More then two decades ago, I began a personal quest to maximize my own human performance as an athlete, which culminated in me becoming a starting defensive end in the NFL.   Twenty years of contact football left me with numerous physical problems that required five surgeries, two of which required multiple bone fusions.   By the time I was twenty-nine I was in poor physical condition with chronic pain.   I soon underwent additional surgery because I was losing feeling in both of my legs.   My life changed dramatically shortly there after while performing rehabilitation exercise with my physical therapist.   It was during this time that I became very interested in the importance and function of the core muscles (deep abdominal muscles) so vital to the way we move and feel.   I thought about how many people I might be able to help with my unique combination of first hand experience and knowledge.   I began to increase my education and focus on helping others who have had back problems, been injured or simply grown out of shape.   This was in addition to my constant fascination with improving athletic performance.   It became natural in the years to come that I would develop the FAST system designed to help people realize their physical potential, regardless of their current level of conditioning.   I am fortunate to have been exposed to many of the great theorists and practioners of human strength, performance and conditioning, such as Frank Costello; Former Head S&C Coach University of Maryland and Washington Capitols, Dr. Fred Hatfield; World Champion Powerlifter, Founder International Sports Sciences Association, EJ "Doc" Kreis; Current Head S&C Coach UCLA, two time National Strength Coach of the Year and Joe Horigan DC, former Head S&C Coach Los Angeles Kings.   These men and many others have provided me with enormous insight, technical knowledge and inspiration.   I am profoundly grateful to all those who have coached me and shared with me insight into the immensely complex subject of improving the look and performance of the human body.   For more then a decade it has been my privilege to help people in the quest for optimum health and physical excellence using my FAST system of physical conditioning.