Meet the Coach: Ryan Bolling

Ever wonder what sparks a life-altering transformation in health and fitness? Meet Coach Ryan from Fit Body's West location, whose journey from alarming blood pressure readings to head coach at a leading fitness center is nothing short of inspiring. Discover how his personal experiences shape his approach to coaching, programming, and client interaction.

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Transcript

Fit Body Coach Transformation Journey

Speaker 1 0:00

What is going on? My friends, welcome to the next episode of the Fit and Healthy Sioux Falls show. We are meeting another coach today and it is going to be a fun ride as we talk through his transformation, we talk through his why and really dive into what makes him such an amazing coach. And he also just drops so many amazing nuggets that you can take away, implement into your life and get better results. Help me welcome to the show today, coach Ryan. Let's dive in to today's episode. Well, what is up, ryan? How you doing, bro? I'm doing pretty good. How you doing CJ? Oh, dude, I'm great Just having a blast already with the Meet the Coach series, because there's so much more to all of us than what our clients see for that 30 minutes that they're in our sessions. I kind of want to kick it off with what do you do?

Speaker 2 1:21

at Fit Body Sure. I'm over at the West location. I'm the head coach over there. So lots of working with results, the programming, getting the workouts ready to go, interacting with the clients and then coaching them out on the floor Definitely part of them, my favorite.

Speaker 1 1:38

I love it. I love it. We've got plenty of time to dive into lots, but you and I were just kind of chatting before we started recording and there's something that we feel like most people know, but it just so happened that we continually find more and more clients don't know this.

Speaker 2 1:58

What is that thing? Coach Vicky over at Central is my sister.

Speaker 1 2:03

Yeah, and obviously that's your sister, so you know that I've always known that, because I actually knew you before you worked at Fit Body, yep, and so it's one of those things where what that does which is super wild, but what that does to me is it just really reminds me that we all live in our own world Really though.

Speaker 1 2:23

Yeah, and so it's like there are certain facts that we all know that other people have no clue about and, as it pertains to a coaching aspect, there's so much knowledge that you have as a coach that maybe the clients don't even know that you know, but they won't know that you know unless they ask yeah, so, as it pertains, you said that one of the things that you do is helping clients with results. Um, what is it that you really enjoy kind of the most as it pertains to like working and with a client?

Speaker 1 3:01

So not like not like overall as a coach, um, but like with an individual client. And what is the thing that kind of uh piques your interest the most when you're really being able to coach a specific client.

Speaker 2 3:14

Yeah, honestly, um it. It kind of ties into like my overall mission just in life. Uh, but really seeing people progress, like getting better whether it's a specific exercise, whether it's gaining consistency with their nutrition, whatever it is like seeing them like really level up, so to speak. Yeah, I really enjoy that. That's part of it, like empowering people, seeing them get stronger, get better and really like believe in themselves and then helping them along that journey. That's like literally getting goosebumps thinking about it.

Speaker 1 3:46

So, yes, and that's how that, honestly, like as the owner of the gym, uh, when, when we're looking for amazing coaches, like when I and I can see your goosebumps, and so when I can find a coach that gets that excited about helping others, I'm like let's go, because that's what it's about, right, it's helping others. So'm like, let's go, because that's what it's about right Is helping others. So for you, it's meeting someone today and then three, six months down the road, they're like a different person, yeah, in a better way, absolutely.

Speaker 2 4:20

Not that they're not good where they're at now.

Speaker 1 4:22

Yeah, but they want to improve and because they met you and because you're able to work with them, they're able to improve.

Speaker 2 4:28

Yeah, absolutely Meet them where they're at Cause I was there too, Like I was at that place where I was just like gosh. I wish I had some help. Somebody help me, please.

Health and Fitness Transformation Journey

Speaker 1 4:39

But yeah, meeting them where they're at and then helping them progress. Dude, let's dive into that a little bit if you're willing. You said you were there too, so let's start the clock. Rewind the clock back to like when did health and fitness kind of enter your life?

Speaker 2 4:54

Sure, it was probably about 2016. As I think back to it, like that was really about the time that I really had to start taking my health and fitness a lot more serious. Um, my wife is a nurse, uh, lynn, uh, she usually goes to the central location over here, um, and uh, she was doing her LPN at, um, southeast tech. Okay, she would always practice like blood pressure and things like that, and she would always ask me Ryan, can I practice doing the blood pressure on you? Um, and when she was doing that, she noticed how elevated my blood pressure was and like, between that, um, my life choices that were very poor, that I was making at that time, uh, that combination, I had to do something. Um, so, 2016, roughly.

Speaker 1 5:39

How old are you at that time? Oh, 2016.

Speaker 2 5:42

So probably like 32 ish yeah.

Speaker 1 5:46

Okay, okay, um, yeah, so you and so for you, uh, at 2016, 32 ish, uh, a little overweight, a little out of shape and and starting to realize it, yeah, and obviously the blood pressure and the stuff that Lynn was practicing on you was like an indicator. Yeah, but other than that, like could you feel it?

Speaker 2 6:12

Thinking back. No, no, no, I had like really bad nutrition habits. I didn't care about like fitness or working out at all. Um, I didn't care about like fitness or working out at all. Um, I really like didn't even know like how far I was sliding down that hill. Like just kept going and going and going.

Speaker 1 6:32

And yeah, you don't want to think about it, when I met your sister, uh, I met her in 2015. Uh, that's when I opened fit body, um, and and she was, um, definitely a little out of shape, a little overweight herself, and so I mean, cause you guys hang out yeah and right yeah, and you did then as well, right yeah, so you kind of like live a similar lifestyle to those you hang around with. And so she started kind of her fitness journey, did, and she started hers in like 2015. Yeah, yeah, did. Did you notice hers in like 2015. Yeah, did. Did you notice her starting hers at all and did that make you feel any different?

