About Mark
Education and Certifications ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) -Elite Trainer -Certified Fitness Trainer -Specialist in Exercise Therapy -Specialist in Fitness Nutrition AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates) -MS Fitness and Wellness Specialist "A" Kido Karate Association International (American Kido): Black Belt and Instructor American Heart Association: CPR/AED certified BS Psychology |
Mark's Story
From as early as I can remember, I have always been the type of person who is very competitive and loves to challenge himself. As a child I loved playing physical sports, wrestling and racing other kids. I wanted to win! Whenever our extended family would get together, I eagerly looked forward to the compulsory arm wrestling competitions. Everyone wanted to beat my dad! It was a loud, rowdy and wild event! Being one of the youngest, I excitedly participated even though I couldn't win....but I loved trying because I knew that one day I would win! I put everything I had into those competitions!
When I was ten years old, my dad bought me a set of exercise springs and hand grips. I worked out like a maniac, always with mental pictures of Charles Atlas and Mr. America running through my head. I was fascinated by these he-men with their muscular physiques and superior strength. I committed to a daily routine of 60 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 3 sets of 100 reps with the hand grips. It slowly paid off. When I was in ninth grade, my gym teacher brought a set of hand grips to class for us to try. I sat quietly watching as some of the other kids struggled trying to squeeze these contraptions together. The thirty year old, 230 pound former pro football player looked at me and said, "Mueller, you want to try?" I responded by presenting him with a challenge. I said, "However many you can do, I will do twice as many." That got a huge chuckle and a few, "You're nuts!" responses. Mr. Roth went ahead and squeaked out 50 reps. I took the grips and proceeded to do 50. Then 50 more. Challenge met! But of course, the competitive nature prevailed and I continued on to meet my own challenge of hitting 150, three times as many as him! I vividly remember a light bulb switching on in my head that day. I learned that being prepared pays off, even though being prepared has its cost. It requires a lot of work and dedication over a long period of time. I learned that if something becomes a natural part of your life, it will be there when you need it.
I continued to challenged myself in many ways. From the time I was 12 years old, I was intrigued by the circus arts and magic. How could people perform such spectacular feats? I set out to learn for myself. I read books and studied performers on TV. I sought out those who dabbled in these arts and asked questions. I spent hours a day practicing and in time became very proficient in magic, juggling, unicycle riding, fire eating and balancing. I began to entertain everywhere. I didn't participate in any school sports because mastering these disciplines took so much of my time.
By the time I got to high school, I realized that I was not much of a team player. I had spent so much time by myself working on my craft that I had learned to depend on myself. I really enjoyed playing pick up games of football and baseball in the neighborhood and I was still extremely competitive when I played. Yes, I wanted to win, but my competitiveness was mostly with myself. I wanted to hit the ball or kick the further then I had ever done before. I was always pushing myself. It was at this time that the high school football coach asked if I would join the team. He liked my size and speed. He asked every year for three years and each year I said, "No." It wasn't because I didn't like football. It was because I had become involved in another sport. I had joined the gymnastics team. It intrigued me and presented me with a huge challenge because of my size. My coach didn't want to spot me because I was too big! I wasn't tall or fat...just big. But I did it! I was never a premiere gymnast, but I accomplished the things I wanted to and I learned a lot.
It was in college that I was first introduced to serious weight training. Sure, in high school I had to bench press more on the universal gym than the other kids, but that was about all there was to our weight lifting class in gym. I always wanted to lift weights (you know, the whole Charles Atlas thing) but I never had much equipment to work with. But now, I had the entire weight room in the college field house at my disposal. I became a gym rat. I couldn't get enough! What a great way to compete with yourself. Lift more weight, do one more rep, push past the pain. I had found a passion! I learned mostly from watching others in the weight room and from reading body building magazines and books. I was on a roll, building mass, getting stronger and leaning out. Then, in my sophomore year I contracted infectious hepatitis. I was out of school for some time and my recovery was slow. The hepatitis zapped me of everything. I wasn't able to work out the rest of that year. I spent a lot of time in the weight room my junior and senior years, but I still was not 100%. It was tough for me to expend any amount of energy. I was frustrated. I would have a good two months and then another set back. But it did not destroy my passion. It only challenged me to figure out how to get stronger.
