I began getting into bodybuilding my senior year of high school. During my first three years of high school, I was able to make the school lacrosse and wrestling teams. However, I was far from being a natural at either. With the hovering disappointment of less than stellar performances on the mat and field, I knew that the easiest way for me to improve at these sports would be to get bigger, faster, and stronger. Thus, I found my way to a local gym.
As I began training consistently, I found that my strength and physique were improving dramatically. My results only encouraged me to train harder as well as smarter. Training in the gym quickly became my new passion. I soon began researching the sport of bodybuilding, using proper supplementation as well as seeking the advice of more experienced bodybuilders at the gym.
By winter sports season of my senior year, I had completely forgotten about wrestling and lacrosse. My time in the gym led me to a new sport; a sport that directly reflects the effort and dedication put forth. That sport was bodybuilding. In a year's time, bodybuilding has opened doors that I would have never thought possible for myself. I intend to keep training my hardest and pushing the limits.
My passion for fitness truly blossomed through my training. Every time I would hit a plateau I would research in attempts to push through the barrier. Over time, others began to notice my progress and would complement as well as encourage me to keep up my progress. This only further fueled my passion for fitness.
The most pivotal person in motivating me to become a fitness guru is my best friend, Scott. We have been great friends and gym partners for years and both started training around the same time. The reason Scott motivated me above anyone else is because we were in constant competition. When we were younger, we would bicker and dispute over the most trivial aspects of fitness. I would spend hours upon hours researching nutrition, training methods and everything in between; preparing to outwit him for the next inevitable argument. While time has made us more civil in sharing our perspectives, he still motivates me to constantly learn more about nutrition and push myself in all aspects of life.
My favorite place for inspiration is the Bodybuilding.com Forum. The progress pictures I see of others constantly inspire me to better myself. I also watch motivational videos on YouTube before workouts to get myself pumped up for a great training day. In fact, I still watch Zyzz - The Return of the King before most training days.
The first step in my future fitness plans include stepping onto the stage for the first time this August. After that, I would like to make my way into fitness modeling in the near future.
My best tip for others is to let the haters keep mirin'. Don't let those who try to bring you down stand in the way of your goals! Always let the negative criticism fuel your desire to achieve those goals.
I like Chris Faildo because people always say we look alike. I hope that someday I can look half as good as him!
Bodybuilding.com was the first site that ever really helped me when I began training. From day one, it helped me to develop a training program and the Bodybuilding.com articles are incredibly useful as well. In addition, the store has always been full of great deals on products.