And so it began......

Being the first blog on my new spot here, I want to begin by laying out the purpose of this page, which is simply to share my own personal experiences, knowledge, failures, successes, workouts, short-comings, discoveries, ideas, suggestions, and anything else that might seem relevant to mention in a blog dealing with wellness.  Look for nutrition tips, fitness routines, reviews, inspirational tidbits, motivation to get out there and DO what it is that you think you can't.....

My own journey to health and wellness is like that of many, which is an up and down rocky road at times, and one that certainly never seems to get easier :)  But remember that its the journey itself that creates strength and experience, and that goes for all aspects of life.  When you can begin to embrace the journey and set yourself free from the compulsion to get to that "destination" you have in mind, you'll be accepting of each step and be able to take on whatever it is that gets thrown your way!

Five years ago I found myself in the worst shape of my life.  I was close to 100 pounds overweight, I smoked, I drank, I dealt with depression and anxiety, and there was no way I ever thought I could get out of that space. Then while at a doctor's exam I was confronted quite bluntly by the doctor who informed me that I was about to be put on blood pressure medication, potentially for the rest of my life unless I made some serious changes.  That was my wake-up call.

And so it began........

I had gotten my personal training certification in college and worked as a trainer.  I played baseball, football and soccer and even went through a stint as a wanna-be body builder, so I pretty much had a good idea as far as what to do.....it was DOING it that was the hard part, given that I had let myself get this out of shape.  I began with walking and doing some weight training.  I lost around 60 pounds with that routine.  I cleaned up my diet by cutting out fried foods and all meats but fish.  I met my wife Kelly who would change my life completely in so many, introduced me to yoga, helped me kick the drinking and smoking habits and next thing I knew..... I lost 90 pounds and I am doing endurance races and getting myself in the best shape of my life.  Kelly continues to be an incredible source of inspiration in my life and even supported me in getting my yoga teacher certification.

On my way to taking 2nd place in my age group in my first Half Ironman triathlon.......

And oh yeah, the Punk Rock name comes from my approach to doing things my own way regardless of others telling me that I can't!  I'm all about variety and hardwork, and I promise you that you'll get results that way!!!! So don't be afraid to kick a little butt to get where you want to be...even if it takes kicking your own butt to get there!!!!!!!

I'll be posting different yoga postures and functional type exercises to try on a daily/weekly basis.  I'll use photos and explain them as best I can, as well as the benfits they provide!  So give 'em a shot and lets go kick some butt together!!!!!!