How to Start a New Exercise and Nutrition Program

Starting a new exercise and nutrition program can be tough for some folks. It can be even more challenging when the gym isn’t full of treadmills but instead, barbells, platforms, and power racks. I know the stuff can be intimidating, that’s why we’ve worked incredibly hard over the past 6 years to make it easier for folks to get started.

As a physical therapist, part of my larger vision is to contribute to the healthcare field by helping as many folks as possible make better exercise and nutrition choices. I built a barbell gym because I believe barbells to be the best tool for the “better exercise choices” part of that vision.

Still, I understand that a barbell gym might not sound like the best place for you to start your health and fitness journey, but I’m here to convince you otherwise.

Here’s are a few reasons why our gym is the perfect place to get started.

Our No-Sweat Intro

The first thing we will do is listen to your story and ask questions. From there, we can get an idea about how to best help you. Adding a simple conversation at the front end of a prospective client relationship has been one of the most important / effective things we have added over the past few years. It’s quite challenging to help a prospective client without knowing what they’re looking for / wanting to achieve.

A good NSI will lead us to:

  • what you want to accomplish
  • your history
  • your resources
  • how we can best help you get there

Our Barbell Foundations Program

We don’t just let anyone join the gym, we want to make sure we’re a good fit for each other. The value of taking new athletes through a 1 on 1 program to determine where they are cannot be overstated. Aside from the obvious need to educate, assess, and communicate with a new athlete, the tendency to just “hop into our group program” can be setting some athletes up for failure.

Often, group coaching won’t be the best-fit program a new athlete. Some athletes need more personalized instruction / encouragement, some will need less, and almost all will need nutritional guidance to achieve their goals. Our approach is to have a conversation about how your foundations program went, your goals, and what nutrition strategies might be appropriate. From there, we will then decide what the most appropriate coaching plan is.

Our Coaching Programs, a Customized Approach

Once your Foundations Program is complete, you will train. You will work with your Foundations coach to find the plan the best suits your needs, resources, budget, and personal preference. It might be group coaching, it might not. The plans look like this:

  • Private Coaching
  • Hybrid Coaching
  • Group Coaching
  • Nutrition Coaching

Experience has taught me that our most important task with a new client is to place them in the correct coaching plan.

Review and Plan

At the 90-day mark you will sit down with your Foundations coach to review your program and progress. Specifically, you and the coach will review:

  • your consistency
  • your strength progress
  • your composition changes (if applicable)
  • your bright spots (wins)
  • your missteps
  • your next 90-day goal

The trick to helping folks get started isn’t fancy programming. It isn’t crazy high-intensity workouts, and it definitely isn’t ultra-restrictive nutrition plans. The trick is actually pretty simple… just ask folks what they want and then map out the best course for how they can get there. Hope this helps remove some of the mystery around joining a “crazy barbell gym”.

Think of us as a coaching business. We help our clients achieve their goals! When you’re ready, you can BOOK A MEETING with one of our coaches to learn more.

Talk soon,

James