“More Than a Workout: Training for Life & Legacy” with Austin Parker (Coach AP)

What’s up, Ballers! Welcome back to The NxtUp Ballers Podcast — where we highlight individuals who are building something bigger than themselves.

Today’s guest is someone who’s using fitness as a vehicle — not just for physical transformation, but for discipline, mindset, and purpose

Austin Parker, or Coach AP, is a Corporate Wellness Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and CEO of APFit — where he’s spent over a decade helping individuals strengthen not just their bodies, but their confidence and mental resilience.

Today, we’re talking about what it really means to go beyond the workout — and start training for life and legacy.

Transcript

Welcome And Training For Legacy

SPEAKER_02 0:00

What's up, Ballers? Welcome back to the Next Up Ballers podcast, where we highlight individuals who are building something bigger than themselves. Today's conversation is a little different because when you really think about it, some people train for a workout, but others are training for life and for legacy. Today's guest is someone who is using fitness as a vehicle, not just for physical transformation, but for discipline, mindset, and purpose. Austin Parker, or Coach AP, is a corporate wellness coach, certified personal trainer, and CEO of AP Fit, where he spent over a decade helping individuals strengthen not just their bodies, but their confidence and mental resilience. From partnerships with Franklin County Public Health to leading workouts for hundreds around Columbus, he's bringing energy, impact, and intention into every space he enters. And today, we're talking about what it really means to go beyond the workout and to start training for life and for legacy. Hi. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 1:20

I'm doing amazing. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Good. Welcome to the show. Welcome to the show. Super excited. Good. I am happy to have you. And um I know you well, uh, but I'm excited to get to know you more as the listeners and watchers also get to know a little bit about you and um all the amazing things that you've started, are a part of, all of that. Uh so we're gonna get ready to hop into it. We heard the intro, but now we're gonna hop into the question. Let's do it.

Legacy Means Generational Health

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Let's do it. Let's make it happen. Cool. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

All right. So the first question I like to start off with uh with a lot of our list um guests on the show is what does legacy even mean to you? So it's a legacy podcast. We are talking about how we are actively building our legacy. Have you thought about it? And if so, what does that even mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 2:08

For sure. Legacy, it seems of like a very big word to me. So sometimes I used to avoid it a little bit. But right now, in the in the present, I would say my legacy would be geared towards generational health.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

And when I hear legacy, that's what I think of. Like, what mark have I already left and what can I continue to leave for my family and those who are around me? And for me, it's just like passing down those principles that I've learned through information, through trial and error, through working with clients. So for me, when I think about legacy, like what can I leave? Um, you know, just that that love for health, that want to better yourself and help others along the way. So my big thought would be generational health to start off when it says legacy.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

All right, perfect. Uh at the time of this podcast, before you, uh, we had another healthcare person who was in healthcare and it's just really beautiful for just how that I didn't plan that at all.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Yeah, yeah, perfect.

Growing Up Church Music Sports

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Um but very similar to her. It's just, you know, under helping people understanding um that your health is wealth, right? That that it is. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Okay, so before all of this, because we'll get we'll get more into AP Fit and all of that, but before AP Fit, uh before the crowds and the workouts and the affirmations and all of that, who was Austin growing up?

SPEAKER_00 3:32

For sure, for sure. I've heard from a lot of babysitters that I was kind of wild. Like I was kind of a troublemaker. I don't know why you are, like, but it's it's like I heard I was a little bit of a troublemaker. I loved music. Uh grew up in the church, so I played the drums, sang in the praise team, had a real high voice back in the day. Um I loved basketball. So I was an athlete, super competitive. Um, so if I was not on the basketball court, I would be at church, you know, Sunday morning, Wednesday night, Sunday, Sunday night, you know, Tuesdays, rehearsals, all that. So for me, childhood and growing up was a lot about, you know, the competitive nature of me playing sports, but then also um a lot of music in the church, a lot of getting to know people, a lot of um, you know, since my dad was a pastor, I won't say like customer service, but a lot of like talking to people well, building rapport, different things like that. So a lot of training in both of those fields, and I think it really kind of added to some duality that that I do have, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Yeah.

Discipline Compassion And Identity

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Uh it actually is a great leg up for uh the next question I have for you. And I think both of those will play out as we as we continue. But the the next question I have, so you know, as you mentioned, your your father is a pastor. As you mentioned, your father is a pastor, you grew up in faith. Um, and it was like that, you know, not only at church but at home. Yeah. Uh what did the environment teach you about discipline, responsibility, and identity early on?