Speaker 2 7:10

Sure, Um, you know, as me and Vicki grew up, um, we, we developed a stronger relationship, um, and then, as we had kids, we kind of like drifted apart. Even in that, around that 2015, 2016 area, um sure, we weren't communicating as much as we should have, so I didn't see a lot of the progress that she made.

Speaker 1 7:30

It wasn't like front of mind to me, because, I think it was like 20, and I'm probably off on the time here, but I think it was like 2017 is like when I originally met. You met you, and the crazy thing is is, when I met you, you know, whenever you meet someone, you kind of always have just like that first impression of a person. And when I met you, like I'm just like, oh, this is Vicky's brother, like he's a cool dude, like never once did it cross my mind that, like he might be a head coach at a facility. And, to be honest to be honest, though, it was nothing against you at the time I didn't even have a clue where I was going with my business. I don't even know that we would maybe need a head coach. Like what was this?

Speaker 2 8:12

Right.

Speaker 1 8:13

But I can remember like I didn't ever have a thought that like you would ever have interest in maybe being a coach, um, but we got introduced because Vicky wanted to run a Tough Mudder, which then kind of spread through the gym a little bit and we started like having more people that wanted to run it. But you ran that first one with us right Yep and.

Speaker 1 8:35

I think it was like 2017, somewhere around there. Um, so at that point, you're like a year into your fitness journey, and so when you realized in 2016, like hey, I need to do something, yeah, what was it that?

Speaker 2 8:49

you did. Honestly, it was just the workouts at first. Okay, just eating, or not necessarily eating better, but just getting more activity. Okay, at that time I worked in a warehouse, so I was getting some activity like throughout the day and stuff, but not really working on strength training or focusing on my cardio or anything like that.

Speaker 1 9:10

What did you start doing for workouts? Because you didn't come to Fit Body.

Speaker 2 9:14

I did not.

Speaker 1 9:14

Did you do workouts on your own, at home or in a gym? What?

Speaker 2 9:16

did you do? Actually, I just did workouts at home, searched stuff on YouTube and just found videos Slowly. I would a set of dumbbells, uh, I have a pretty decent setup at my home now, um, but that's really what started it for me just working out uh, uh at home?

Speaker 1 9:34

Yep, okay, and so, uh, at that point, was Lynn into fitness at all? Sure, was she working out.

Speaker 2 9:39

Um, not so much. Uh, at that time she eventually found her way into fit body. Yeah, um, and her and vicky tried to get me in here so many times she was like also to a client. Yeah, before you ever entered the arena oh way, right, like yeah, way before yeah absolutely but not at the murph time or not, at the um the mutter tough mutter.

Speaker 1 10:01

yeah right, yeah, okay at that Okay.

Speaker 2 10:03

At that time it was, um, I mean, it was kind of on and off, nothing really consistent as far as like working out or like nutrition or anything like that. Um, I, that period for me was kind of rocky. Um, I didn't have my why dialed in. I didn't know why I was doing it, other than just trying to get my health a little bit better and get my blood pressure under control and get off some of these medications. Were you on medication? Yeah, I was on blood pressure medication.

Speaker 1 10:26

You were yeah, I didn't know that. Yeah, okay, in 2016?.

Speaker 2 10:30

Yeah, about that time I went to go see my doctor and he was like, yeah, you need to be, you need this. How long were you on that? Oof, roughly.

Speaker 1 10:39

A couple years. Oh yeah, Okay, yeah. And so then and then that, and the coolest thing, I love that because we call them NSVs, right? Maybe someone that doesn't know what an NSV is tell them what an NSV is.

Speaker 2 10:50

Non-scale victory yeah, something that's a big victory for you. That doesn't necessarily show up on the scale when you step on. That scale just shows you your weight. It doesn't show you that you're able to progress your exercises. It doesn't show you that you're now not taking six medications.

Speaker 1 11:05

you know like things like that don't show up on the scale. I love that because in the culture that we live in, I feel like the scale is almost become like this idolized indicator of of what it, of what fitness success is determined by.

Speaker 2 11:25

It's that scale yeah.

Speaker 1 11:27

But I feel that man I've weighed more than I weigh now. I've weighed less than I weigh now. When I weighed more than I weigh now, I've been healthier than I probably am now.

Speaker 1 11:37

And when I've weighed less than I am now. I've probably been unhealthier than I am now, absolutely. And so when we work with clients and they get their blood work done or they, they go into their doctor and and they get off of a medication, like to me, that's life changing A hundred percent. Yeah, you know, yep. Um. So for you, like, do you remember getting off that pill? Yes, and what was that feeling? And also too how did you find out you could be off the bill? Doctor said yeah.

Speaker 2 12:01

Um, you know, I would just go in, uh, for my physicals and check in with my doctor. Um, and he was like ryan, like he was shocked, like he was super surprised and like happy to see, like holy crap he actually, because he also suggested you know, make some lifestyle changes, you know, be a bit more active, um, try to watch what you eat. Um, things like that. And and I got consistent with that and he noticed and and he was like holy crap.

Speaker 1 12:24

Usually I tell people to do that and they don't do it.

Speaker 2 12:26

They just take the pills and continue on.

Speaker 1 12:29

Because that's the hard path.

Speaker 2 12:33

Oh yeah, it's like doing the work.

