Like most people, I did not grow up in the gym. In fact I hardly played sports at all. I did however develop a great interest in holistic health and alternative medicine, which I consider training to be a part of.

In 2005 I had several compression fractures in my spine. Pain management through medications and interventions never seemed to help. After many years on numerous drugs, not to mention lots of mental health issues, I decided to give more attention to strength training.

Over the course of a few years I built up my strength through compound movements. I noticed that my pain, energy, and motivation levels all improved.

I believe strength training is a foundation of a healthy body, mind and spirit. It supports hormone function, metabolic function, and lends itself to all daily activities.

I still love all kinds of modalities, including yoga, massage, chiropractic, tai chi, meditation etc for dealing with pain and mental health. The difference is that now I use those things as supplements to my training in the gym rather than primary fixes.