Graduation, marriage, three kids and my own wood working business. Weight lifting had left the building! But I continued to compete with myself in my business. I started as a stair builder and wanting to challenge myself even more, I began building antique reproduction furniture. Every order I received required something new of me that I had never done before. By spending time studying actual antiques, I was able to hone my craft and I even won several national awards for my work. But my desire to return to fitness and my fascination with the human physique and pushing the body to its limits was still burning. At age 33, I purchased an Olympic weight set and a bench. After work, in my small shop, I would rearrange my tools and pull out the weights and get to work. My son, who was still not a teen, wanted to work out with dad, but I told him that he would have to wait until he was older and his body was a bit more mature. Until then, we would do something else. That is when we started in the martial arts. I set a goal of earning my black belt by age 40 and I did it! My son and I earned our black belts together. We had also finally started lifting together. He was a quick learner and he began getting stronger and putting on size fast. It was great to have a lifting partner and built in spotter. And apparently he inherited my competitive spirit...because it was on! He pushed me. I couldn't let Junior out do his old man!
Over the years, I have realized what exercise has done for me. It has given me strength and confidence. It has helped me overcome a lower back issue, rotator cuff injury and a host of other minor issues. It has given me the opportunity to work in gyms and with patients going through rehab at a physical therapy clinic. It has also introduced me to some new and wonderful friends and has taken me to a world that I want to share with everyone. Exercising has kept me healthy and for that I am grateful. At age 56, I am bigger and stronger than I have ever been and I don't plan on ever stopping. As a matter of fact, I am just getting started on some things (check out Quest350)! My love for fitness and my desire to help others is what has led me to personal training. The way I see it...if I can do it, so can you. There is nothing like feeling good and feeling strong. There is nothing like knowing that you have worked hard and have prepared yourself for any physical challenges or health issues that may come your way. Thank you for allowing me to share with you.
Mark
From as early as I can remember, I have always been the type of person who is very competitive and loves to challenge himself. As a child I loved playing physical sports, wrestling and racing other kids. I wanted to win! Whenever our extended family would get together, I eagerly looked forward to the compulsory arm wrestling competitions. Everyone wanted to beat my dad! It was a loud, rowdy and wild event! Being one of the youngest, I excitedly participated even though I couldn't win....but I loved trying because I knew that one day I would win! I put everything I had into those competitions!
When I was ten years old, my dad bought me a set of exercise springs and hand grips. I worked out like a maniac, always with mental pictures of Charles Atlas and Mr. America running through my head. I was fascinated by these he-men with their muscular physiques and superior strength. I committed to a daily routine of 60 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 3 sets of 100 reps with the hand grips. It slowly paid off. When I was in ninth grade, my gym teacher brought a set of hand grips to class for us to try. I sat quietly watching as some of the other kids struggled trying to squeeze these contraptions together. The thirty year old, 230 pound former pro football player looked at me and said, "Mueller, you want to try?" I responded by presenting him with a challenge. I said, "However many you can do, I will do twice as many." That got a huge chuckle and a few, "You're nuts!" responses. Mr. Roth went ahead and squeaked out 50 reps. I took the grips and proceeded to do 50. Then 50 more. Challenge met! But of course, the competitive nature prevailed and I continued on to meet my own challenge of hitting 150, three times as many as him! I vividly remember a light bulb switching on in my head that day. I learned that being prepared pays off, even though being prepared has its cost. It requires a lot of work and dedication over a long period of time. I learned that if something becomes a natural part of your life, it will be there when you need it.