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Wow, wow. Um, it was all about discipline. My dad was definitely um pretty pretty strict, pretty to the books. Um and I think the growing up in the church environment, it it showed me that my identity was in something higher than me. And that um humility is is definitely important and sacrifice. When we grew up, like my dad would house people in our like guest rooms. Like, so we would have people coming in who were on hard times. They would stay sometimes a couple weeks, sometimes a month or two. Um, he was always taking people in. He would always be giving out money to people who were in need. So um it told me definitely strict discipline, but there was empathy coded in there as well. Um, so yeah, it was a it was definitely a training ground for here are the rules, here's here's the parameters that you have to play in, but also um in that I felt a lot of the love and a lot of the compassion, especially from from from my parents in that area, yeah. So it was it was kind of one of one of the two, like a good blend for sure. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Yeah. Uh how was that? So you you mentioned that a lot of babysitters said you were just kind of like rambunctious. Yeah, yeah. So how was the the discipline like how what was what did that look like? That balance between like you just or was there a balance? Were you always in trouble?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Like, how did that for you? I would say I, you know, being the youngest, I kind of skated around a little bit. I kind of found the rules of the children kill me. Listen, I kind of found the rules of the family and different things. And my parents honestly got a little looser when it was when it was time for me. Um, so I definitely got in trouble, but less and less once I kind of learned how to maneuver and then kind of use those. Like a lot of it was just talking, you know, a lot out of turn. It was very high energy or little pranks, but kind of maturing a little bit and realizing like time and place, you know what I'm saying, different things like that. But the discipline was definitely old school, you know. We we got that belt, you know, unfortunately. Um, you know, for better or for worse. I know it's controversial, but you know, I I came out pretty good. So, you know, for better or for worse, we definitely got that belt. We definitely did for sure.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

So growing up in that type of household, sometimes you feel the pressure to become a certain type of person. Um, did you feel that pressure? And if so, what did you feel as though you had to become when you, you know, just kind of being groomed in that type of environment?

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yeah, that's a great question. Um my like great-great-grandfather's a pastor, great-grandfather's a pastor, dad's a pastor. Wow, uncles are like all pastors. So it was definitely like this is kind of the path. Um, so I never saw that in my future as much. I definitely saw ministry of some sort in my future. But there was a lot of, there was a lot of pressure growing up, you know. Um, even like just being transparent, like having, you know, when I came back from college, you know, going to someone's else's church that wasn't my dad's. That was a huge thing, even though I was like 20 something at the time. You know, like uh not participating in certain denominational ties or different things or being outspoken about why I'm not, you know what I'm saying? So there was a lot of different things in that regard that kind of um felt like pressure. Um my my parents were always great, but there was always kind of a um kind of a a view on us, kind of a spotlight a little bit on us. And um it I would say it still bothers me a little bit to this day, but I think I've graduated to not care like at all that that much because I know that like relationship with God is isn't something that has to do with anybody else who's watching. It's a very personal experience. And uh ministry can also look so much different than the traditional thing. Um, and I really believe when I go out and and have conversations with people, if I lead a seminar for youth or anything like that, I bring God into the room with me. So um, you know, the the Bible says go out into the world and preach the gospel. So I feel like anytime I'm facilitating, I I bring that with me. So that's why I feel like the pressure's gone because it's not like I've given up on the faith. It just doesn't look like that traditional sense for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Yeah, yeah. It uh I think that speaks to a lot of things. Like one, just kind of like that rambuxious part that you said you had. Uh two, just like being the the younger, the younger sibling. I am the oldest. Okay. And I see, you know, how the the the younger of the children tend to just be like, you know, I'm gonna pave my own path. Like I'm not even gonna like that's cool for y'all. Yeah. And also, I don't want to do that. Um but then too, it it also speaks to when it's in you. It doesn't matter what you do. Wow, it's going to come out, right? And it has come out in everything, even just you know, us speaking here for the past few minutes. Like it's it's embedded in you. Wow. And you know, when we when you think about being raised in the church, and a lot of parents are just like, you know, uh teach a child on ways to go, and when they're older, they should they shall not depart. That doesn't mean that they have they're gonna depart if they decide to do anything else. It just means they're not gonna depart from what you taught them.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

Wow, yeah. The teachings are.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

And um, you know, the teachings are they're there. You were groomed in that environment. So they're they're definitely um embedded in in the fabric of who you are.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Yeah, no, that's real.

How Fitness Became The Calling

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Um so fitness is now your ministry.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

But like, how did we get to fitness, right? So, like if you were groomed in the environment, and I'm sure knowingly or unknowingly, your family members were like, A V's gonna be a pastor. Like, you know. Um, but like, how did you know like that was actually going to be your path? How did you know that was something that you were called to?

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yeah, fitness was something I I loved personally for a while. I loved, like when I was young, I would watch Rocky, like all the Rocky movies. And during the training scenes when he was working out, I just felt so compelled as a young man. So I'd be in there. I'd be in there with like we didn't have cable, so I'm watching all the Rockies back to back. I'm in there doing push-ups, rocks, like sit-ups. That's that's all I knew at that point. And uh I loved it then, and then I reached it for sure, just knowing it. Like, I'm like my first little muscle, you just couldn't tell me anything. I'm like, yeah, this is this is working. So I like that was always a thing, and then I loved like I played basketball, I played at the collegiate level. And during the trainings, a lot of people hated it. They just wanted to play. But I felt very, very fired up during those 5 a.m. trainings. It's funny that I I I do the same thing now. I I lead them now. Um, but I always felt very, very fired up in the process and the preparation. So I loved it then. Um when I got a good relationship with the strength and conditioning coach at my university, and then I took an internship there. Um so I was helping.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

Where did you go?

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Uh Ohio Valley University. Okay. Yeah. Fighting Scots. Go Scots, man. Um we're actually not a know nothing about this university.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Yeah. So thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Not many do. I'll put you on Parkersburg, uh, West Virginia. Okay. Division II school out there. Parkersburg, though. Yeah, yeah. It's a Christian school out there, like 20, 30 minutes away from Marietta, Ohio. Yeah, so I went there, got close with the strength and conditioning coach, and we um formed a relationship. I started doing an um internship there. And then from then on, after I graduated college, I went in and I started working at um nationwide insurance as a claims adjuster. It was a cool job out of college.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Um is it?