Speaker 1 12:34

Doing the work is hard, but when you do it and this is one thing I kind of found out to be true Is that in life we're going to go through hard situations. We just are. And when we can choose to do hard things, then when life throws us hard situations, we can get through them better, because we've already been doing hard by choice.

Speaker 2 12:58

Yeah, absolutely, that is so true. Where have you seen that show up in your life? In my life, I mean even recently. Something as simple as when we went just to Michigan for elite training. Yeah, got very little sleep going through that time, but it was great, you know. And then, coming back, I had one night where I had to close down the gym and then come right back in the morning, yeah, and I was like, was like that's nothing.

Speaker 2 13:26

If I can get through the stuff we did at Elite Training on that much sleep, this is nothing. So I 100% agree with you. I love leaning into the challenges in life and taking them on. That way, when life throws you those unexpected ones, it's easier to navigate those?

Speaker 1 13:41

Yeah, you're ready to get through it. You're battle ready? Yeah, 100%, I love it. It's easier to navigate those. Yeah, you're ready to get battle ready? Yeah, cool. So 2016, you start your health and fitness kind of journey. Uh, you, you get off medication, um, which is some non-scale victory, um, but I know that you've also had some scale victories as well. Um walk us through that a little bit.

Speaker 2 14:00

Oh, uh, yeah, Scale victories. Um gosh, I was at like two5, almost 260. Wow, what are you at now? Like 225 is usually around what I hover at, yeah.

Self-Image, Healthy Eating, Parenting Impact

Speaker 1 14:10

So 40, almost 50 pounds now since 2016. Oh yeah, and you've kept it off oh yeah, I've been pretty consistent with my weight for a while now. Yeah, you know I want to dive into something and it's just because I've had some conversations with this, with you about this, before. But I feel that self-image is something that so many people, and myself included, struggle with, and not to say that you never have or don't struggle with it.

Speaker 1 14:41

but I know from talking with you that you've been able to develop more of a resilience of just accepting what you see in the mirror and loving yourself for who you are and I think that's like.

Speaker 1 14:56

I think that's a powerful gift that you have, especially coming from someone like me, where if someone would see me today, they usually would would see me with confidence. They would see me probably walking with my chest high, proud of who I am. Sure, and that's how I come off. But on the inside I still, to this day, really struggle when I look in the mirror with what I see. Uh, because that old image of myself, the self-doubt, the self-belief, all those insecurities are like burned into my mind and I know a lot of people watching or listening they struggle with that as well. But I know that you have that superpower where you can look in the mirror and you love what you see, because not every day right, some days maybe not, but you're able to accept what you see and not let it like weigh on you. Sure, maybe you don't have a specific answer, but how did you get there? Did your self image ever like look in the mirror and defeat you?

Speaker 2 15:56

Oh gosh, it still does to this day. It still does. I do my best to like, really eliminate any negative self-talk, that voice in your head or in my head, uh, that says anything negative about myself. Oh, you're not strong enough, you don't look like a trainer, or you don't look like a coach, or you're not, uh, this or you're not. That I try to eliminate that right away. I try to recognize it and correct it. I'll even say things out loud to myself. A lot, a lot of the folks that know when they coach with me, they're like is Ryan talking to himself again? Yeah, he is. Because I say that stuff out loud to myself and I do, I still struggle with it now.

Speaker 1 16:37

But I know for you, like I've been talking, and that's amazing, that is such good advice. So for anybody watching, listening, positive self-talk, 100%, replacing the negative with that positive but, then going one step further, saying it out loud, because now not only do you think it, but you actually speak it, and then you actually audibly hear it. Because we hear things like in our mind, but we don't audibly hear them, we just think them. So when you can actually speak it and audibly hear it, you believe it more.

Speaker 2 17:10

Yeah, I'm really trying to reprogram my brain to tap into the conscious and the subconscious and really, ryan, appreciate yourself, love yourself. All that negative stuff it's going to continue on, but you got to recognize it and like, eliminate it right away.

Speaker 1 17:25

Yeah, and I think the one thing that I think uh kind of stuck out to me when we were talking about this is maybe not so much that you don't struggle with it, um, but that you, for a trainer, a stereotypical worldview is that a trainer has jacked six pack and big old biceps and big old chest and big old muscles. Yeah, like for a guy. Yeah, but but for you, like you don't even really desire that.

Speaker 2 17:54

That's never really been my focus, honestly, as far as like the physical, um, like appearance, it's never been a big goal of mine. Honestly, like physically, I just want to look fit.

Speaker 1 18:07

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 18:08

Yeah.

Speaker 1 18:09

And speaking of that, like look fit, that's a pretty wide like. What does fit look like? Yeah, right, yeah. The world has a definition, but again, you can take two people that maybe one looks let's just use the word skinny, yeah, and one let's just use the word looks thick. The thick person could be healthier, Absolutely, than the skinny person, and vice versa, because there's so much more that goes into health than just what you see yeah, right, yeah, yeah. So you know. And then, and to that same effect, you can see the guys that have the big old muscles and you're going to outrun them, right, you know. So what does fit, what does healthy look like? And you're exactly right. So you want to look healthy, and where you are at today is 100% a more healthy and fit look than where you were at 2016.

Speaker 2 19:05

Oh yeah, 100%. I look at some of like my old pictures yeah, my old driver's license. I look at them. I got to love them. But at the same time I'm like, oh Ryan, your face looks awfully round man, what were you doing? But you know, I think a lot of it and you've said this too is like think about like how far you've come.

