How I did it

I've been training since 1995. I started out in bodybuilding because I grew up on a diet of action movies, He-Man, Thundercats and all of the machismo that goes with it. Arnold Schwarzenegger was and is a huge influence in my life. I've always wanted to be larger than life which is odd for a bookworm and introvert like me.

I initially started lifting weights because my best friend Chris was doing it and I needed to get out of the funk of being newly single. I wasn't diagnosed with severe chronic depression and anxiety for another 10 years but it was definitely ever-present. Feeling genuinely good about yourself (and not just your appearance) isn't underrated.

Maria, the fitness center director (and now executive director) at the Altavista Area YMCA found a diet for me somewhere. It was so weird but I stuck with it and appeared on stage for the first time in 1996. I finished dead last.

That didn't sit well with me. So I found myself a coach in 2003 who promoted shows, was a trainer and a dietician. You don't start out knowing it all. You've got to be humble enough to realize you need guidance and accept it.

I stepped away from bodybuilding after 2006 for 10 years. My training was still happening but my diet had, shall we say, went downhill. I was eating microwaved hotdogs and popcorn and drinking lots of Dr Pepper.

A student of mine commented to me in 2014 "Mr Dalton? You buff but you ain't as buff as you used to be.* The very next day I joined Gold's Gym, narrowed my focus to laser precision and dedicated myself to earning an overall bodybuilding title and pro status. Not only did I do it once, I did it 3 times. I'm a pro in 3 different natural bodybuilding federations.

I've transitioned to primarily powerlifting now and I enjoy it immensely. Again, with a fantastic coach to guide me, I've seen success into my late 40s.

If you need guidance to reach a goal, please reach out to me here or at @sawmillstrength on Instagram. I'll be happy to talk to you and let's see if I can help you.