SPEAKER_00 12:56

It's it was high volume.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Very high volume. So it taught me how to work very, very early. Okay. It was decent, pretty good pay, but people, the turnover was crazy.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

Yeah, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Yeah, yeah. If you could stay on, they they would your job would get a little more cushioned. You know, I think that's a lot of places, but it was, it was, it was high volume. So I was doing personal training on the side. I was training my uh brother-in-law at the time, and he was uh pre-diabetic. He was overweight, and we just started meeting at Planet Fitness. I helped him clean his eating a little bit, and we just started working out. And I was documenting that early on Facebook um that he had a transformation. Then more people started reaching out, like organically. So then I started a uh boot camp at my dad's church.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

And we were uh, you know, it started small. We were just in the, you know, the the chapel side of the church, and then from then on it just kind of grew. You know, I kept working in corporate on the side, but I always kept building um AP fit. So look at that.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

You still made it back to the church, still made it back.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Every everything. We're going back to Calvary. Every question for sure.

Building AP Fit From Scratch

SPEAKER_02 14:03

So, you know, um, I th I I do like that a part of your journey is you mentioning that this was just something on the side. Like this was just something that organically grew and not something that you intentionally cultivated from the start. Yeah, yeah. Um, so and I think there is there is difficulty in both parts of those journeys, right? So like some people who are like, I didn't have a choice but to start this, some people who are like, this was just a part-time thing because I enjoyed it, but I still had to pay the bills. Or some people who just like take the leap of faith and are just starting to business. There's there's I should say all three. There is there's um a certain level of difficulty in all three of those modes. So now, which you just celebrated 10 years, um, a lot of people see the energy you bring now, but what did the early grind look like when nobody like knew who AP was?

SPEAKER_00 14:55

For sure. That's a that's a great question. I would say like coming into the to the church early and setting up all the chairs and buying stuff from um Facebook Marketplace or Five and Below. You know, they had some some little weights and bangs, and they would be breaking off and all that stuff, buying mats, um, you know, just really investing all my money right back into the business. Um, it would look like people canceling a lot, you know, like having sessions and just people not showing, or they didn't want to, you know, keep going. So there was some early momentum within the church, but once kind of that novelty wore off, it was like, all right, who who really wants to be a part of it? So it was it was a lot of guess and check, you know what I mean? But I always knew that this was gonna be something that that could grow and that could really help people. So I would say it was a lot of like creative liberties. You know, I was doing all type of stuff, going different places. You know, we were at a elementary school, Parkmore Elementary. Uh shout out principal Campbell, shout out principal Campbell, um, who let us go in there for free um for two years. And that was huge for my business. Um grew my business there, started getting personal training clients from there. So it looked like a lot of guessing and checking, calling different rec centers, reaching out to people, a lot of early Facebook posts, a lot of marketing. Um, didn't really know what I was doing, just sharing people's testimonies. Um, but it was like very, very organic. Pretty much the same thing I'm doing now, just at a different scale. Yeah.

Doubt Grit And Keeping The Why

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Okay. Um as you were doing this on the side and like people were coming and going and being committed and not being committed. Was there any point where you were where you doubted this whole thing? Were you, you know, was there any point where just like, actually, maybe I'm just supposed to stick to insurance? Like if I'm just not supposed to be doing this, you know, fitness path.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

For sure. Well, I would say it was never insurance. Yeah, I mean, I was in insurance, but it was it was never gonna be. It was never gonna be insurance for sure, just because like I I really felt that the way my brain works, it was great for what I was doing. And I felt if I could scale it and figure out a way to get this momentum going, that we could do it. But doubt, yeah, doubt creeps in all the time. Doubt creep crept in two weeks ago. You know what I mean? But it's just because I think as as a high achiever and an ex-athlete, the the mark for myself is is is high. And sometimes it's hard to celebrate and look around at at what you've done or the impact that you've made. You know, sometimes you can the why can get lost in numbers, money, accolades, different things like that. So I think as long as like I keep that why very, very close to me, um, it definitely keeps me from thinking that, you know, I'm not set out for it. Because there are people who are very dead set, confident that they knew they would be successful. And I would say a part of me is that a part of me always knew that AP Fit would do well. I just didn't know how long it would take. Yeah. And I didn't know if it would be worth it. Because I'm like, after all of this, is it worth it? You know what I'm saying? So I think that's a big question that a lot of entrepreneurs have to answer for themselves because it's gonna take a lot. It's gonna take a lot. So at the end of the day, you gotta see is this sacrifice worth worth taking or not, you know?

