Good Neighbor Podcast: Virginia Beach
Good Neighbor Podcast: Virginia Beach
Good Neighbor Podcast: Virginia Beach
Ep.15 D1 Training Comes to Virginia Beach and Brings Elite Fitness for Our Youth
What if there was a place where you and your family could train like athletes, regardless of age or fitness level? Join us for an exclusive conversation with Justin Bodner, owner of D1 Training in Virginia Beach, and general manager Ryan Montgomery, as they share their journey of bringing this revolutionary athletic facility to life. Drawing from their rich backgrounds in college sports, Justin and Ryan explain how D1 Training is not just about exercise but about building confidence, character, and a sense of community. From children as young as seven to 18 seeking to enhance their athletic prowess, D1 Training offers state-of-the-art equipment and expert coaching designed to help everyone achieve strength, agility, and injury prevention in a safe, welcoming environment.
Listen as we unravel common myths about the facility, underscoring its accessibility and appeal to young athletes at all fitness levels. With flexible membership plans and a focus on age-appropriate training, particularly for children, D1 Training is pioneering a fitness revolution in Virginia Beach. We also celebrate the launch of the Good Neighbor Podcast in the community, expressing our gratitude to Justin and Ryan for their valuable insights. As we invite listeners to nominate local businesses to feature on the show, this episode builds a bridge between fitness, community engagement, and a shared journey toward well-being.
D1 Training - Virginia Beach
Justin Bodner and Ryan Montgomery
3636 Virginia Beach Blvd. #109
Virginia Beach, VA
757-530-7152
www.d1training.com/virginia-beach/
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Denise Taylor.
Speaker 2:Hi, welcome to Good Neighbors Podcast, virginia Beach. Today I'm here with D1 Training. I have the owner, justin Bodner, and the general manager, ryan Montgomery. Welcome guys, thanks for being here.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2:Justin, tell me about the journey to bringing D1 training to Virginia Beach.
Speaker 3:I'll make it quick. Basically, me and my wife both played college sports. She played volleyball, I played soccer and I had the opportunity to play over in England for a couple years until injury happened. Long story short, we're a blended family with five kids and we're pretty much always at a ball field, okay, and we just always had a passion for sports and community and we're trying to figure out a way that we can bring something here that's not been done before. So we were able to find through V1, through franchise system, and bring everything on board.
Speaker 2:We're excited to have you guys in the area. I know a lot of families with athletes are going to be very excited about this. Ryan, can you share a little bit about what's going to differentiate this particular facility versus some others in the area that parents might be thinking about?
Speaker 4:Yeah, sure. So I mean, first of all, we take kids as early as seven years old, which is kind of unheard of. So our rookie group, when they come in from seven to 11 years old, we can take kids from that age all the way through high school into our prep, which is getting them ready for potentially D1, right, the college D1 schools, if that's the route they choose to go right. Some kids might not want to go that route, but they're going to be ready, they're going to have that edge and it's very organized. We've been around for over 20 years just the first one here, but it's the first one, that's. It's the first facility that can take somebody again from seven all the way to 18, and we also offer an adult program.
Speaker 4:So for all those you know, just former athletes that got there in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, even that used to play sports, that want to want to train like an athlete, they can come in. They can train like an athlete. There's, there's, you know, clients of all on all levels, whether they just started working out or whether they're just getting back into it. Another great thing about it is the parents can come in. They can actually watch, either watch their kids practice or they can participate. They can actually do their own session, their own training session, while their kids are training. So it's kind of a community based training session while their kids are training.
Speaker 2:So it's kind of a community based. Oh, I love that. That is a great idea. Justin, can you tell us what parents will experience, kids will experience when they first walk into the gym?
Speaker 3:Well, first of all, they might be taken back because we're just going to be shy. 5,000 square feet, Okay, a big AstroTurf, that's lines like kind of like a football field, but we're not just training football people at the same time and we have um, the latest equipment called sore necks, that you'll see at all major one facilities for their athletes and you'll also see, uh, that at the nfl level, and I can say that I went with d1 down to new orleans at the saints facility at their headquarters where they practice, walk through the um weight room. So it's all topthe-line equipment is that we're going to be bringing in. We're going to be number one with the kids, we're going to help them have fun, build their character, and they're going to get a good workout and they're all going to be. All the classes are led by professional coaches that have multiple different certifications and we're all bringing in results.