Speaker 1 19:27

Yep, like on that journey, yeah, yeah, not maybe where it is that you want to go, but how far you have came. And it's like holy smokes, ryan, if you could lose 45, almost 50 pounds since 2016 and keep it off and you were not a health and fitness coach then oh no, but now you are Like, look at how far you've came, look at how far you can still go. Just keep on focusing on where you're at now, absolutely, and being thankful that you've progressed. Cool, so you are married. Yes, You've got two kids. Yes, one just graduated. Yes, you've got two kids. Yes, one just graduated. Yes, oh man, first one. Yes, okay, how was that?

Speaker 2 20:10

Um, it's a different part of life. It's challenging, to be honest with you. I think back to when I was at this point in my life, when I was just finishing high school. My dad had passed away at that point, so I didn't really have any father figure guidance at that time, and then, leading into my adult life, I didn't have that. So trying to navigate that with my son now is kind of a challenge for me.

Speaker 1 20:40

You're entering the unknown Exactly.

Speaker 2 20:44

And it is a little scary, you keep going anyway, you have no choice. You wing it and you learn, and you make those course corrections as you see that they're needed, and you just keep going and you do the best that you can guiding them.

Speaker 1 20:58

Can you see, and maybe not, but can you see, obviously, 2016, you were a parent and you were living unhealthy. Now you are a parent and you are living healthy. Have you been able to see that impact the kids in any?

Speaker 2 21:18

way. Oh, a hundred percent, yeah, um, just in the things that we eat, uh, in our meals. It was funny because Lynn and I were talking about this just a few weeks ago about how, um, probably back around like 2014, ish, maybe a few years before that but, um, in the other house that we lived at, we would think about, like, when we would prepare our dinner menu and the things that we selected. Um, in the other house that we lived at, we would think about, like, when we would prepare our dinner menu and the things that we selected lots of frozen meals, lots of processed box things Um, and we don't do any of that stuff anymore.

Speaker 2 21:46

Now it's a lot more whole foods, and the kids are even like on board with it too. Like, a lot of the times, like when we make things at home, they're like, yeah, they're, they're right on board with it. Um, they want to make healthier choices, uh, which is good, and I we both recognize that they do still want the, the good tasting things, as as with any kid, but like, right, for the most part, it's it's really like changed, like nutrition wise.

Speaker 1 22:09

Yeah, that's awesome, and so you've seen them. Uh, you know, get more on board with that, and if you hadn't changed it, then what they grew up with was just frozen dinners and box meals and unprocessed foods, but now they've been experiencing what healthy food can be. And that plays a big impact now how they're going to continue on with their life, just making healthier choices. And they see you and Lynn sacrifice time to work out. Oh yeah, sacrifice time to meal prep, because you meal prep.

Speaker 2 22:45

Not as much. Honestly, I don't meal prep because I cook my food pretty much every day. Okay, whether it's my breakfast or my lunch, depending on my shift that I'm working here at the gym. Sure, I honestly can't eat a four day old chicken and rice pre-prepped meal. I eat chicken and rice every day, as long as it's freshly cooked, and I usually allow myself enough time, whether it's in the mornings or early in the afternoon when I get off, to cook my food.

Speaker 1 23:13

So do you cook enough for like two meals though, or for, like, I'm assuming you know, with how your schedule is, you're either working mornings or you're working evenings. Um, so, if you're working evenings, you cook that breakfast meal. At that breakfast meal, are you cooking your dinner that you'll have? Or then when do you cook like your dinner?

Speaker 2 23:32

Sure Uh. Usually we'll cook dinner at dinnertime. If I'm working uh in the mornings in the gym, I'll come home and have dinner prepared for everybody. If I'm working uh afternoons, lynn usually prepares dinner.

Speaker 1 23:43

Got it, okay. So then there's this ready, like there's some, some left for you when you get home. Yep, okay, very cool. So so then again, it sounds like you and Lynn tag team it together, oh yeah. How much does that?

Speaker 2 23:55

help. Uh, so and it's I was thinking this earlier as we were talking she has had a profound impact on like my journey and like just working together as a team uh has helped us both Like yeah, it's that support system working with each other to help like continually get to that next level.

Nutrition Strategies for Busy Lifestyles

Speaker 1 24:15

Maybe you don't have a good answer for this, but I'm just thinking to myself. A lot of our clients, a lot of people watching, listening, maybe they don't have that partner support. Do you have any advice on like, hey, you know, good for you, ryan, I'm glad that you and Lynn have that partnership, have that support where you're doing it together, sure, but what about the people that maybe work an evening shift? They don't get home until past seven and nobody's got food ready for them. That's healthy, like what? What are some? What would you give them as advice? Can you think of anything that would come to head at all?

Speaker 2 24:51

Gosh, you know, um, unfortunately, the advice I would give would be tough. You know, you really have to focus on why you're doing what you're doing. Yeah, and you really have to have a plan. Yeah, I am kind of an introverted person. I'm kind of I kind of keep to myself for the most part and I think, you know, if I was on my own, if I didn't have Lynn as that support system, it would make it exponentially more difficult. I didn't have Lynn as that support system, uh, it would make it exponentially more difficult. Um, and just at that point I'd really have to, like, think about again why I'm doing this. Really lean into that discipline. When you have that motivation and you're ready to get after it, get it while you can, um and just really focus, um and do the best you can stay in discipline. Otherwise, Yep.

Speaker 1 25:34

So have you found any tips, as it relates to nutrition, to make a healthy meal fast?

Speaker 2 25:45

Sure, keep it simple. Okay, keep it super, super simple.

Speaker 1 25:49

That's why so I need to eat a meal. I need to get protein Yep. I need to get a healthy carb Yep, and I want to have some healthy fats Sure, I need to get protein Yep, I need to get a healthy carb Yep, and I want to have some healthy fats. Sure, like, what would you eat for a simple meal that you can put together fast, super fast? That's still going to be like not just a box dinner.