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yeah. Um, outside of keeping the why at the forefront of your mouth, what else does that internal dialogue look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Man, prayer, yeah, prayer and and and affirmation, and um just remembering um, and I've been prophesied to a lot about this. A lot of people have um invested a lot in into me, you know, and poured a lot into me. And I always remember the people that I have helped on their journey. Um, so so it's a lot of prayer and it's a lot of um, you know, just asking for guidance when I feel like I'm in a uh a rough patch. Um talking, my my girlfriend's incredible, talking to her for perspective, and and and those who are around me, because a lot of times when you're in it, you can't see it from from like a bird's eye view. You don't really understand what's going on because you're you're in it trying to do everything. So I would say like you know, prayer and then talking to the people around you because a lot of times you you can get so lost in what you're doing and not understand the impact. You know what I'm saying? So I would say those two things.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Um, I think it's beautiful that like when you're on this type of journey, um, especially when you are helping other people, there is that level of I am helping people internally and externally, and also I need help internally and externally. So, you know, to your point, you have the external people around you who are able to encourage you and to help you see beyond yourself and to give you the testimonies and to give you those affirmations. And then internally is yes, you understand the struggle, but you have to keep at the forefront the why. You have to understand that like you have seen the future, you know, of what God wants to have for you. And sure. Allowing that also to be the moral and internal compass that you continue to follow when everything externally just kind of seems to be not going the way that you feel as though they should be going to get you to where you're supposed to be.

Confidence Community And Mental Health

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Yeah, and I and and I hate to interrupt, but I would always like tell myself, like, what would you tell a client who's struggling if they brought this circumstance to you, regardless of what it is, what would you tell them? And I would say, like, always consider that why. And um and a lot of a lot of people, we've gotten so technical and everything like that, and our morning routines and and all this different stuff. A lot of this takes like flat out work. And I think we lost kind of that once we got a little more new age. A lot of things are easy, you know. People are using AI to do everything, chat GPT, and and and it feels like a shortcut. But at the end of the day, your business or your thing is gonna take some grit, it's gonna take some real, real work. Um, and that can't that can't be lost as well.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

Yeah, no, that's perfect for my next question, which is you help people physically. Yeah, but what you do is mental for sure, yeah. So what do you tell people or what can you share with people about the mental side of the fitness part of their journey?

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Yeah, there's something incredible that happens when you stick to uh a program and start your health journey. A couple of things. One is is confidence. Your confidence goes up. Not just because you shrank a couple dress sizes or anything, but confidence because you kept the promises that you made to yourself. There's something really fulfilling about that that you kind of can't get that from anything external or artificial, right? You you can't get that dopamine or or those great feelings from really anything else. Um, so showing up for yourself, um, being consistent, those things change how you view yourself. And it it kind of changes who you are because now, hey, I am somebody who's disciplined. I'm somebody who wakes up early and and takes care of my body and and who's disciplined and consistent in what I eat, what I put in my body. So I think it just changes a lot about who you are by stacking up small wins. And then, like, obviously, the exercise scientists about um science about it, um, you know, when dopamine and is released into your system and you get that happy feeling when you're working out, you leave a workout always feeling way better than you came in. Absolutely. Like, and you and you definitely know about that. So um also building community. Uh, the majority of my groups, about 80% of my groups are are groups and not one-on-one. And I've noticed uh because of retention and accountability, a lot of times in a group or a small group, it's very, very strong. They start um, you know, making friends within that group, holding each other accountable for sure. You guys are texting outside of even me being there. So putting somebody in a great community, you know, changing their um their physical body and their habits, changing the way they eat, that can have a long-term impact on someone for sure.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Yeah, and on that mental health, right? Um you know, I I think that you you mentioned so many good things in that in that answer. And that is, you know, like the mental side of like understanding the why, and then what happens when you keep the why at the forefront of your mind, then you start seeing the physical. Yeah. But also when you stay consistent and seeing the physical, then you also realize all the other external things that are happening, which is the community, which is you know, then allowed you to like be in there because now it's accountability. It is, you know, um, being able to form those relationships. Shoot, uh, because of AP Fit, I have great friends. That's awesome. Um, you know, and and it is it is the transformation that is um all intertwined, right? Like because you see, because you are, you know, showing up physically, then it's the mental, and because you're showing up mentally and emotionally, then it's the social, and because you're showing up socially, then you start seeing more physical results, and right. So it's just all just weaving in and out of each other.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

And it's that, and it's just that push, that push start, and and everything else kind of starts coming together. And and hopefully that happens with people. Yep for sure.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

I tell people all the time the the hardest part of working out is getting out the bed and going to the gym.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Yes, getting there. Like once you're there, 100%.

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Once you're there, it's I mean, you're you've done literally almost all the hard work. Yeah. Like, even if all you do is walk on the treadmill. For sure. Even if all you do is leave, you know, like a quick 30 minutes or whatever the case may be, like literally, and that is the mental part of it.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Showing up.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

It's just showing up.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Showing up. And that's just in life as well. A lot of times we wake up and we like dread something that we have to do, right? And that's just not like because we dread our lives, and and some people do, but that's just natural resistance. Yep. And that natural resistance is always gonna hit a lot of us, especially if you wake up in the morning. But you never regret showing up. When you when you show up and you show out and you have a great workout, great sweat with the friends and music's blasting, you got some pre-workout, or maybe just drinking water, whatever you got going on.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

I wish I was that. Definitely pre-workout, girl.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So whatever you got going on, but it it just there's there's no feeling like it. But if you're able to overcome that obstacle of of showing up, that's that's more than half the battle for sure.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Mm-hmm. No, that's good.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

Yeah, yeah.

Men Pride And Fitness As Escape

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Um, you have the privilege of training a diverse amount of people.

SPEAKER_00 26:15

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Um, I want to ask you this because this is something that I don't hear talked about often. So a lot of men specifically use fitness as an outlet, yes. Like, which is very healthy and great, continue to do that. Yeah. Some men also use fitness as a mask.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

So have you ever confronted um this for yourself?

