At 24 years old, I was in the worst shape of my life...220lbs with back, shoulder, and knee problems.  Once an avid sports enthusiast, I thought those days were over for me.  I couldn't imagine participating in any of the activities I had once chased with a passion.

 

Luckily for me, a close friend stepped in and turned my life around.  He was a personal trainer, and he kept after me to get myself back in shape and to start becoming an active participant in life once again.

 

Starting with nutrition (which lead me back into one of my passions - culinary school), I began a slow but steady return to a healthy lifestyle.  I started by making small changes to my day to day routine in an effort to replace my bad habits with new, healthier choices.

 

After a few months of physical therapy to repair some of my long neglected injuries, combined with a better diet and a healthier, more active lifestyle, the weight started coming off and I started to see some muscle tone for the first time in years.

 

The events of September 11th, followed by three years in the Infantry, provided me with the inspiration and the motivation I needed to push me to the next level and to chase a new goal - to be in the best shape of my life.

 

Before enlisting with the Army, I found that I was constantly hitting a plateau, leaving me frustrated with my progress as my goal continued to seem just out of reach. I quickly found that the constant change and uncertainty I encounterd while in the military was exactly what my body needed to move past that plateau.  By challenging my body every day with a different type of exercise or activity, I saw results faster and finally realized what my body was capable of doing.

 

I now apply this lesson learned to the training programs I design for many of my clients...by not allowing your body to become completely accustom to any one area of physical activity (e.g. strength training, cardiovascular endurance training, agility training, etc) your body is constantly challenged, which allows you to push beyond that plateau to achieve your goals faster, and more effectively.

 

Every person is unique and, of course, so are their individual fitness needs. I work with each of my clients to design a fitness routine that is not only fun and challenging, but that is personalized, comfortable, and most importantly, grows with my clients as their goals continue to evolve.