About me…

                                                            About Me

Usually, I wouldn’t write to much about myself. But I feel it’s time.

I like to share experiences, things I’ve been blessed to learn. Thoughts and things I think about. Even mistakes I’ve unfortunately made or when I’ve been wrong.

But to talk about me and my background, not the highest on my list.

Currently, I feel compelled to share a little bit about myself and I’ll tell you why.

One of the things I look for when I read articles. Is a person’s background, life experiences and education.

So, for me to have this blog and website and not make this information available to readers. Feels very hypocritical of me.

In addition, I plan on featuring others, so I should do the same with myself.

I’m going to try to make this as brief as possible.

My name is Sherwood Minor. I was blessed to get into working out in “83”.

My dad gave me a 10-pound dumbbell and showed me a couple of exercises. Other exercise I learned through books and others.

My parents were both active. My mother a big walker and loved the outdoors. My dad loved the outdoors, worked out and was a recreational athlete. But also ran track when he was in high school.

I had an uncle on my mother’s side who was a bodybuilder as well.

I eventually played organized football in high school and was blessed to do a couple of bench contest.

In high school I was blessed to learn a lot from my coach, upper classmen, peers, as well as books and magazines.

It was in high school that God blessed a friend of mine to show me a technique in lifting that I eventually found out was the “HIT” style of lifting (It’s different then HIIT. Look them both up. Though I like HIIT workouts as well).

It is the “HIT” style of lifting that I have used most of my life. With some variances here and there, plus some volume training every now and then mixed in.

In “89” I decided to get involved in bodybuilding. Went out for my first show in “90” and competed until “2000”. Competed mostly in NPC shows but did do one AAU show.

(A little “Sidebar” concerning my first bodybuilding show. I couldn’t actually do it because I didn’t have the right posing trunks. The show was the NPC Maryland State Championship and a guy named Ned Drew was the promoter and Eddie Robinson was the guest poser. The person who won the overall in the Men’s Open was none other than Kevin Leverone. Look him up for those who don’t know who he is. Accept I didn’t find out till later because I left early. I was disappointed that I couldn’t compete that day.)

It’s always in my heart to compete again though. So, you never know.

From the time I was blessed to start working out. Working out was something I loved to share with others. This led to the natural progression of getting into the fitness field.

I started working for a health club/gym in “92”. Working at the front desk and signing people up for memberships. In “93” I started personal training at the gym as well.

During this time, I was always involved in recruiting people to get involved into powerlifting and bodybuilding. Some were already involved, and I just encouraged them.

When we got a powerlifting coach and team. I began to focus more on helping people in bodybuilding and fitness.

In “95”, I eventually started my own company called “By the Spirit… Inc”.

As a company, I sponsored fitness competitors, bodybuilders, and powerlifters. I also contracted personal trainers and sold fitness clothing. I had the company dissolved in “99”

Back to personal training. I got my first certification in the fall of “93” with AAAI-ISMA. The person who taught the weekend course is still teaching for AAAI-ISMA. I was blessed to get several certifications with them all the way to “2009”.

I have been blessed to get personal training or specialty certifications with various organizations. They are-

AAAI-ISMA, AFPA, NASM, ACE, NCSF, NETA, NFPT, Fitour, Action (Formerly ACT) and NESTA.

Took NSPA’s CCS certification (The CCS is along the lines of NSCA’s CSCS) but didn’t pass it. But I loved what I learned from it and recommend it for all Fitness Professionals.

I have also taken a few different organizations continuing education courses. One of them being Chek Institute. Really enjoyed their course, Primal Movement Patterns. That is a course I feel is good for the public and the workforce.

Though I did not finish college, I did take a few courses. Most of the courses I took in college were business related.

In “2000” I was blessed to work as an adjunct-faculty member of a community college. I taught a few 1 credit elective credit courses, all exercise based. The classes were Circuit Weight Training, Conditioning and Boot Camp. I taught at the community college until 2016.

I also was a Marketing Coordinator for a company that did continuing education courses for personal trainers. That was a round “2009” or “2010”

I have been blessed to work with 5 different businesses in the fitness field. Three commercial style health clubs and 2 privately own gyms. In all, I was blessed to be involved professionally in the fitness industry from “92” – “2018”.

Though the fitness industry is now just a hobby for me. I still study, take courses, read, and correspond with people in the industry. Plus, obviously share wellness information on a few social media sites, as well as my website. The social media sites that I’m on are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Myspace, and Tumblr. Just look for Ironbywood. I’m also on Bodybuilding.com’s Bodyspace.

So, this is me in a nutshell. I haven’t been in the industry as long as most. I’m not as educated as most. I just share what I find, think about, experience and what comes to me.

It is up to you, the reader. To discuss with your healthcare providers, Registered Dieticians, qualified Fitness Professionals and use other resources to see what information is good for you.