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:43

And or with other men, and if so, like how do you balance the showing up physically like strong in the gym while also being like, I have to do this to preserve or prove that I am masculine.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

That's very good. I had a talk very similar. There was a um a men's group that was kind of a men's fraternity built from from their church. And they had all these different sessions and they had a uh physical, um, physical session, physical component, and we went out in the snow and we he was like he was like, kill them, you know. So we we we went through a very brutal workout in the snow, and then we came back and well, we had a chat before, you know, and we wrote down a lot of the things that were holding us back on on these big bricks. We put them in our backpack for the workout as well. Um in a and a one of the things that I touched on is and I want to touch on the masculine part later, but there's been times in my life where I had a lot going on that I needed done. I needed um to work on my finances, I needed administrative help because people were reaching out and I wasn't getting back to them. There was so much going on, and I'm and I'm in the gym for the second time today. You know what I'm saying? And I was telling myself, like, I need this for my mental health. I'm a coach, I I got to, I got so much stress. But at some point you can be hiding. You know what I mean? Fitness is always and should always be a priority in your life. There's gonna be times where it's not number one in your life. There's gonna be times where your relationships or or your career or something else has to kind of be 1A, 1B, or even 2 just because you have to keep the main thing the main thing. And for me, working out is fun. I love going to the gym. So it's not a huge thing of resistance. If I if I just keep going in the gym anytime I'm stressed, I'm gonna go for a walk. Anytime something bad happens, oh, I'm gonna go for a run. And instead of like really addressing what's going on, yes, fitness can be used as therapy, but therapy should be used as therapy. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 29:02

Like for the people, I think.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

You know what I'm saying? Like, so talking to somebody and then, you know, solving these unresolved things instead of just kind of like doing what's easy to you. Like, so if you're somebody who who going to the gym is easy for, um and it's just kind of in your routine, working out all day instead of solving those problems isn't gonna help. Um, and for the masculinity, I see a lot of times when men come to our group sessions or they don't come to the group sessions is for a couple reasons. One, when they come, they feel like they have to do, they have to outdo all the women. They feel like I gotta go heavier, I gotta run faster. They have no idea that there's women like you who are in these classes who are very strong, who have been doing this for years, who can run all day and not get tired. And this is your first class since high school football. You know what I'm saying? So there's a pride issue that we wrestle with as men like I should be so strong, like, and now I'm in this class fighting for my life. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 30:00

And because the AP class is not easy. Let's just run, but it's it's difficult.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

We're definitely gonna work. So I think the pride into one, taking leadership from someone else, if that's not your area of expertise. A lot of men don't love having trainers because sometimes it's hard to go under somebody else's leadership. And two, just the pride. Pride can keep you from the doctor, pride can keep you from going to a workout class, pride can keep you from asking for help. And I see with a lot of men, we struggle with that just that pride. Like I know it all, I've got it all. Um, so just kind of letting go, asking for help, especially if you really, really are in need of some real healthcare things, like and and getting checked up and not skipping appointments. Like we're working with African American wellness to try to even more reinforce a lot of what they're doing in terms of get, you know, checked in, not checked out, or get checked out, not checked in, whatever it is. Something like that. There's something, you know, preventative health care. So I'd say like with men checked in. Yeah, yeah, with men, it's just like swallowing that pride because pride can get you sick, you know, like quite literally. Um, and and being humble enough to know that you might have to start from here, but you'll definitely build it up with consistency, just like everybody else, really.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

No, that's good. Um, you know, I I I appreciate that from the male perspective because it's it's so much easier, one, because I'm a female, and also it is we hear more often women sharing their struggle with fitness, but not so much men's struggle, you know what I'm saying? Like because of the cultural persona that they have to start at a certain place. And if they are if I see all the time these videos where men are struggling in a Pilates class with five-pound weights. Yeah, because it's more, it's more than just strength. It is mental. It is being able to stick to it under um, you know, increased time. It's you know, all the endurance, yep, it's an endurance piece of it all. Uh, and I think, you know, sometimes that again, that's not talked about enough, just about the the men's perspective um on what that looks like in the gym. And like you said, like not only wearing the mask in the gym, like I'm I have it all together, I know all the things, but also using it as a as a way to escape for sure. So what is that for them in their life? So thank you for bringing that part.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

Yeah, and also the realization that strength isn't just something that you can overpower, and it's not just physical. Yep. Like a lot of times, like I'm strong, okay, that's fine. Are you conditioned? Do you have endurance? And that's just with life. You can't just manhandle and bulldoze everything in your life. Some things in life are gonna take endurance. You just gotta be strong enough to stick it out. So there's there's so many lessons in it, but yeah, it's it's it's real. The the pride is real, and I've seen it. You know, I've seen it myself as well, but I do think like reaching out to community or somebody who's an expert can definitely lock you back in.

Community Health Work With Purpose

SPEAKER_02 33:03

No, that's good. Um, so AV fit is high energy.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

You have been on some large stages in front of hundreds of people. Um people like come back because of the attractiveness and um the I will say even the intensity of the workout, right? Like it is, it is intense and also it is is very fun because of the energy that is just surrounding it.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

Um but who is Austin when the room is quiet?