Speaker 2:at the end of the day, that's great. Ryan, can you share what a typical like the length of a workout and what a child can expect, like at the ages from like seven to eight or nine, what that kind of workout would look like for them?
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely Great question. So we call it five-star training. The workout is basically divided into five parts. The first part of the workout is a dynamic warmup. We're keeping the groups pretty small, so five to add around five to eight athletes per session. So that way even the young like especially the young kids that are seven years old, eight years old, they have that almost not quite one-on-one attention, but they're they're, it's, it's very organized, we'll put it that way. But they start off on the turf, they do a dynamic warmup.
Speaker 4:We go into a performance section of the workout which is going to be all speed and agility drills, footwork drills, very similar to like, again, that D1 playbook style workout, right. And then we go into strength. We go over to the weight training equipment. We're introducing kids, not quite from 7 to 11 yet into weight training because they're too young for that, but more when they get into a little bit older junior high, high school. We start in the weight training with Olympic lifts, making sure their form is proper. They're getting stronger, they're getting bigger, stronger, faster, right, they have again their coach with them, spotters, the whole thing.
Speaker 4:And then we go into a core section of the workout, which is all obviously core work. Any athlete needs to have a strong core. Adults getting back into working out we all wanna work on our core right. It's a big part of it. The last part of the workout is gonna to be like injury prevention, so teaching kids how to stretch properly, how to get, how to not get hurt when they get in high school or college, cause we all hear the horror stories about like right With a knee blows the knee out and they lose a scholarship or whatever the case is. So we're getting ready for that as well.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic. So I have kind of kids at both ends of the spectrum. I have a daughter who's an 11th grader volleyball player. When you're working with players like that, Justin, can you share how this can elevate what they're currently doing on a travel national team?
Speaker 3:OK, well, we're actually got a couple of contracts signed up with work and send the coaches to. We also send coaches to the facilities and work with the team. So the coach are going to design if it's with the volleyball team, they're going to design the core workout to what their bodies are used to. So we're going to help them with their jumping, help them with their landing, just kind of make it simple without getting too technical about it.
Speaker 3:Okay, just so they can add in, incorporate into their current workout absolutely okay, they're gonna push them um, energize them, but not push them so bad that they're not able to wake up the next day without like, oh, this, this really hurts.
Speaker 2:It's going to be a good, good, good workout we think about those traditional sports like a volleyball, basketball, basketball, baseball, football, when we're thinking about sports like swimming, maybe golf, how can this facility kind of help those sort of athletes who are trying to up their game, and what would that do for the game?
Speaker 3:That's a great question. I'm glad you asked that. If you look at or if you watch videos of any professional athlete like Patrick Mahomes practicing with the team, they all have their own private one-on-one condition coach. You need some professional coaching that can do the proper conditioning outside of your just learning your skills or basic whatever sport that you're in. You need a conditioning and that's what we bring into, what we bring to the table that nobody else does here in the local area.
Speaker 2:I'm really excited about this, just because I have three kids that are really devoted to sports. My youngest son is the one who actually saw you guys on an Instagram I guess it must have been an ad and he was like Mom, this is what I need to be doing, this is what I want to be doing, so it's really exciting to have you guys here Outside of the gym. Justin, can you tell me some fun things that you and your family like to do?
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, we're a family of five, so we're a blended family. So we have a six-year-old son, two 14-year-old girls, a 12-year-old son and nine-year-old girl. So it really they did pretty much determine where our schedule is going to be and kind of where we're going to go. Um, so we just, we like to have fun, we like to just live our lives. Not everything's about sports, not everything's about work. At the end of the day, my favorite question at the dinner what did you do good for somebody? Or what did somebody do good for you? Because a lot of times, having teenagers, all I hear is like ugh, I'm like then I hear them on their phones I know something, you had a good day. So it's all trying to have communication and really just be there for each other as a family.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that kind of leadership mentality is going to be really crucial. It sounds like in a facility like yours. That's really what I think I'm hearing a lot of while I'm going through this recruiting process with my daughter. Is that difference in mentality and being thankful and coaches want to work with people like that right? Absolutely.
Speaker 3:I will say it's not just me, it's the entire team. I might just have the title I'm not big on titles but Ryan is an absolute rock star. We brought him on because he's been in the fitness industry for 20 years and he knows what he's doing. And he's brought on some incredible coaches.
Speaker 2:So Ryan, do you want to share a little bit about your background, just so? People come into the facility.
