Hi everyone! --

I'm new here, so I thought I'd introduce myself and share a little bit about my story.

Way back in my late teens/early 20's, I was a complete gym fanatic! I absolutely loved training, keeping fit and everything that came with it. The gym was a massive part of my life and I did do a couple of cycles.

Unfortunately, I was involved in a serious accident that completely changed everything. I ended up having to go through a long period of rehabilitation, including hydrotherapy, and basically had to learn how to walk all over again.

As you can imagine, the gym and fitness took a back seat and so in the last 7 years, I stopped training, lost my fitness and put on quite a lot of weight. And before I knew it, I'm about to turn 42!

But there's another side to my story, and it's actually one of the biggest reasons I've decided it's time to make a change.

Over the last 10+ years, I've decided to take my life experiences, the good times, the bad times and everything in between, and started turning them into song lyrics. So after my accident music became my escapism and a way for me to tell my story, express myself and hopefully connect with other people who've been through their own struggles.

And recently, things have started moving in a really positive direction. My music and songwriting are beginning to get a little more recognition (within the industry, not as a household known artist), which is something I'm incredibly proud of and excited about.

It's also given me a whole new reason to focus on my health and fitness.

I want to feel better about myself, regain my confidence, have more energy and be in the best possible position to take advantage of any opportunities that might come my way with my music career.

For me, getting back into the gym isn't just about losing weight or building muscle anymore. It's about getting myself back, both physically and mentally, and preparing for what could be an exciting new chapter in my life.

I know I'm not the same person I was 20 years ago, and I'm certainly not wanting to walk into a gym and pick up where I left off! So I decided to invest in a serious home gym set up so I can start slowly, be sensible about my previous injuries and gradually build myself back up.

That's why I've joined this forum. I'm hoping to get some advice, learn about whats new, what hot and the what not, etc etc. Hopefully I can learn from others, find more motivation and hopefully make a few friends along the way.

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who's returned to fitness after a long break, experienced a major injury or had to start their fitness journey all over again.

I'm a little nervous, but I'm also genuinely excited.

I've already had to learn how to walk again once in my life. Now I want to see just how far those legs can take me!

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I'm looking forward to being part of the community and sharing my progress with you all.

Here's to new beginnings!

The Architectural Ghost