CHRISTIAN PERALTA 
"I started working out around 13 years old. I always hung out with the older guys because they were doing cool stuff like working out. Around this age I was going the the boys and girls club in Monterey Park and there was a weight room where all the older guys would hang out and lift and I was the only kid my age allowed to be in there because I was the only one strong enough to be able to do 100 sit ups and 100 push ups (that was the entry fee to be allowed in there).
At first I only wanted to be in there because that was where all the cool kids were at, but then I realized that it was actually fun and I loved the changes it was making to my body. As I got older and more into sports I decided it was time to learn how to do this correctly so I started researching and studying and then it just became a natural way of life! Plus it became therapy for me.
I had a lot of pent up rage and aggression with what life was throwing at me and where do a lot of guys go when they need to get it out? To the gym. The iron can take it and leave you feeling like a cloud, just a place to let it all out.
Working out has gotten me through a lot of tough times. So I decided that I wanted to help pass on my knowledge and help people feel good about themselves and better themselves. I was always getting asked my friends, family, coworkers to help them train and as I did I saw their progress and transformations. It was such a satisfying feeling to see them look at themselves in the mirror and say “OMG. I can’t believe that’s me” or “I never thought in a million years I’d be able to lift that”.
Working out has not only made me physically and mentally stronger, but has connected me with some of the best people I know. That’s what it’s really about: community. A lot of people think that people who work out are just cavemen or meat heads, but we are out here just trying to make ourselves better and each other better. Working out has definitely changed my life, I can’t even imagine what my life would be like right now if I hadn’t lifted those weights as a young kid."