Speaker 2 26:05

Yeah, absolutely. What would you do? Yeah, if I'm in a pinch and I need to stop somewhere, I'll run to a grocery store grab some pre-cooked meat, whether it's chicken pork, whatever the case may be.

Speaker 1 26:20

And where do you find this meat? Do you find that meat in the freezer section? Do you find it in a deli section? Sure, where do you find the meat?

Speaker 2 26:27

And it kind of depends on what you're getting. You can get the low-sodium deli meat. Okay, I like to go to Aldi. Aldi is one of my super clutch places. They have lots of pretty good options. They have lots of shredded chicken, shredded pork, pre-cooked shrimp.

Speaker 1 26:41

that is ready to go. Honestly, I think I've only shopped at Aldi like one time. Sure, so help me out here. I go into Aldi. Where would I go to find this pre-cooked chicken, shredded chicken shrimp? Where do you find that at?

Speaker 2 26:53

Yeah, so Chicken shrimp, chicken shrimp. Where do you find that at? Yeah, so there's a section right up front or over by the meat area Not frozen. Not frozen Okay, it's ready to go. You can just open the package eat, eat, okay. And even at Hy-Vee or Walmart they have options like this as well A lot of pre-cooked chicken like rotisserie style chicken. Oh sure, yep, okay, um, and then I'll get a package of rice. Honestly, uh, rice, uh, and a lot of my diet, uh, with the fats, yeah, I like to eat a lot of nuts. Yeah, super handy, walnuts, almonds, uh, seeds, things like that. Real easy for me to get my fats in. Yeah, um, and it's quick and easy.

Speaker 1 27:29

Yeah, perfect. So that's an awesome, uh healthy, on the go tip. Um cause a. A lot of times we think like, oh, we're on the go, we need to stop somewhere. A lot of people, what comes top of mind is a gas station Like I'll stop there. And nowadays like we're getting. I think I was at the Quick Trip or whatever a newer one here in town and they've got like this whole section as well with some of that fresh stuff.

Speaker 1 27:53

And I think even some of the other ones too, get and goes and whatnot. Have that, but um, that's what we think of as a gas station, yeah.

Speaker 2 28:05

But why can't running into the grocery store be a quick thing? It is, it can be, yeah, it is. I like, literally will like. Um, just last week I was coming to the gym and I had nothing prepped up. I didn't have anything left over, so I was like all right, well, I got to allow myself about 10, 15 minutes before I leave. I'll stop at Aldi. I'm going to grab a bag of shredded chicken, I'm going to grab a package of rice and I already have nuts at home that I can bring. So there's my protein, carbs, fats meal done, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 28:30

And I think one of my favorite things is the minute. Rice cups yeah Right, like one minute. You take the top off, put it in the microwave for one minute and you've got, like I don't know, 38 grams of carbs that are that are a better carb for you than a potato chip or a candy bar or sugar. Um, so yeah, I think that's an awesome tip. Now, as it relates to nutrition um, do you track your food?

Speaker 2 28:53

I do, okay. Um, it's kind of on and off, though. Uh, if I notice myself kind of slipping or not staying consistent, then I'll get back into tracking got it okay, but if I'm like pretty dialed in, then I don't necessarily track, uh, every last thing, because a lot of the times if you look at my tracker, yeah, it's the same stuff. Like I eat a lot of the same breakfast meals, a lot of the same lunch meals and just interchange them as needed.

Speaker 1 29:17

You know, and I'm that way too, I was talking with someone the other day and they, they, they want more like flavor and variety. Sure, from that I mean, there's also services out there where you can like order the food to come to you that has like all the healthy ingredients, where you just like didn't make it. But like for me, thankfully I'm I'm very much like you I can eat a pretty boring meal, absolutely.

Speaker 2 29:39

Every day, yep.

Speaker 1 29:41

And that works.

Speaker 2 29:42

Honestly, one of the things that's kind of helped me like, or one thing that I've been able to like kind of curb, is like eating because I'm bored or eating because I'm, you know, having a bad day, or I'm feeling a certain type of way.

Speaker 1 30:01

Like I try to yeah, I try to eliminate how I'm feeling, how it's tasting.

Speaker 2 30:03

And how do you, how do you recognize when you're emotionally eating? Uh, you know, I don't do it honestly too much, um, but if, if I'm usually eating emotionally, uh, I'm grabbing for something, that's probably not great. Yeah, it's probably after a long day, or I'm feeling.

Speaker 1 30:17

So then, knowing that you work on the mindset probably more than others, you notice that you're grabbing for something that you shouldn't be. Do you then do any type of like mindset work?

Speaker 2 30:31

with that. Honestly, I talk to myself again and I say it out loud, ryan, don't be. Why are you grabbing that, ryan, like I literally talk to myself as if I'm a different person and just do my best to recognize that.

Speaker 1 30:44

Grab food That'll help you, yeah.

Speaker 2 30:46

Ryan, is this going to yeah, it really. Is this going to help you get to where you want? No, all right. All right, fine, I'll put it back. Yeah, I don't always like it, sometimes I'm cussing at myself, but it's kind of tough, oh I want that stuff.

Passion for Coaching and Learning

Speaker 1 31:00

Yeah, yeah, that's awesome, okay, so so we're obviously talking about a lot of different things here. When did you have this thought that I want to be a coach? Like, where did that come from?

