wonderfully helpful people eager to help me succeed and who care about my progress without knowing me. The stats tracker helps me overlook my measurements, weight, and strength goals. The thing I use the most is the store, because I love sorting through different supplements and determining which is best for my needs in each category. I also really enjoy watching the Fitness 360 interviews and learning about the diet/training/supplementation the pros use. I frequently incorporate new things into my training from these interviews.
Photographic Credit: Travers Dow, https://twdphotos.tumblr.com/