I haven't always looked like this, nor was I a big athlete in high school or college. I started out just like you - with a determination to lose some weight and a sincere curiosity to find a way.

I spent 4 years in the Marine Corps and for most of my enlistment, I was fine. But all of the sudden, one year something just hit me. I was barely 20y/o and it was like my metabolism just stopped. Somehow I manged to pack on a good 40lbs of fat in just a few months and it got so bad, I couldn't fit into my uniforms (I got in a lot of trouble for that). I just didnt understand what was happening to me. I was running, lifting weights and for the most part staying active.

What happened was my genetics and eating habits (having a McDonalds right behind the barracks didn't help either). I soon joined a gym and decided to buy a few fitness magazines to learn how to maximize my time there. That was the start of an obsession to learn every technique, strategy and weight loss method known to man.

I often dedicated at least 20 hours per week reading everything I could get my hands on. Within months, my obsession had turned into results and others wanted to know how I had done it.

That's when I decided to invest my talent in a personal training career. I got a job at a franchise gym back in 2002 and in just 2 months I was awarded "Rookie of the Year" (DC/MD/VA). My clients saw results and my management noticed my skill early on. After 3 years I was twice awarded "East Coast Most Valuable Trainer". That's #1 out of almost 1000 trainers!

Ultimately, I outgrew the chain gym and I now operate independently out of Fitness First Clubs and home visits. Not only does this allow me the freedom to run my training program the way I like, it has also allowed me to access more new clients via my 2 new locations in Falls Church and DC.

Each year I attend over 100 of hours of seminars and conferences (IDEA / ACE) to stay up to date with the forever evolving fitness industry (though I still enjoy traditional fitness materials like magazines and books). For the last 2 years, I have been the fitness columnist for The Southwester, a free newspaper distributed throughout Washington DC. Check out the some of the archives in my Press section.