Mark Cleary decided there were safer ways to keep physically fit than taking punches as a professional boxer.

After losing his professional boxing debut by a first-round knockout at the age of 32, Cleary traded his boxing gloves for weights. Last week, at age 34, he competed in his first Ontario Physique Association (OPA) body building contest placing third in the men's lightheavyweight division at the GNC Gala Show Championships in Toronto. It qualifies him for the OPA provincial championships next June in Toronto.

Cleary credits boxing and his coach Kerry Hendren for helping him turn his life around more than three years ago. He left behind a life of alcohol, drugs and biker gangs by dedicating himself to his fitness not only through boxing but by becoming a personal trainer at Goodlife Fitness. His goal then was to try professional boxing and he did at a card in Mississauga.

"I was already pretty well living in a gym so I decided to start lifting weights," he said. "I need to have something to keep me focused and to train for. When I was going to the gym for boxing I knew what I had to do every session I was there. I was almost lost. I was coming to the gym to workout but didn't really have a reason to be working out besides staying fit."

He sought the help of former competitive bodybuilder Kent Lackie who took him under his wing. The original goal was to shoot for his first competition in 2016 but Cleary advanced quickly. He transformed his body from a 161-pound fighting weight to a walking around weight of 215 pounds. While boxing was focused heavily on cardiovascular fitness, Cleary focused on building muscle but also maintaining a lean physique. When he cut down to 194 pounds for his first competition his body fat index was lower than when he boxed at 161.

"Kent and I are very happy with where I've got to," said Cleary, who is sponsored by Popeye's Supplements. "Our goal was to come in the top three in the first competition and that's what happened."

While fitness is at the core of both sports, Cleary says the training is very different. He never lifted weights while boxing.

"It's a little bit safer than boxing," Cleary said, with a laugh. "But you're still doing two to three training sessions a day which I like. In boxing you go for your jog in the morning and spar at night. It's another sport that takes a lot of dedication and strict dieting."

There is one similarity.

"Your hard work you get to show off in front of hundreds of people like in boxing," he said.

There is one major difference.

Cleary said his newfound knowledge has made him a better personal trainer. He's already among Goodlife's top Canadian associates. He was among 100 to earn a cruise for his accomplishments and was Goodlife's regional personal trainer of the year last year.

"I was good at training people how to box and weight loss. Those were my specialties," he said. "Now I've learned a lot about how to build muscle, dieting and prepping somebody for a show."