WATERLOO - When Danny Banks started lifting weight seriously he sought inspiration in the pages of magazines like Muscle and Fitness.

The stories gave him tips on how to eat and how to lift. The glossy photographs of muscled men gave him something to strive toward.

"I see pictures like this," he said pointing to the man on the cover of the December issue of Muscle and Fitness, "and I think I could look better. There is always room for improvement. I want better abs, better arms, better thighs. You only get one body and I am going to push it to the max to see what I can get out of it."

While Banks ticked off his laundry list of improvements during a quick break from a three-hour workout at Gold's Gym in Waterloo, it's quite possible another lifter was looking at the glossy photographs on pages 243 and 246 of the same magazine and wishing they looked a little more like the muscled man on the pectoral fly or doing a push up.

Banks, a 1997 East High graduate and former University of Northern Iowa football player, made his modeling debut in the December issue of Muscle and Fitness magazine. His photographs illustrate several stories in the magazine's Training Notebook, beginning on page 243.

Banks said he wasn't looking for the modeling gig, but was happy to oblige when asked to fly out to Los Angeles for two days for the four-hour photo shoot.

"A friend of mine is modeling in New York, and he showed his agent my MySpace page and it all just went from there," Banks said. "It was unreal. I was nervous but excited at the same time. I just wanted to make sure I was giving them the right shot. It was amazing."

But that body didn't just appear overnight. Banks played high school and college football, where he learned the basics of lifting and caring for his body. University of Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley said Banks was always a great athlete, but he really started to "bulk up and work hard in the weight room" when he was moved to defensive end.

"Even after he was done playing, he continued to work out," Farley said. "I remember, when he was working for the university police he would come over and work out and work hard."

That strong work ethic didn't waiver when Banks left the university setting for a job with the Oelwein Police Department. He's in the gym six days a week - Sunday is still a day of rest - usually lifting weights for about three hours.

"Most people are here an hour, hour and a half. The bigger guys, who like to work out, they are here maybe two and a half," said Heather Cook, who works at the gym.

Banks thinks nothing of the hours he spends on the weight machines. For him, the work outs are both mentally and physically beneficial.

"I take this very seriously, but it is a still a hobby," he said. "It's a stress reliever and as an officer, I have to be physically fit to do my job."

Though there are no modeling jobs on the horizon, Banks hopes that someday he could make a career - or at least a part-time job - out of his body building efforts.

"It would be great to get on a cover someday, but mostly, I would just love to get paid to work out," he said.

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.