Speaker 4:Absolutely yeah. So yeah, I got started all the way back in 2004,. Got my first personal training certification. So I've been doing this for quite a while. Like Justin mentioned, started off as a trainer coach for about six, seven years straight, just full-blown personal trainer. Didn't think about anything with sales or anything with management or anything like that Kind of got in the big box gym scene with the big goals gyms and some of the big chains Grew up in those clubs and you know I've always been an athlete myself, always been in the gym. I'm a gym rat. I'm in the gym 5-60 days a week, um, so I, I stay in the gym, I live it, breathe it, um, preach it, so, um, but yeah, now now being able to build teams and and and use my knowledge as well and my passion I guess you would call it, say and then just, I've trained clients from kids to athletes to, you know, elderly, you name it but being able to, to bring that to the table. And you know, justin and Jennifer have given me the opportunity. I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2:I think what's so exciting about this is we're seeing a refocus back on these really early habits being put into kids as we're going into adulthood, because we're seeing this incredible increase in obesity and I think really getting these important habits placed with our children is really for the long haul. One more question to Ryan what? What would differentiate a training for a girl versus a boy in the gym? Do you have anything that really is focused on one versus the other, or is it more of everybody works together in these sessions?
Speaker 4:Yeah, everybody works together. Yes, the coaches are really good at pairing off though, as far as size, strength, athletic ability, they're pretty good at pairing the young kids up. You know getting athletes with who's you know ability Right. But but yeah, it is a co-ed thing. We have both female and male coaches. We just brought on our first female coach. She's an advanced basketball coach. She's very good with kids. Both mother to head coaches are big guy experience as well as seven, eight, nine, ten year olds. So it's kind of hard to find that. It's hard to find good athletic trainers and they have experience with kids, especially that young, because it's a whole different ball game. But, um, yeah, right, but as far as the boys and girls, I mean the the coaches will have regressions and progressions for all the exercises, right? So if a young girl athlete can't keep up on certain things, they're going to give them something else to do in the session to keep them competitive.
Speaker 2:So I feel like what you guys are doing is pretty unique in the marketplace, but can you share any misconceptions that you'd want parents or athletes to know about this facility?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've got one, I'll go. Yeah, the biggest one is it's not only for elite athletes, by no means. Okay, we have again. There's going to be clients in there that are this is their first time working out. They just don't want to go to the big box gym and do the basic circuit, the treadmill, they want to have a coach there, they want to be in a team environment, they want to have that kind of energy and that's what we're really looking at. Yes, we're going to have elite athletes, yes, we're going to get athletes from the young scholastic program ready to compete in the big leagues. But it's for everybody. Literally, the company mantra is the place for the athlete and athletes anybody that has a goal right. So it's not just that you're playing, playing for you know, training for a championship.
Speaker 2:It's it's for everybody. That's the biggest thing. Perfect, Justin. Did you have something to say about that?
Speaker 3:We saw my thunder, but I'll let them have that one.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Makes us unique and makes us from everybody else is really we're going to have a community where people belong. Anybody can come, even I mean. I mean seriously anybody, because we're training athletes again. Like Ryan said, anybody's got a goal, we'll help you get there, because we're all about doing bringing in the results, but then at the end of the day, you're going to have a parent in a class, you're going to have a kid in a class and they could be working out together. I mean sometimes that's me as a father.
Speaker 3:I would love to do that. Other kids will listen to me and they're like yes, sir, yes, sir Comes. My own kids are like Dad. I've heard this a thousand times. So we do have that. So just that sense of community, that it is 100% for everybody.
Speaker 2:You know, I think I've heard in the past and I don't know if this is true anymore that you know at a certain age, children really shouldn't be lifting. So what would you say to a parent who's like this is too early for kids. They really shouldn't be conditioning like this. I feel like that might be an old school mentality, but it's still out there.
Speaker 4:You want to answer that Go ahead. Yeah, I'll take a swing at that one. So the rookie program that when we first bring the young kids in that's from seven to 11, we do not do plate loaded weight training with them. There is some body weight stuff, there's some band work stuff like that, but it's not.
Speaker 4:We're not throwing them under a squat rack when they're seven, seven, eight years old, okay, old, okay, um, when they get up into the devo developmental program, the step above that, we it's, and it's on the website. It's age appropriate weight training, right. So then we start introducing them in that junior high, freshman, you know. And then when they get into the high school, the prep group, it's full blast. It's d1 level weight training. It is hardcore, right. But again, there are going to be kids there that aren't. They don't have aspirations to be necessarily a pro athlete, they just want to work out and maybe get a little bit more play time if they're playing sports and just have the edge type thing there. We're not going to bring kids in and break them down when they're seven years old.