I continued to challenged myself in many ways. From the time I was 12 years old, I was intrigued by the circus arts and magic. How could people perform such spectacular feats? I set out to learn for myself. I read books and studied performers on TV. I sought out those who dabbled in these arts and asked questions. I spent hours a day practicing and in time became very proficient in magic, juggling, unicycle riding, fire eating and balancing. I began to entertain everywhere. I didn't participate in any school sports because mastering these disciplines took so much of my time.
By the time I got to high school, I realized that I was not much of a team player. I had spent so much time by myself working on my craft that I had learned to depend on myself. I really enjoyed playing pick up games of football and baseball in the neighborhood and I was still extremely competitive when I played. Yes, I wanted to win, but my competitiveness was mostly with myself. I wanted to hit the ball or kick the further then I had ever done before. I was always pushing myself. It was at this time that the high school football coach asked if I would join the team. He liked my size and speed. He asked every year for three years and each year I said, "No." It wasn't because I didn't like football. It was because I had become involved in another sport. I had joined the gymnastics team. It intrigued me and presented me with a huge challenge because of my size. My coach didn't want to spot me because I was too big! I wasn't tall or fat...just big. But I did it! I was never a premiere gymnast, but I accomplished the things I wanted to and I learned a lot.
It was in college that I was first introduced to serious weight training. Sure, in high school I had to bench press more on the universal gym than the other kids, but that was about all there was to our weight lifting class in gym. I always wanted to lift weights (you know, the whole Charles Atlas thing) but I never had much equipment to work with. But now, I had the entire weight room in the college field house at my disposal. I became a gym rat. I couldn't get enough! What a great way to compete with yourself. Lift more weight, do one more rep, push past the pain. I had found a passion! I learned mostly from watching others in the weight room and from reading body building magazines and books. I was on a roll, building mass, getting stronger and leaning out. Then, in my sophomore year I contracted infectious hepatitis. I was out of school for some time and my recovery was slow. The hepatitis zapped me of everything. I wasn't able to work out the rest of that year. I spent a lot of time in the weight room my junior and senior years, but I still was not 100%. It was tough for me to expend any amount of energy. I was frustrated. I would have a good two months and then another set back. But it did not destroy my passion. It only challenged me to figure out how to get stronger.
Graduation, marriage, three kids and my own wood working business. Weight lifting had left the building! But I continued to compete with myself in my business. I started as a stair builder and wanting to challenge myself even more, I began building antique reproduction furniture. Every order I received required something new of me that I had never done before. By spending time studying actual antiques, I was able to hone my craft and I even won several national awards for my work. But my desire to return to fitness and my fascination with the human physique and pushing the body to its limits was still burning. At age 33, I purchased an Olympic weight set and a bench. After work, in my small shop, I would rearrange my tools and pull out the weights and get to work. My son, who was still not a teen, wanted to work out with dad, but I told him that he would have to wait until he was older and his body was a bit more mature. Until then, we would do something else. That is when we started in the martial arts. I set a goal of earning my black belt by age 40 and I did it! My son and I earned our black belts together. We had also finally started lifting together. He was a quick learner and he began getting stronger and putting on size fast. It was great to have a lifting partner and built in spotter. And apparently he inherited my competitive spirit...because it was on! He pushed me. I couldn't let Junior out do his old man!
Over the years, I have realized what exercise has done for me. It has given me strength and confidence. It has helped me overcome a lower back issue, rotator cuff injury and a host of other minor issues. It has given me the opportunity to work in gyms and with patients going through rehab at a physical therapy clinic. It has also introduced me to some new and wonderful friends and has taken me to a world that I want to share with everyone. Exercising has kept me healthy and for that I am grateful. At age 56, I am bigger and stronger than I have ever been and I don't plan on ever stopping. As a matter of fact, I am just getting started on some things (check out Quest350)! My love for fitness and my desire to help others is what has led me to personal training. The way I see it...if I can do it, so can you. There is nothing like feeling good and feeling strong. There is nothing like knowing that you have worked hard and have prepared yourself for any physical challenges or health issues that may come your way. Thank you for allowing me to share with you.
Mark