Wow. What a year.

As I sit at the computer, and try to catch my breath, having our regularly scheduled “Gainz Of The Week” just doesn’t seem right.

I would like to take a minute and tell you about our mission – MY mission – and why I feel so strongly about fitness.

When I first began training, sure, I wanted a flatter belly.

I didn’t want a “6-pack” or “huge arms”. I wanted to not be fat.

I wanted to only sweat when it was actually hot outside, instead of sweating 24-hours per day, 7-days per week.

I wanted to sit down at a restaurant and not feel my stomach lapping my belt.

I didn’t want to have heartburn any more. I was popping OTC medications like candy just to keep it at bay.

This was early – way early – in my professional career, when I was “just a teacher”, not a fitness coach. Around 2004-2005.

Lifting weights made most of those above items take care of themselves. I didn’t really work on my diet or anything. But lifting made me strong.

But more importantly……….

Lifting made me FEEL strong.

The feeling of being strong is more important than actually BEING strong. If you FEEL strong, you exude confidence and you have the inner belief that you can conquer life’s challenges. Having inner strength BEGINS with finding some outer strength.

NOT the other way around.

2015 was an unbelievably successful year for us. We have collectively lost many thousands of pounds. Our Facebook page is growing exponentially [throw us a “like” here]. Our testimonials and results page is becoming robust. Referrals have been pouring in from all over the world. People are starting to take notice. Eyebrows are being raised.

The biggest “knock” against me is that I’m not a “6-pack all the time, walking around shredded all year” kinda guy. That turns some people off.

Hell, this is me in my current condition. I have nothing to hide:

If you would prefer your fitness coach to be glistened up with ripped abs, no worries – you can easily hire one of them. I’ve done that before, but I’m an honest guy. I don’t look like that 24/7/365. Doing so would be unhealthy.

And it would take WAY too much effort………..

There’s 82 zillion “online coaches” out there with that look.

Most of them have never had to hold their breath when they bend over to tie their shoes (like I have).

Also, most of them are under 30, single, child-less, don’t own a home, and don’t truly understand the struggles of the middle class.

The underpaid, overworked, way-too-stressed-out middle class.

I’m no “guru of wisdom” over here, but I try my best. And there’s a few things I truly understand:

• I know what it feels like to be fat and feel disgusted with my body.
• I know what it feels like to work my ass off…………..and not be compensated properly. (I’m a middle school teacher, ya know……..)
• I know what it feels like to graduate college with six figures in student loan debt between my wife and myself.
• I know what it feels like to have two mortgages, because we didn’t have enough money for a down payment.
• I know what it feels like to have to take out a small loan to do a home repair because we don’t have the cash for it.
• I know what it feels like to have my wife and first born child almost leave this Earth, leaving me in tatters.

I know what it feels like to feel the heavy burden of life on your shoulders.

Which isn’t to say my life is bad, or my experiences have been awful. They haven’t been. They have shaped me into who I am today.

I am truly blessed and grateful for those experiences.

On the flip side of those (negative) experiences:

• I know what it feels like to get fed up with my physical appearance, and begin the process of self-improvement.
• I know what it feels like to see small, gradual changes begin to mold my physical appearance bit by bit.
• I know what it feels like to begin to feel more confident in my appearance.
• I know what it feels like to fail, pick myself back up, and try again.
• I know what it feels like to beat the mental side of dieting – I know what you need in order to succeed.

I know what it feels like to see a business grow to 4 times the size of the previous year – from 2013-2014, and again from 2014-2015.

None of that would have been possible without you.

You are the reason why this is possible – the men and women, the “regular people”, who are tired of all the bullshit.

Who are sick of the MLM-schemes,
the “detox plans”,
the “supplement pushers”,
the fitness industry shills
who want your hard-earned cash and nothing more.

If you look at our before and after pictures, you’ll notice something.

I don’t “screen” my pictures closely. Many “coaches” only put their 5-star, best of the best pictures on their site.

That’s called advertising. I don’t blame them – 6-packs and firm glutes make money.

But that shit ain’t real.

If you’re one of us, and you have a visible transformation, then you’re on our results page. No questions asked. You even get a free t-shirt as a thank you.  🙂

Because YOU are real – you’re the reason why this small, little corner of the internet has grown like wildfire over the past 3 years.

My mission?

To show you that fitness is accessible and possible.

To make you understand why fitness is really SO DAMN IMPORTANT.

You need to have a high quality of life.

You want to reach your Golden Years, look at yourself, and smile with the realization you likely have 15, 25, or even 35 solid years ahead of you.

My friend Mike Vacanti put together this short video on this subject – Why Fitness Matters.

I hope you have a short watch; it’s around 4 minutes long.

Cheers to a great 2015.

Yours in true health,

-Jason