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Yeah. Who's Austin when the room's quiet? That's a great question. I'm um I'm pretty introspective. I have two kind of I'm either like really up or I'm like listening to like jazz, drinking tea on the on the porch and just very, very chill and introspective. Like I am, I think since my college days and athletic days, I have um chilled out substantially. Okay. But I feel like it's because you know, 5 a.m., 6 a.m. 7 a.m. eight a.m. we're bringing that energy so much um that I'm a lot more calm and collective. You're not gonna see me yell much. I don't lose my cool that much just because it's it's all in here, for better or for worse. Very introspective. Um, I love music. I'm very, very chill, you know what I'm saying? So I do think um the energy is there, but for the most part, I'm I'm listening to something, something real smooth and nice little tea, and I'm trying to. And recharging. Got to. And I and I've learned that as well. I used to be a very, very busybody um trying to s slow things down. And um, you know, ironically, when I started forcing things less, more more came. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 34:51

And I think that's just being things with within your own strength.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Yeah, and stop looking and be such like an opportunist and trying to make everything just just fit. But I think with that slowness came like, all right, we're gonna be more intentional about everything, you know. And I think that comes with age and maturity, but yeah, that's that's what I'd be on.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Yeah, that's good, yeah. It's so it's so necessary to replenish yourself because you are so heavily in community. That's a lot to take on.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

A lot of stories, a lot of yeah, a lot of questions. It's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Yeah, and you know, also just exuding your own energy. Um, so thinking about just the community lens, you've worked with organizations like Franklin County Public Health and the Columbus Urban League. Why has community impact always been a part of your work and not just like a tool for business growth?

SPEAKER_00 35:39

For sure. I realize that, and that's a great question. I love how you worded that. I realize that there's a lot of resources that certain people have and certain people don't. There's a lot of information that certain people have, certain people don't. When you look in urban communities, there's not the fresh times and the pliables and the whole foods. You know, you're gonna see um some corner stores, liquor store, and either churches or Popeyes or any of those. Um, so a lot of times, uh, you know, my people were we're placed at a disadvantage a lot. And growing up, we didn't have everything. We didn't have unlimited resources. We had to do with the best we could. So gaining more information about, you know, these disparities in health, it just drew me back to my community and realizing that there are some great orgs that are able to offer, you know, free or reduced healthcare, whether it's information, workouts, uh, training, uh, nutritious food, different things like that. So being able to partner with them kind of extends our branches and our leaves. Because when I first got into it, I want to train everybody for free. I want to help the world, you know, and then and then you're broke because that's not business. You know what I'm saying? So it allows me to still be philanthropic within my role, but still be compensated in in that way as well. But partner with organizations that have the money and the resources and who have boots on the ground. So it's been awesome to be able to do that, and it's something that I'm I'm really passionate about.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Yeah, so you're still good. I mean, still that both uh the best of both worlds. 1000%. And also being able to support yourself.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

Yeah, because it will it will really run you dry, like doing things free. And I was always that person, discount and free. And there's there's still so much that I would do for free and for a discount, but you know, if you're trying to keep your business afloat, there's gotta be certain certain uh barriers, you know, and certain things, boundaries that that you have to set um just so it can keep happening. You know, you gotta bills to pay, resources to get for the business. So yeah, it all it all works together though.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

Yeah, I um like speaking to other entrepreneurs, they always, especially ones that have a heart for the community, um, they always say, like, I charge the big organizations the big money. Yeah, yeah. So then that way I can come back and help and do things for free or at a discount that fills my soul, right? Like I'm a tax who got the money. Who got it? And that's gonna help me support the work that I actually, you know, that I want to do, and not that the work that they're doing for the larger organizations is minimized or watered down, or you know, that they're not passionate about. But you know, we we have to get creative about the ways that we can actually do the meaningful work that we want to do. Um, and sometimes that looks like being business savvy and and making sure that you are asking for your price. For sure. And ask for your price.

Vision For An Inclusive AP Fit Gym

SPEAKER_00 38:38

That's a real thing. That's a real thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Um, so you do a lot, and so what you do now is a lot of community-centered. You go out in the communities and you know, you rent out certain gyms. Does AP have a desire to have his own gym?

SPEAKER_00 38:52

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

Paint that picture for us.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

Absolutely, yeah. I'll paint the full picture.

SPEAKER_02 38:57

Okay, we're ready.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

So what we have is uh, you know, something that uh can offer classes as a studio, but also has enough space, um you know, for weights for uh traditional uh strength and resistance training as well. Um in a place that I want a place that um is aesthetically driven as well because I want you know the the trainers and even the clients, but uh the trainers to be able to walk away with you know high definition film of them coaching their class. I think that'd be a great um asset for trainers. A lot of people are always looking for content and different things like that. Um I want there to be uh a a cafe as well, uh Chef D who who's my girlfriend who's who's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 39:45

Yeah, we gotta get her on a show.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

1000%. She's incredible. Um I want her to operate out of that. And uh and yeah, so um it's always been a passion of mine. I think I was zealous when I first got into the game and wanted it immediately, but you know, from training camp, from the one, from even some um assistant general manager positions at uh box gyms, uh like Kid Strong, seeing the behind the scenes of what is it, what does client client acquisition look like? What does running specials, free trials, um gym maintenance, um whatever things cost, all different things like that. Um it's a it's a real process, but I but I definitely think it's something that we can do. I think God's given me the the idea, and uh he's also you know recently put some great people in my life who who would be willing to help fund that vision as well. So um I really am we're in 2026, I really am looking to um get those developments going in near the fall. Okay um we've been to different gyms, you know. I've I've operated as a personal trainer uh for for a while. So I do think uh a lot of the skill set and the the knowledge that I've had over time can you know help me become a a good leader in a in a manager role as well as a trainer. So that's what it looks like. And then just an inclusive space. I think that's one thing that I've always tried to do when people walk into the gym, want them to feel included and feel safe. Um I trained some people who haven't been in the gym before or or it's been a long time. So an inclusive, safe uh space, very high energy. Yeah, we're gonna have DJs in there very often. Music always gonna be blasting. Um yeah. So that's the vibe.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

Thank you. And it will happen.

