Why Brick And Mortar...

The Brick and Mortar Fitness Blog is dedicated to empowering individuals to take control of their health, and inspire them to make positive changes in their eating and exercise habits. My aim is to reach as many people as possible to educate, and make a long lasting impact that increases overall well-being.

For The Boys…

I am older now, a father of a young teenage boy. I remember being that young. I remember wanting to prepare myself for manhood. Wondering how that could happen and wondering what at all I could do to grow into that role in the best possible ways. Of course, one of those ways was the idea of making myself stronger and more physically capable. The men I wanted to model myself after were strong, confident, and willing to just jump into any situation because of these attributes. So naturally I also wanted to have this type of confidence, and ability to back it up. Males have the natural instinct to be protectors, and providers. Nature tends to drive us in this direction. But where to start?... How to start?... How do I help myself to grow into the man I want to become?

Wisdom takes time. It takes having good mentors, getting a good education, as well as both living and watching life unfold around you. But the physical part, well, you can go the gym for that… right? I knew at a very young age that if you “work out” you can build strength, and strength enhances physical ability. When this thought hits the young male mind, I am pretty sure most of immediately start with getting down to see just how many push-ups we can do. Trying to find our way to start working out our bodies and become stronger is almost like a rite of passage for every young male. It is just how we are wired, and being a male, I really get that. I tried on multiple occasions during my youth to exercise and become stronger. I eventually got a few things right after some sweat, some trial, and definitely some error. Now, after many years of training in and out of the gym, multiple university degrees, and over 20 years of clinical experience in the medical field… it is my desire to share only the most tried and true pearls of wisdom when it comes to diet, exercise, and living your best healthy life. It is my dream to be the one who stops you from making mistakes that can hurt you, both in the moment as well as years down the road.

For The Girls...

We are currently living in the age of the “Lady Boss.” Of course, there have always been women in the world that rise up and take charge. But now more than ever women are competing in every field of play. Women need diet and exercise advice just as much as men. Especially when starting out. We are also living in the information age. There is a lot of information out there on diet and exercise. Some good, some not so good. Females are often the target of fad diets and misleading fitness advice. I hope to be able to help everyone sift through that and recognize the good from the bad, and walk with confidence when it come to diet and fitness decision making.

I also have a teenage daughter. So far in her life, she has been a ballet dancer and a competitive cheer leader. Both of these activities are tough as nails, and take some serious physical strength and endurance. She is now learning Jui-jitsu, which also requires a healthy mind and body to be competitive. She is no different than any other young lady who wants to do her best, and be her best when it comes to sport and anything physical. It is sincerely my hope that my blog, as well as any books that I write, serve as a strong guide in bringing sanity to a crazy and often confusing health and fitness world.