Speaker 2 31:14

Sure. So it kind of was a process. Honestly, I was at my last employment and I went to a leadership training and some time had went by and I really started thinking about like what I was going to do with my life, Um, and like how, how could I make this fulfilling and purposeful to me? Because if I don't have meaning and purpose behind what I'm doing, I just have no desire to do anything at all.

Speaker 1 31:41

Yeah.

Speaker 2 31:42

So I I thought for a while you know how, how can I empower people? You know I don't want to just sell a product or, you know, give them a box of stuff, you know, to sell them. I want to give them a service and provide value and help people. So it took me a while to figure out what, or like how, and what capacity I could do that. And it's funny because I was actually scrolling on Facebook and I saw a picture of the team, yeah, and like something about that, just like a light bulb flashed off. My head was like Ryan, what if you helped folks with their fitness and their health? Yeah, and I reached out to Vicky. Yeah, Because Vicky was in the picture and I was like, oh, she told me. Well, you know, why don't you come check out the gym?

Speaker 1 32:35

See if this is something for you, Cause I remember you did join as a client. Yeah, Um, but at that time I still uh, unbeknown to me. Did you have any thought that maybe coaching was in your future? Oh, absolutely I thought you were just here to a work on your health and fitness, but B support your sister. Yeah, um, speaking of sister who's older, vicky, vicky's older by how much, a little over a year. Okay, so we're like we're not twins, here we're, we're yeah, she's.

Speaker 1 32:59

She's a little over a year older than I am, okay, so okay. So she probably has more gray hairs than you.

Speaker 2 33:04

I doubt it no, which is weird.

Speaker 1 33:06

Yeah, you're starting to get more gray.

Speaker 2 33:08

Oh, they're everywhere, they're in my chin my mustache like Holy cow Okay.

Speaker 1 33:12

Okay.

Speaker 2 33:13

I still get a little self-conscious about that. Oh sorry, I didn't mean to bring up.

Speaker 1 33:16

No, no, like yeah, yeah, bring it on. Yeah, bring it on. I love it. Vicki's going to be us some.

Speaker 2 33:25

I've got her beat. I have definitely got her beat in the gray hair department.

Speaker 1 33:30

I love it, but yeah, so I thought maybe you're here to work on your health and fitness number one. Number two support your big sister, yeah. But then really the truth was you're like I want to see if this is something that could be a future.

Speaker 2 33:42

Yeah, honestly, it was kind of like the whole thing. Honestly, like at that point I was interested in coaching Um. I was hoping there was an opportunity available. Even if there wasn't, uh, I still wanted to continue my health and fitness, uh, and kind of support Vicki along the way as well too, um, and kind of help develop our relationship a little bit better, um. But yeah, that was definitely on the back burner in my mind as I came in as a client here.

Speaker 1 34:05

Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. And now you came on as a client, uh, or, excuse me, you came onto the team as a coach. Um, a lot of times we, more times than not, honestly, we hire coaches that are not certified and then through our process, we we take them through kind of our training and then we, you know, ask you, hey, get certified, right. So you just went through that process, yes, not too long ago here. What was that like? Going through a, you know, certification for personal training.

Speaker 2 34:39

Yeah, sure. So kind of backstory Didn't like school. Growing up as a kid Did not enjoy learning whatsoever. Yeah, story Didn't like school. Growing up as a kid did not enjoy learning whatsoever, um, but kind of, as I've grown up, uh, I've found and learned about myself I do enjoy learning. Um, it's challenging, it's hard, it takes a lot of effort, it takes a lot of time, um, but uh, I've kind of developed this like I want to be a lifelong teacher student where I'm continuing to learn and continuing to teach at the same time, what I've learned to those that need help and guidance, and so getting certified as a trainer.

Group Nutrition and Personal Achievement

Speaker 1 35:17

Yeah, like awesome, because now you have more tools in your toolbox to help the clients, and I know, because I talked with you, that through that process it has even, like, sparked an interest, like you want to figure out how can you help clients more with their form, more with their nutrition, more, uh, on a capacity that's really going to take that person. Um, you know, you said the thing that drives you the most is meeting someone and then, because you entered their life, they're able to progress and make better progress. And so I know that we're exploring ways. I'm like how can we use that desire within our current ecosystem of what we do? And recently we kind of just launched the group nutrition meetings at the gym and you've been a key part in making sure that those are running and operating. What have you noticed? Well, first, I guess, explain to maybe those watching and listening what is a group nutrition meeting.

Speaker 2 36:15

Sure. So in those group nutrition meetings like you said, group setting so it's not a one-on-one thing and we just sit down and talk about nutrition. You know what does balanced nutrition look like? Uh, what does a balanced meal look like? How do you plan your meals? How do you plan things out like that? Um, there's so much misinformation with nutrition. Um, and all these fad diets um, you know, lose 30 pounds in 30 days and, like you know, those group nutritions are designed to really like. Talk about the balanced nutrition and how to do it in a way that's sustainable, where you're not restricting yourself with things For life yeah, for life. We want to keep going beyond that 30 pound goal that you have and continue on beyond that.

Speaker 1 37:01

I love that. I love that. And so helping people with nutrition is difficult because we also, we live in this culture, in this world where, you know, so many more unhealthy options are available, so many more unhealthy options are more affordable, right, and so we're battling a lot of things here. We're battling time, we're battling money, we're battling taste, we're battling all these different things, and so being able to sit down with a group setting you can then bounce different ideas off of each other.

Speaker 1 37:29

Oh, absolutely Right so you've probably seen even clients help clients in that capacity.