SPEAKER_00 41:38

1000% will happen. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

Um and I think that's you know, sometimes you you said something that I want to highlight as well, which is when we start doing something that we're passionate about, we want to head straight to the mountaintop. For sure, right? For sure. We want to be the CEO, we want to be the one making all the money, we want to have our own building, we want to have our own, we want to like we we start, we want to go from part-time to the absolute top, right?

SPEAKER_00 42:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:08

But you said like because that was not your path, you learned so much. Because unfortunately, if we were given everything that we wanted with at the start, yeah, you're not up here for too long, bro. And that's real, or it would be an immense burden and struggle and not going to be the blessing that you really want it to be.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:33

Because you didn't learn what you were supposed to do. You didn't go through the heartbreak. You didn't know, you know, you didn't learn about client acquisition. You didn't know the ins and outs of actually running a gym outside of just training. You know, like we we always want, you know, especially everyone. I mean, because it already takes a special type of person who wants to be an entrepreneur, period. Right. So, like once you are actually in the thick of being an entrepreneur, you learn real quick. Yeah, I don't know a lot. Very quick. Like, I don't know as much as I thought I did. You know, like I have this one specific skill set, and I thought that this was going to be the one thing that everything else was going to be able to um, you know, sprout off of when it's like, no, as a trainer, that is a minuscule part of running a gym. Yes. That is very, very small, very different. And even if you still get to train, there's still so many other parts of running the gym that you have to attend to. For sure. Right. So, you know, I I think you know, uh this has been mentioned on this podcast before, but trust the journey. Trust that every failure, every no, every lost client, every, you know, time that you have to sit down because you're injured, every single part of it, every lost job, every you know, like closed gym that wasn't your fault, you know, all the things it all plays in together. Um For you even to sit here and confidently say, I'm ready.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

You know, like I really feel like I'm ready.

SPEAKER_00 44:06

It's a blessing. And I needed to hear that. Hopefully we can clip that. I needed, I needed to hear that. I gotta play that in the morning. But that's real. That's real. I think you have to build that foundation and become that person. Yep. I knew what kind of person I was. I was a great subject matter expert, great speaker, great trainer. Beyond that, there was so much that that had to happen within me that needed to change before I take on this financial responsibility. And that won't just affect me, that'll affect others.

SPEAKER_01 44:37

Right.

SPEAKER_00 44:38

You know, and I think I'm I'm confident and I'm ready for that now though.

SPEAKER_02 44:41

Good.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

The Legacy Beyond The Gym

SPEAKER_02 44:42

So the last question I have before we head into our quick play rapid fire question uh section, and that is years from now, when people experience AP Fit, have experienced AP Fit, talk about AP Fit, what do you want them to say it did for them for their life, for beyond fitness? What is what is the legacy that AP Fit is leaving behind or that you want it to leave behind?

SPEAKER_00 45:12

For sure. I want people to find the confidence to achieve different dreams and different goals beyond what they thought that they could, even outside of the gym. So I want the confidence that you've built inside the gym to carry over in your life and um and for also like once you get this kind of gym bug, once you get it, like to spread, to spread the gospel, you know what I'm saying? To spread the good news because um there's so many people whose life can change by going on a health journey and they just need somebody to help push them. I'm not everybody's trainer, there's a million other people that can help you. There's you know, there's somebody who can be a workout partner, whatever it is, but if you encounter one of my sessions or just encounter me, I want you to build so much confidence that you feel like you can do anything and even outside of the gym. So just building that confidence, get in the best shape of your life and and have fun while doing it.

Rapid Fire And Practical Challenges

SPEAKER_02 46:13

Yeah, because once you once you catch the fitness bug or even see success mentally, physically, what at what have you, it does transcend into other parts of your life. It's a domino effect. It is for sure, for sure. It definitely does. Uh okay. Well, we are heading into the quick play segment. Okay. This is the part of the podcast where it is just one question and you answer with the first thing that comes to your mind. Like no long explanation. You don't even have to think too long. Honestly, the first thing that comes to your mind.

SPEAKER_00 46:46

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 46:47

Um, all right, we'll start easy. Pre-workout or natural energy?

SPEAKER_00 46:52

We gotta go natural energy.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:55

I might we gotta go natural energy, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:58

All right, um, your favor your favorite workout you love and the one you hate.

SPEAKER_00 47:06

Um I love lunges. Um I hate hip thrust.

SPEAKER_02 47:16

Okay, I was having some side up. So AP is one of two of my trainers. Yeah. And my other trainer, we were doing hip thrusts, and she was like, all right, we're gonna do hip thrusts, right? Yeah. And we were like, okay, hip thrust, with you know, um, with the ability, in our mind, we were doing um thrust with like squatting and then like press.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_02 47:40

Then she's like, no, hip thrusts are half burpees. And we were like, I'm sorry. That is not when you told us 50, we thought we were doing squat with like presses. She's like, oh no. Then she showed us oh, that's funny. So I also now hate them because we had to do a hundred of them yesterday at the time of this call.

