I was born, in 1968, right smack in the middle of the heartland in Hays, Kansas. I grew up just a stones throw north in a small, mid-western town called Belleville.

 

Belleville is a small town with a population of 2,000 or so (give or take a few hundred) and like a lot of small towns in the heartland, almost everything revolves around church and school. For me it was ever simpler. For me life revolved around weights and football. I was consumed by both. I had two objectives in high school: get bigger and get stronger. And I did. Over the course of my high school years, I gained almost 100 pounds and ultimately earned all-state, high school, football honors.

 

I spent my first year of college at Highland Community College but eventually completed my degrees at the University of Kansas, where I graduated in 1992.

 

It was during college that I began competing in body building. My first contest was the Mr. Kansas in 1989 where I placed second in the novice, heavy weight class. Over the next few years I competed several more times before retiring out of frustration. I was unhappy with the direction of the sport and also wanted to concentrate on a career.

 

In 1993, with two college chums, I opened my first health club, Hardwear Gym and Fitness. Hardwear eventually evolved into Total Fitness Athletic Center, a club that I owned and operated until spring of 2001. That spring a fire burned my health club to the ground. Ten, long years of work gone in hours.

 

I rebuilt my club, but in the spring of 2003, I shut it down and I have never looked back. I now realize the fire was a blessing. It saved me. My only regret is that it took a fire to show me what I already knew. My passion is helping others discover fitness, and fitness isn't about bricks and mortar. It isn't about fancy machines and tanning beds. It's about people. It's about a lifestyle.

 

Welcome to Get Off Your Ass!

 

Personal 

BIRTH DATE  - February 7, 1968

HOME TOWN - I was born in Hays, Kansas.  I have lived in Lawrence, Kansas since 1987 but home will always be Belleville, Kansas. 

SIBLINGS - I have one sister.

PARENTS - My parents were both born and raised in small towns in Kansas.  My mother continues to teach school, my father is retired.

 

Physical Measurements (as of 4/09/2010)

 

HEIGHT - 5'11"

WEIGHT - 220 pounds

BODY FAT - 10.6%

 

Best Lifts (USAPL Competition - 220 pound class)

 

SQUAT - 562 pounds

BENCH PRESS - 429 pounds

DEAD LIFT - 650 pounds

 

Education

 

HIGH SCHOOL - I graduated high school in 1986, from Belleville, Kansas.

COLLEGE - I received my bachelors from the University of Kansas in 1992

CERTIFICATIONS - I'm a ISSA, certified, personal trainer. 

 

Professional Experience

 

PERSONAL TRAINER - 1989 to present

OWNER/OPERATOR - Hardwear Gym and Fitness - 1992 to 1993

PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER - Total Fitness Athletic Center, Inc. - 1993 to 2003

MANAGING PARTNER - The Club, LLC - 2000 to 2003

OWNER/PERSONAL TRAINER - Studio Alpha Personal Training and Sports Performance -2003 to present  (www.studioalphapersonaltraining.com)

PRESIDENT - Pancake, Inc. - 2009 to present (www.kansaspancake.com, www.missouripancake.com and www.floridapancake.com)

 

Awards and Placings

 

  • All-State High School Athlete
  • 1989 NPC Mr. Kansas Body Building Championships - 2nd Place Novice Heavy Weight
  • 1990 NPC Heart of The Midwest Body Building Championships - 2nd Place Novice Heavy Weight and 3rd Place Open Heavy Weight
  • 1993 NPC Big Eight Body Building Championships - 3rd Place Novice Heavy Weight
  • 2003 NPC North American Natural Body Building Championships - 6th Place Open Light Heavy Weight
  • 2005 USAPL Kansas Record Breaker Challenge - 2nd Place
  • 2005 USAPL Senior States Championships - 2nd Place
  • 2006 USAPL River's Edge Challenge - 1st Place
  • 2006 USAPL Kansas Heavy Metal Championships - 2nd Place
  • 2006 USAPL Senior States Championships - 1st Place
  • 2007 USAPL Kansas State Championships - 1st Place
  • 2008 USAPL Kansas Heavy Metal Championships - 2nd Place
  • 2008 NASA Strongman Competition - 6th Pace

 

Just for Fun

 

ROLE MODELS? Over the years my role models have changed as I've changed. I went straight from college to the world of self-employment. In the beginning, I idolized the "mover and shakers" of the business world. Guys and gals who started with very little and built business empires. That was then and this is now. I don't regret those years, it was necessary for me in my personal journey of life. But I have come to understand that chasing the "coin" is an exhausting and unrewarding quest. These days, the people I most admire are right in front of me. in my family.

 

TRAITS YOU MOST ADMIRE IN OTHERS? Unselfishness and empathy.

 

TRAITS YOU MOST ADMIRE IN YOURSELF? Discipline and dedication.

 

FAVORITE TV SHOW? If I see thirty minutes of TV a day... I'm lucky.

 

FAVORITE MOVIE? I love seeing movies, so nailing one down is impossible. I loved Sliding Doors, The Natural, Rocky I, Cinderella Man and The Sandlot to name a few.

 

FAVORITE ACTORS? Johnny Depp is a fabulous actor. Angelina Jolie is the hottest thing ever!

 

FAVORITE MUSIC? Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Kid Rock, Toby Keith and Dwight Yoakam. Lovin' the sound of a new group The Zac Brown Band. I'm a sucker for good fiddle.

 

LONG TERM PERSONAL GOAL? I plan to eventually run for public office. I like to think of myself as a Schwarzenegger Republican... fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE HEALTH AND FITNESS INDUSTRY? It can and does change people's lives for the positive.

 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE LEAST ABOUT THE HEALTH AND FITNESS INDUSTRY? It's full of sleaze, lies, egos and idiots.