Speaker 2 37:33

Yeah, that's one of the things I really enjoy too with those group nutrition meetings, when folks chime in and say, hey, you know I've done this and I've found success doing it here. You guys should check this out, maybe you'll find success doing it as well too. Yeah, it here, you guys should check this out, maybe you'll find success doing it as well too. Yeah, seeing them build that community within each other is is awesome. Yeah, absolutely. And you never know, that might be the thing that helps that person that maybe doesn't have that spouse or that support system at home. Maybe they can come here and find it here and develop it even more.

Speaker 1 38:04

And that's the thing that really led me to the group setting of all of it, because you know and we talked about this a bit when we talked a couple months ago or a month ago or so but for me and again, everybody has different whys, wants and desires and they're all entitled to have that. Yeah, absolutely. But for me I was a one-on-one personal trainer and for me what I thought is, when that client left my session a lot of them were then on an island- Because, again, a lot of times, when we decide that we want to make a health and fitness choice, a change, we decide that those around us didn't decide that.

Speaker 1 38:44

But then we make that decision and then somewhere, though, have this like hope or this thought that like probably these people around would do it too Right, and then it's like what happens if they don't?

Speaker 2 38:58

Right, yeah, it gets very challenging when you're on your journey, um, and those you surround yourself with are not on that journey with you, um, and they're actually encouraging you to get off of your journey and make choices, uh, whether it's nutrition or fitness, that aren't going to help you get to where you want to go. Yeah, the journey is hard enough as it is, uh, in and of itself, and then you don't have that support system and it makes it even harder.

Speaker 1 39:23

So yeah, so those group nutrition meetings are awesome way to get support. Yeah, absolutely so maybe any of our clients that are watching that haven't been to one of those yet like we should definitely encourage them.

Speaker 2 39:31

Yeah, 100%, check those out To get into those, and there's usually what is there?

Speaker 1 39:34

one a month at each location or is there two?

Speaker 2 39:36

Two each month at each location?

Speaker 1 39:38

Two at West and two at Central. Yeah, one in the morning, or even the public knows, is that with fit body. If you need help with form, well, number one, you can ask um and we'll always help and we are. Or maybe not even that you, maybe you don't know that you need help with form but maybe you're feeling a little bit of a pain somewhere. But clients can come in early to a session and walk around with the coach.

Speaker 1 40:16

So have you had have you and I'm sure you have. But obviously you're at West. I'm normally in my office or at Central, so I don't see you guys coach a ton. But do you have that happen to you? Would you have clients come in that'll like go around the boards with you before session?

Speaker 2 40:29

Yeah, uh, you know, if they have injuries, uh highly encourage them to come in. Uh, sometimes time doesn't allow it, but uh, there have been uh a good amount of clients that will come in Um and we know about their injuries and we'll go through a walkthrough with them um and do our best to help them. You know, adjust those exercises while still working the body the best we can. If we got to make adjustments to those exercises, we will, and we do it, yep, yep.

Speaker 1 40:56

And that's just it, you know. So helping meeting the individual where they're at and then being able to help them progress to where they want to go.

Speaker 2 41:02

Yeah.

Speaker 1 41:03

Yeah, cool. What have you said? Ryan is one of the things maybe not fit body related at all, maybe it is, I don't know. But what would you say? Is something that like stands out to you as something that you're very proud of yourself? For Kind of a tough question to put you on the spot like that.

Speaker 2 41:20

Sure, uh, the first thing that comes to my mind is just being on this team. Yeah, like, really, uh like. Doing my own stuff, uh, with my own personal health and fitness journey has been great, um, but being on this team was like a significant accomplishment for me, just because of where I was, you know, if we we think back to that 2016,. I was overweight, I was drinking alcohol, like all the time. I was smoking cigarettes. Poor nutrition, like I was a wreck.

Speaker 2 41:48

Like I was a wreck and like to really turn it around. And now, uh, being on a fitness team like here, like that's pretty wild. That's a huge win. It's like a one 80 big, literally different direction. Yeah Right, I'd say three, 60.

Speaker 1 42:02

Cause a lot of times people say but if you really think about it, three 60,.

Speaker 2 42:06

You're going right back to where you started. You made the good choice and then you just came full circle.

Speaker 1 42:16

Yep, so a full 180. And I just think it's awesome. I mean it's been super cool to have you on the team. Which is crazy to know that you are more introvert and when we are more on like not a group setting like in sessions.

Speaker 2 42:26

I definitely, I definitely see that.

Speaker 1 42:28

But, man, there is something in you that it's go time. You put that mic on and you flip the switch and ryan's able to find, uh, ryan, um, where you can just come out on the floor and you can bring the heat oh, absolutely energy and it's just so fun.

Speaker 1 42:45

Um, if you're willing, I, I think it'd be kind of fun to what's, maybe something that people don't know about you, if you're willing, whatever it is, I don't know I've got something that you told me that I was like I had no idea that you used to do that.

Speaker 1 42:59

So is there and I don't know what it is that you want to share. But is there something that people don't know about you that they think would be interesting, about Ryan? Kind of putting me on the spot, I know, I know, I know I wasn't planning on it and I didn't.

Speaker 2 43:18

I didn't know exactly where what would come. Uh, over this question. Sure, sure, um gosh, I'll go out and say it. Uh, I used to really be into music, um that's where I was going to go.

Speaker 1 43:27

That's where I was going to go.

Speaker 2 43:28

I used to be into like hip hop, writing lyrics and things like that. I recorded music. Yeah, I still have all my old recording stuff.

Speaker 1 43:34

Let's go. Is there anything like that would be session worthy. Probably not.

Speaker 2 43:40

No Negative, come on Negative. It's definitely like the 2010 Ryan. Okay, way, way back.