SPEAKER_00 48:00

Tough, tough podcast.

SPEAKER_02 48:01

Okay, sorry, digression. Um, but I had to say that because it's one of those things when you're training, like your clients probably think something different than what you said.

SPEAKER_00 48:09

And there's different names, like there's thrusters, and that's what you guys were thinking. I think that's cloud pressure.

SPEAKER_02 48:14

Okay. Um, early morning workouts or late night sessions.

SPEAKER_00 48:19

I gotta go early.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:20

There's less distractions and less things that can, you know, take you away from it. So I'm gonna go early. No explaining. Yes. Oh, sorry. You're right.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

No, you did good though, though. That's good. Um, all right. So, what's one thing people need to stop doing in the gym immediately?

SPEAKER_00 48:35

Waist trainers.

SPEAKER_02 48:37

Really? Okay, I'll ask that later. Dang. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:39

Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 48:40

Um one song that always gets you hype.

SPEAKER_00 48:47

Anything Kanye West?

SPEAKER_02 48:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:50

Bad time to say.

SPEAKER_02 48:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

But we're gonna pray for our brother. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:55

Um, and then one habit every man should build.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

Man, take creatine. Along with obviously your health journey, but creatine. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:08

All right, all right. Uh, okay, so every guest who comes onto the show must leave our listeners with one challenge that they can actively put into practice the minute they start or um stop listening to this episode. So, what is one challenge you have for our listeners and watchers?

SPEAKER_00 49:28

I would say daily walks. Um the populations with the best health metrics are in places where people walk the most. Not the people that do the most hit classes or not the people that you know work like do CrossFit the most, but the people who literally walk the most. So daily walking is incredible for um fat loss. It's incredible for your mental health as well. And that's kind of why I say it. So it's time alone by yourself. Um, you can throw on some music, a podcast, or just listen to nature, you know what I'm saying, and just vibe out. But it's just kind of designated time for you that's very low impact. It's helping your mental health, your physical health. It's 100% free and it doesn't take much effort. So I'd say like 30 minutes if you have it to walk, especially now that it's nice every single day. And and it can really, really change. Changed a lot about my mental health. For a while, I was in a rough spot, and those walks did a lot for me. It was something I look forward to. So I would say daily walks, and then do something hard, like once a week. Even if it's like something you don't normally do, physically do something hard once a week.

unknown 50:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

And I'll let that dissertation slide since that was the last question. No, it's okay. I can't help myself. I know most of most guests can't, uh, especially if it's in you. All right, so um, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 51:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 51:01

Tell the people where they can find you.

SPEAKER_00 51:02

Yeah, on all social media platforms underscore APFIT. Um, and you can email gitapfitness at gmail for uh any events, speaking, or or just training in general. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 51:15

Um thank you, AP.

SPEAKER_00 51:17

Thank you, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

You know, I I I really think that the listeners have a lot to chew on after this episode. Um, because we we just navigated all different aspects, right? From fitness to mental health to entrepreneurship, uh entrepreneurship, right? So um thank you. This was really robust. Absolutely. And you know we cannot, cannot close this episode out without doing the affirmation.

Affirmation And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 51:44

Oh, I love it. Can we lead? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:46

You go ahead and do it, and I will.

SPEAKER_00 51:48

You're gonna repeat after? All right, you guys repeat after me. Yes. Wherever you guys are from, all right? So we first start, we say I'm a winner.

SPEAKER_02 51:54

I'm a winner.

SPEAKER_00 51:55

Not a loser.

SPEAKER_02 51:56

Not a loser.

SPEAKER_00 51:56

I'm the head.

SPEAKER_02 51:57

I'm the head.

SPEAKER_00 51:58

Not the tail.

SPEAKER_02 51:59

Not the tail.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

I'm a lender.

SPEAKER_02 52:01

I'm a lender.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

Not a borrower. Not a borrower. Say my family.

SPEAKER_02 52:05

My family is blessed. Is blessed. Say my friends. My friends. They are blessed. They are blessed.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

Say my money is blessed. Is blessed. Say no dream. No dream. It's too big. It's too big. Say no goal. No goal. It's unachievable. Unachievable. Go ahead, point to yourself and say, I can do anything. Put to somebody and say, you can. You can do anything. Do anything. We say we can do anything. Do anything. We got it, just like that. All right. I love it. Thank you, sir. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 52:37

This is great. Thank you. Appreciate it. Absolutely. What an amazing conversation we just had with Coach AP. And I hope that you feel incredibly inspired by that affirmation. Throughout this conversation, Coach AP reminded us that fitness isn't just about how you look, it's about how you live. It's discipline, it's consistency, it's showing up even when you don't feel it. And when you pair that with purpose, you're not just building strength, you're building legacy. To everyone listening and watching, take care of your body, protect your mind, and stay committed to the version of yourself you're becoming. Thanks again for tuning in to another episode of the Next Up Ballers Podcast, where our guests are built on wisdom, driven by action, and leaving a legacy behind them. You can listen to us wherever you listen to your podcast, and you can also watch us on YouTube. Remember to like, share, and subscribe. We'll see you next time on the next episode. But until then, go ball out.