Hi Ian, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
For most of my life, I considered myself to be an active individual. I played basketball and ran track in my adolescence and even had a stint collegiately. I was used to being in shape without having to try until I went to grad school In California and ended up gaining 50 pounds of unwanted and unneeded weight. I found myself dodging mirrors, not fitting clothes in department stores, and just being unhappy with this new version of myself. I decided to invest my grad school refund money into a trainer, and in three months, I lost a total of three pounds. I was distraught by the results and the money I had spent. The lack of success wasn’t due to the workouts because he was trying his best to kill me every session. It was due to my lack of nutritional knowledge. I learned early on that you couldn’t out-train a bad diet as well tons of misinformation we typically have in regards to their nutrition. I was doing everything wrong and, in essence, sabotaging my efforts, like eating two to three bowls of frosted flakes for breakfast, taking in as many power bars as possible, and switching from soda to juice daily. A friend of mine introduced me to a Daniel Fast and in ten days I lost ten pounds…. for free!
In the first month, I lost 20 pounds in total. I was blown away and wanted to help as many people as possible after that experience. I started sharing my knowledge while adding to it and putting hundreds of friends, family, and clients on the detox diet. It was such a major influence in my fitness journey that I named my first gym D-180 Fitness. The D represented Daniel; the book in the Bible where the detox diet came from and the 180 represented Daniel and his three friends being counter-culture and standing out from the rest of the world. Since 2005 I’ve made it a mission to educate clients on allowing science, math and research to be the guiding light in a holistic fitness approach. Our new gym, The Body Shop HTX Fitness, has the same values. We have the same mission to educate clients on allowing nutrition to be their main catalyst for change and approaching their fitness experience from a holistic standpoint
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is never an easy route. I’ve started several businesses through the years and half made it while the others quickly sank. I realized quickly that there’s a difference between a business owner and someone that’s self-employed or an employee of their business. When I first started in entrepreneurship, I was working from 5 am to 10 pm at night. I remember a string of seven straight months without a day off and no sleep from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning while trying to build the food catering aspect of my business. I wasn’t a business owner; the business owned me. Now that I’m in a new stage of life with kids, I knew I didn’t and couldn’t live that life, so every move, business, and decision is made through the lens of financial freedom and time to spend with the ones I love the most. This year has presented unique challenges unlike any other year, but the fact that we’re still standing is a testament to the lessons learned through the years and the grace God has placed upon our lives!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Body Shop HTX Fitness?
We are a fitness studio in The Museum District right down the street from the famous Turkey Leg Hut. We specialize in drastic transformations. Physically and hopefully mentally as well. We see the potential in clients the moment they walk through the doors and have a good grasp of what their physique has the potential and becoming, and we create game plans that include nutrition, weight training, and cardio to help chisel them into their full potential. The thing that sets us apart from other trainers is our blend of science and math. I was a math teacher for six years, a college professor for two and have three degrees. When it comes to fitness, a lot of trainers look amazing and have been able to transform their physiques successfully but what sets us apart is that our aesthetics are secondary, and we allow scientifically based research to fuel every decision made. When clients adhere to the game plan created for them, they quickly realize how quickly and efficiently they can reach their goals. We work with clients that are morbidly obese, type II diabetics, clients battling previous and current injuries, and a host of clients with improper knowledge on nutrition that we attempt to correct and instruct. We are results-driven and your success or failure is a direct reflection on me!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m a professional Body Builder, an IFBB Pro in men’s physique, but I don’t really enjoy lifting weights. I love cardio. I love hitting the track. Doing Bootcamp’s and HIITS. Warrior Dashes and Tough Mudders. I have to make myself lift daily. Since it’s not something I naturally enjoy, I have to set up a system to ensure success. 1st thing I always have a workout partner—basically accountability. I have to show up, or I get called out for letting my partner down. I’ve had several through the years and have two currently that I lift with daily. Secondly, I’ve been a trainer for over 14 years now, but I always pay for the services of a trainer. Not because I don’t know what to do but once again because of the need for accountability and now to bounce ideas off. Right now, I’ve been with my current trainer for the past four years, and she’s been a wealth of knowledge and accountability.
Pricing:
- Monthly Gym Membership = $35
- Monthly Personal Training $300- $1000
Contact Info:
- Address: 2002 Oakdale Street Houston, TX 77004
- Email: thebodyshop@htxfitness.com
- Website: www.htxfitness.com
- Instagram: JamaicanMuscle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Body-Shop-HTX-699573917065573/
Image Credits
Dean Greene Samuel Terry Trunetta Atwater