Speaker 1 43:51

What is it? Hip-hop Rap.

Speaker 2 43:53

Yeah, it's more like underground local rap. Okay, I used to hang out with a lot of guys around town, even like the guys in Soul Crate. I did some music with them, recorded some songs with them. Yeah, I was really into that stuff back then.

Speaker 1 44:07

That's what I was hoping you would go. Yeah, I didn't know.

Speaker 2 44:09

I hesitated on it but my heart was like crying say it just say it, just say it.

Speaker 1 44:14

Um yeah, when you, when you told me that I think it was like in your interview, even okay, that came out something about like a dj right or something like. Or you had like a no a name or something like a rapper name.

Speaker 2 44:28

Oh yeah, night N-Y-T-E, n-y-t-e. Yeah, just because I was always up late at night writing rhymes and just making music and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 44:36

I love it. I love it so cool and just kind of fun, right yeah, because a lot of times and we were talking about this earlier when we're at work and we're coaching and we're helping our clients, like it is all about the client.

Speaker 1 44:48

Yeah, and we want to make sure that we help them where they're at and we can dive into their story, their why, and figure out how to help them.

Speaker 1 44:54

Yeah, we're here to serve A hundred percent. But when we can take this time to then just be able to just shoot the breeze and talk about us, like it is kind of fun to be able to share that, because then too, what that, what happens, is now maybe the you know, the clients watch this or they listen to it and it's like hey, uh, coach night, like you know, I don't know, I don't know, but you know it brings up something, and then you can kind of like take a whole, a whole new turn in that connection and that relationship. And I'm a big believer, man, like the more that we can connect with people, the more that we can change people. You know, if you can't connect with them, you can't change. Yeah, right. And so, and we're in the, we're in the business of change, we are helping people change, and change is uncomfortable, very uncomfortable, right. And so we got to figure out how can we make this change comfortable, yeah, how can we make this change happen?

Speaker 2 45:44

Get comfortable being uncomfortable, yeah.

Speaker 1 45:46

Right. How do you do that? We're going to help you, we're going to help you.

Speaker 1 45:49

I love it, ryan. The last thing that I want to kind of share with our audience is a fitness tip Anything that maybe you would tell them they're watching or listening right here. Right now we don't have a clue who is watching or listening, but maybe we're speaking to someone that knows they want to do something with their health and fitness. What would be your advice to them if they're looking to get started? They want to do something. What was your advice to help them? You know, start moving in the right direction.

Speaker 2 46:16

Yeah, honestly, just kind of what we just said Get comfortable being uncomfortable, those things that you think about doing or embarking on. If it makes you feel scared or nervous or oh, it's the unknown, go for it. That's a good indicator. You need to lean into it and it kind of plays into like when you take those challenges on, when life throws you the unexpected ones, you're much more prepared for them.

Speaker 2 46:41

So get up every day, remind yourself why you're on this journey, what your focus is, whatever it may be, if you want to look better, if you want to feel stronger, if it's longevity, whatever. Remind yourself every morning and take those challenges on. When they make you scared or they make you nervous, lean into it. That's a good indicator, that's something you need to do and it's going to better you on your journey.

Speaker 1 47:02

It's going to be hard, but do you try to do that every day, every day, remind yourself of your. Why lean into?

Speaker 2 47:07

your mission. Every day, every morning, I wake up and that's the first thing I say to myself. I remind myself why I'm doing this, what my focus is and it's going to be a good day, and I get up and get after it. Some days are slower than others, but that's always the first thing I do when I wake up. I think that stuff in my head to try to embed it in my subconscious, to reprogram myself so that subconscious is always going, it's always running, always. Yeah.

Speaker 2 47:32

And so it's like hey if you're going to always be working subconscious.

Speaker 1 47:34

I want you to be working for me, not against me, Exactly, Yep, I love that. Well, you guys. Thank you so much for taking the time, Ryan.

Speaker 2 47:40

Thank you, man for taking the time.

Speaker 1 47:48

Thanks for inviting me, appreciate it. Yeah, it's been fun. You know, I kind of hit a spot where the podcast takes time like to to continually shoot and also I want to make sure that we give people value, and I was like you know, there's so many clients that don't get to know about us on this level, cause we're a 30 minute. We're in and out gym, yeah for sure.

Speaker 1 48:02

You know, and so I think it's just awesome to take this time to chat with you guys like this. Uh, it's been fun for me, uh, to be able to take some time and just get to even, you know, talk with you a little deeper about some stuff and have it be shared with others. But, uh, you know, what I want to do is invite anybody that's watching or listening. If you're not a member of fit body, you want to try fit body? Um, you can go to 605fitbodycom. You can either claim a free week or we have a new promo that's going to be on that page. You can see what our trial is.

Fan Engagement and Mutual Support

Speaker 1 48:32

And if you want to hang out with Coach Ryan Coach Knight that might come to be, but if you want to do that, he is coaching at the West location, which is on 26th and Tieles, over by Shenanigans, so check it out. But, guys, do us a favor, go ahead like, subscribe and share this episode. And, man, do me another favor, though Drop some type of a comment down below about a Ryanism or something that you love about Coach Ryan.

Speaker 1 49:02

Just like. So yeah, we hear that all the time. But I mean you for sure, but a lot of coaches are always like you're going to do this, just like so I love it. But, yeah, drop a comment down below showing Coach Ryan some love for taking the time to be on the show today. But you guys, I believe in you, we believe in you. Go out and crush your day and we'll catch you on the next episode of the Fit and Healthy Sioux Falls Show. Bye you guys, see you guys, peace.