An interest in exercise began for me in 1960 at the age of 14. For Christmas that year my parents gave me a Sear’s weight lifting set… seventy-five pounds of gold painted iron discs with a bright, chrome-plated bar. I was quite small for my age and my father and mother figured, I assume, that weight training could help with body-image and self esteem issues. Frankly, I took to weight training like a duck takes to water. Although it was a little early in my adolescence for my body to make dramatic gains in size or strength through resistance training, the changes that did take place encouraged me to work harder and longer. By the time that I turned 16, about 2 years later, the magical change in body shape that comes with adolescence, accompanied by 3 day-per-week, total body workouts, I had literally become a new person, both physically and emotionally. My Dad had always been a very muscular man, though he never touched a barbell or dumbbell in his life. I did not understand until many years later that it was his genetic make-up that had so much impact on my success with body building. Without that particular gift, I am certain that my progress would have been a great deal slower

At any rate, I continued my weight training though college. Shortly after being graduated from Boston University in 1968, I got married and began my first career job as a pharmaceutical rep. Needless to say, my weight training virtually ceased at that point in my life. Fast forward to1986. I had just opened my first business, an aerospace metals distributorship located, believe it or not, in the building where Build a Body Personal Training has made a home for itself at 3339 Miller Park Road, Akron! The young man that I hired as a warehouse worker had just been honorably discharged from the Marines and asked if he could bring his workout equipment to the warehouse so that he could train after hours. He also asked if I would like to start training with him. I reluctantly said, "Sure, why not". Keep in mind that I was then 40 years old. My young worker was barely 24. At first, my body went through a mini-revolt, letting me know through aches, pains and fatigue that I was no longer 16. But after a few weeks, through an adjustment in diet and a program developed by that young ex-Marine, combined with the "magic" of good genetics, my body began the change that is now, 22 years later, bigger, stronger and more muscular than it ever was when I was younger.

Although that first business was sold a year after it was started, and was moved by the new owners to N. Canton, I continued my training at a variety of gyms, including 3 in the YMCA system. My interest in training became almost an obsession, and with the virtually unlimited amount of information available on the internet, my routines were adjusted continuously, my diet was adjusted to accommodate the routines and new, safe supplements were added to my daily nutritional regime. The result has been one that I never thought possible for a person of my age (now 62). As my physical appearance continued to change, more and more people started to ask for advice, which was given freely and gladly. I sold my last business in 2004 and was able to spend even more time researching the intricacies of exercise physiology and kinesiology (muscle/bone movement) diet, nutrition and supplements. More and more gym members were asking for routines and exercise advice and when an opportunity to become a personal trainer at the Lake YMCA opened, I jumped at the opportunity. In August of 2007, I became a nationally certified trainer through NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association) and have been training professionally since then. My training experience encompasses a wide variety of training methodologies, including those for strength, endurance, bodybuilding, body shaping, and body toning, cardio-vascular exercise (aerobic, anaerobic and interval). I also do sport specific training. I have trained men, women, boys and girls as young as 11 yrs. of age and seniors over 70 years of age. As far as I am concerned, the financial benefits of training are secondary in importance to the success of each and every client that I have been privileged to work with. With every new client comes a new journey. I have made a commitment that for the time that I have left on this planet, each and every one of those journeys will be made by me with as much personal dedication and assistance as is humanly possible. Each client will be treated as though they are the only one I have and ever will have.This is who I am.