I became a Starting Strength Coach in 2012 and have been on staff for the Starting Strength seminars since 2014. I’ve held camps in the Chicago area and coach at Chicago Strength and Conditioning.

I started lifting in high school with Nautilus machines. In college I did the “bro” lifts and got pretty good at the bench press. After college I went astray, exercising with various ineffective machines and even tried running. I was weak. When my son John was born, I discovered how weak I was, since carrying him around gave me debilitating back spasms. I discovered Starting Strength and serious strength training in an attempt to cure my back problems. Since I started deadlifting in 2009, those problems have vanished. I wasn’t imbalanced or suffering from a pathology, I was just weak. Barbell training changed my life, and I want to help other people get the same benefit.

I hold state records in 100% Raw Powerlifiting for Illinois in the bench press, squat, and total for my age and weight class. My best gym lifts are 585lb squat, 470lb bench press, 575lb deadlift, and 267lb press.

I have a background in engineering and in the liberal arts, with two engineering degrees, a doctorate in philosophy, and a master’s degree in theology. I taught philosophy and humanities for twenty years at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL, but have since moved on to be full-time strength coach. I also work at Online Great Books running seminars on the great books.

I love teaching, but the best teaching I ever do is coaching people to get stronger.