I started to train for powerlifting in around October 2011. I've wanted to do it for some time and never really did so decided it was now or never. I had it all planned out, start training October, give a few months to get a base and attempt a first meet around march just to get on the platform. I had the most novice of mindsets for diet which was eat anything and everything. It actually worked for a bit too. Around November I was about 230lbs with 385/290/480 to my name. Then it all stopped. My weight gain and my strength gain just smacked a wall it couldn't move. I decided to hire a nutritionist to help me kind of restart my body. It didn't work. I dropped about 20lbs in two months and even more strength than anything else. I remember trying to pull 315 off the floor and having it go so slow I thought I was gonna get another injury. The most weight I'd put on my back was about 255 and I never touched a flat bench but seeing as to how that's always been my worst lift, I can't imagine it would have went well. In comes Brian Carroll. After I lost so much strength and everything else I decided to do things right this time. I started looking around on efs and other places for a trainer. I compared some to others and so on and so forth. After some pretty hard decision( at the time) I went with Brian. Within a week it was obvious that not only was it not a hard decision, it was clearly the right one. He provided me with the first five week template and ten week diet and instantly knew this was going to make me a better powerlifter. Brian wasted no time in setting me up an introductory type of program. True, he wanted to see what sort of base I had but he did so while hitting the ground running and pushing me from day one right out of my comfort zone. While I was nervous at first about having an online coach, for questions and critiques and just random bs, Brian did everything he could to pretty much make you forget he wasn't there. He critiqued me via videos and any question I had I could email him and know I would be answered in reasonable time. It's not just answers to be answers, but he also gets to know each one of his clients and spends the time to communicate. So here I am, just finished my first ten week program with Brian Carroll, which whom I got another ten weeks with before this week even started. I currently weigh 218.2 and started at 210 ten weeks ago. I sport a 405 squat, 285 bench and 485 dead. I went for a very small PR for the dead due to shoulder issue I was having all week but could easily have gotten a 490/495. I am looking forward to the next program because now that I have that base and am either as strong or stronger than ever before, each forthcoming week is a PR waiting to happen. I plan on doing a meet November 3rd in egg harbor and there is nobody that can get me prepared for it better than Mr. Brian Carroll.