Speaker 2:Makes sense.
Speaker 3:We're also going to be for people who have not worked out or kids who are like I'm not even on a sports team. I intimidated at first when they first and because they're thinking these guys are all trying to go pro. No, not everybody's trying to go pro. We'll bring them in, do the one-on-one consultations, find out really what is their goal. I mean, what are if you, we need to know what your goals are so we can look at. And it's a huge team environment so we're not going to make anybody feel small. There's no bullying whatsoever or they're not part of the team. Everybody feel welcome. They want everybody to accomplish what they're trying to go for.
Speaker 2:Well, I think a personal anecdote of mine is I was so lean in high school that really messed with my confidence and I know that that has to be still true and I know I'm still. I still seeing things on Instagram and TikTok and really helping these teenagers really kind of get to the point and having that confidence and lifting weights and being active in this way can just, it can totally change your life.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was a testament to that. I was the tall, skinny kid. When I was with my freshman year I shot a six, six, two, six, three, whatever, and was 170 pounds. I was a rail, got picked on right and that's what got me in the weight room. That's what. That's what started the journey, and I've already talked to some parents. Um, you know that we've recently signed up for their kids for memberships. Uh, being that we're in pre-sale right now. Um, exactly the same scenario my son or daughter is getting picked on. They're not as strong or as big as the other athletes, whatever the case is, and we're like perfect, bring them on in.
Speaker 2:This would have been really beneficial to me, just thinking about my high school experience. So, leading into that, what's the membership going to look like? And then talk to us a little bit about some of this intro pricing that you've got.
Speaker 4:Sure, you want to go, justin.
Speaker 3:Go ahead, Ryan.
Speaker 4:So the membership first of all, the unique thing about it it's on a week to week basis.
Speaker 4:OK so this is not something where they're going to come in like most gyms and facilities, training facilities, where they've got to sign up for six months a year, five years, whatever the case is, it's on a week to week. Our coaching panel, our national coaching panel, designs the curriculum in like six to eight week period, like routines, basically, or programs. So we ask that the kids can devote at least six to eight weeks at a time, just for progression purposes, right, but if something happens, they're not locked into it. So if they come in, they train for a couple weeks. They don't like it for whatever reason. They're not stuck. If they've got to move or anything like that happens, they've got to go back into their season with their, their team. They just don't have time.
Speaker 4:Um, I do hear that a lot with a lot of the kids with, with parents trying to get their, get them there, and that kind of thing they're again. The big thing is there's they're not locked in, which I think relieves a lot of people, because they're used to signing those gym memberships where it's a year commitment and then trying to get out of the membership is a nightmare. So that's one major thing there. Yeah, go ahead, justin.
Speaker 3:Another thing is we're overcoming a lot of people will ask us well, what happens if I don't come every week? Well, if you let us know in advance notice, hey, I can't come in for X, Y, Z, whatever. If you let us know for the week you're not going to be able to use it, we don't charge you for that week. You're not losing anything. You just got to let us know, hey, when are you planning on coming back? And then the payment starts again. Right, you get our founders members. The cool thing is that's your price for a lifetime, as long as you're staying with us and you're working out. You get that founders members rate guarantee. And if you have families, we have a family discount package as well. So we do that as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's perfect, so tell us where you guys are located. Your website, Justin, did you want to speak to that?
Speaker 3:We're going to be on Virginia beach Boulevard in the corner of Rosemont and the regatta shopping center. Used to be a fit boot body camp. Best landmarker is there's a wing place and a Burger King. We're going to be literally right behind that.
Speaker 2:Okay, perfect. And when are you guys opening?
Speaker 3:First week of February.
Speaker 2:What is the website?
Speaker 3:It is. If you just want to make it real simple, if you just Google D1 training, pop up right there.
Speaker 2:We are excited to have you guys in Virginia Beach. I can't wait to tell more people about you guys coming here and getting this podcast out there for more people to hear about it. I think it's going to do amazing things for so many people. Thank you, Justin. Thank you, Ryan. We appreciate you being here today. Thank you so much for having me Thanks for your time.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpvirginiabeach. com. That's gnpvirginiabeach. com. That's gnpvirginiabeach. com, or call 757-797-8852.